Selling personalized products: the guide for online shops, brands, drugstores and retailers

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 15 October 2026 · Reading time: 8 min

In short

With Novogenia, online shops, brands, drugstores and supermarkets can offer three product worlds: non-medical lifestyle genetic analyses with a saliva collection kit, personalized supplements and BeautyMe personalized skincare. Only the kit and non-personalized products of your own brand fit on a shelf. Personalized products are made for one single person and shipped directly to them – one supplement delivery lasts 90 days. There are three routes, and you can combine them: a partner shop with commission per order, white label under your brand, or your own product idea. Switzerland has stricter rules for genetic tests. This guide takes you through concept, shop and law in three chapters.

Bought once, reordered again and again

A genetic test is bought once. A personalized supplement is consumed and reordered. That is the appeal for retail: the analysis comes first, then a new delivery follows every 90 days – made for exactly one person.

And the interest is there. Back in 2005, in a representative survey of 5,967 people from France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland and Portugal, 66% said they would be willing to take a genetic test. The researchers saw this as encouraging for personalized nutrition – provided that concerns about how genetic information is used and stored are taken seriously (Stewart-Knox et al., British Journal of Nutrition, 2009). The logical conclusion: curiosity is plentiful. It turns into a purchase when there is trust – in the lab, in data handling and in your brand.

I am a molecular biologist, and I founded Novogenia in 2009. In our building in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria, a genetic lab, a supplement factory and a cosmetics factory sit under one roof. We sell exclusively through partners – today in 69 countries. With this guide, I want to show you how your online shop, brand, drugstore or supermarket can turn this into a range you can sell with a clear conscience.

Three product worlds – and what fits on the shelf

For retail, one question is decisive: what can sit in a warehouse or on a shelf – and what is only made after the saliva sample arrives?

Product	What it is	How it reaches the customer
Lifestyle genetic analysis with saliva collection kit	non-medical analyses on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport; analysis in 4 days, digital report in up to 18 languages	in your shop or on the shelf – in Switzerland not as a self-test
Personalized supplements	formula based on about 50 genes, a questionnaire and, if available, blood values; Microtransporter pellets in daily sachets	made for one person and shipped directly; one delivery lasts 90 days
BeautyMe	day serum, night serum and body lotion; the genetic result changes the selection and dosage of active ingredients	mixed for one person and shipped directly
Products of your own brand	one formula for all customers from contract manufacturing: supplements from a single unit, cosmetics from small batches	classic goods for warehouse, shop and shelf

A kit on the shelf is therefore the start of a journey: the customer registers, consents, sends her saliva sample to the lab and gets her report. The personalized product then goes straight to her home. The reasons this fits retail are in Personalized products in retail.

Three routes into your range

The second question: how much of it should carry your name? There are three routes. Many retailers combine them: they start with finished products, gain experience and build their own brand in parallel.

Route	How it works	A good fit if …
Partner shop	You get a ready-to-use online shop. Customers order there; Novogenia ships the kit, runs the analysis and delivers the products. You receive a commission per order under the partner terms; there are no setup fees.	you want a quick start without your own product brand
White label	The products carry your logo, your label and your packaging. White label means your own brand, not exclusivity: other brands can offer a comparable product.	you want to build your own brand in your shop or on the shelf
Your own product idea	You bring your idea or your preferred composition, we advise on formulation and dosage form and turn it into your brand.	you want to stand out through the product itself

Building a brand online is the topic of Building your own online brand. Manufacturing basics are covered in the Contract manufacturing guide and the Cosmetics guide.

Who this guide is for

Online shops and D2C brands: You want a product that can become a subscription. Start with Building your own online brand and The customer journey: from kit to subscription.
Influencer and creator brands: Influencers are a Novogenia partner group of their own. You start with a partner shop or your own brand. Proper disclosure is covered in Marketing personalized products.
Drugstores: a shelf product that sparks a conversation, and a range pathway from analysis to repeat purchase (Drugstores and supermarkets).
Supermarkets and retail: your own line, first tested in selected stores, then rolled out more widely.

Pharmacies have their own Pharmacy guide, and network companies the Direct selling guide.

