ALL FOOD is an Italian export office in Tuscany. Most buyers come to us for one of three things: a product sourced, quality-checked and shipped correctly; their own brand produced by an Italian manufacturer; or a permanent purchasing function in Italy that works on their side of the table. The three overlap, but they are priced, structured and committed to differently, and choosing the wrong one wastes months. This page sets out what separates them.
What changes by service
| Service | Who it is for | Commitment | How we are paid | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sourcing and Export Management | Importers, distributors and retail buyers who want Italian product supplied and shipped correctly | Order by order, no agreement required | Commission agreed with the producer, no cost to you | You know roughly what you want and need it sourced, checked and documented properly |
| Private Label | Importers and retail groups building their own brand | Project based, per programme | Commission agreed with the producer, no cost to you | You have shelf space and a brand, and need an Italian manufacturer to produce to your specification |
| Strategic Sourcing | Importers and retail groups who buy Italian seriously enough to be weighing an internal hire or an Italian office | Written agreement, exclusive mandate for new Italian sourcing, twelve month initial trial | Commission agreed with the producer, no retainer and no per-project fee | Your purchasing team spends more time filtering