Five ground rules every retailer should know

Lifestyle analyses only: Partners offer exclusively non-medical analyses – on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport. Where national law requires it, medical analyses go through physicians.
Switzerland is different: There, the Federal Act on Human Genetic Testing (GUMG) also covers analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being. Only certain health professionals may order them, including pharmacists and druggists HF, and the sample is collected in their presence (Art. 34 GUMG, Art. 40 GUMV). Self-tests are only allowed for the remaining tests, such as hair color or sense of taste (Art. 13 GUMG, Art. 37(3) GUMV).
Personalized goods are exempt from withdrawal: For goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalized, EU law provides no right of withdrawal (Art. 16(c) Directive 2011/83/EU). Switzerland has no statutory right of withdrawal for online orders at all; Art. 40b of the Code of Obligations (OR) does not cover them. More in Distance selling and withdrawal.
Genetic data are specially protected: Genetic and health data are special categories of personal data; they may be processed, for example, with explicit consent for specified purposes (Art. 9(1) and 9(2)(a) GDPR). In Switzerland, genetic data are sensitive personal data (Art. 5(c)(3) DSG).
Authorized claims only: Health claims for supplements are prohibited unless they are authorized and included in the list of permitted claims (Art. 10(1) Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Cosmetics are for care, not for healing (Art. 2(1)(a) Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009).

Chapter 1 · The concept

Why personalization fits retail – and which route suits you.

Personalized products in retailWhy made-to-measure fits shops and shelves – with studies. Building your own online brandPartner shop, white label or your own formula – and starting small. Drugstores and supermarkets: test kits on the shelfWhat fits on the shelf, what ships straight home – and the Swiss rules.

Chapter 2 · Shop & customers

From the first purchase to the next delivery.

The customer journey: from kit to subscriptionPurchase, consent, saliva sample, report, product, reorder. Subscription model and retentionThe 90-day rhythm and fair rules for reorders. Fulfillment, shipping and returnsWho ships what, and what applies to personalized goods. Marketing personalized productsPermitted claims, influencer disclosure and advertising genetic tests.

Chapter 3 · Law

Distance selling, genetic tests and data protection – in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Distance selling and withdrawal for personalized productsWhen the right of withdrawal does not apply – in the EU and in Switzerland. Selling genetic tests online: DE, AT, CHGerman, Austrian and Swiss genetic testing law for lifestyle analyses. Shop data protection: health and genetic dataConsent, separate data and clear roles under the GDPR and the Swiss DSG.

You will also find all 10 articles listed by chapter at the end of this page.

How we do it at Novogenia

What you can expect from Novogenia as your product partner:

Everything under one roof: a genetic lab, a supplement factory and a cosmetics factory in one building in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria; since 2009, with more than 30 million analyses performed.
Partners only: Novogenia sells exclusively through partners, with partners in 69 countries.
Kit and analysis: saliva collection kits as a non-medical device for lifestyle analyses, in your design on request; analysis in our own lab in 4 days; reports in up to 18 languages, digital via a secure portal and printed on request.
Manufacturing: supplements from a single unit, cosmetics from small batches; volume tiers are part of the quote.
Shipping: delivery to your warehouse or direct shipping to your customers under your brand; billing runs through Novogenia or through your own system.
Quality: CLIA-certified and working according to ISO 15189; ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018 and ISO 22716 for cosmetics, certified by Quality Austria.
Training: the NOVO Academy is free and optional – about 5 hours of video per language, with a certificate for each completed topic.

Frequently asked questions

Which products can I sell as a retailer with Novogenia?

Non-medical lifestyle genetic analyses with a saliva collection kit, personalized supplements and BeautyMe personalized skincare with a day serum, a night serum and a body lotion. On top of that come products of your own brand from contract manufacturing. Medical analyses do not belong in retail: where national law requires it, they go through physicians.

Can I put personalized supplements on the shelf?

No. Personalized supplements and BeautyMe are only made after the analysis, for one single person. That is why they go directly to your customer. What fits on the shelf is the saliva collection kit and non-personalized products of your own brand.

Do I need my own warehouse?

Not for personalized products. Novogenia can act as your fulfillment partner and ship directly to your end customers under your brand. Billing runs through Novogenia or through your own system. For shelf products of your own brand, we deliver to your warehouse.

Can I sell genetic test kits in Switzerland?

Not as a self-test for lifestyle analyses. In Switzerland, tests for self-use may only be supplied for the remaining category of tests, such as hair color or sense of taste (Art. 13 GUMG). Analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being are ordered by certain health professionals, including pharmacists and druggists HF, and the sample is collected in their presence (Art. 34 GUMG, Art. 40 GUMV).

What does it cost to get started?

The partner shop comes with no setup fees, and you receive a commission per order under the partner terms. You learn the specific rates in a personal conversation. For white label and your own product idea, the effort depends on the scope, and volume tiers are part of the quote. For supplements, the AI price calculator gives an instant, non-binding estimate for 500 to 3,000 boxes; our team calculates smaller quantities individually.

Personalized products for your shop?

Tell us about your brand and your channels – we will show you which model fits.

Request a project →Offer for e-commerce

Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.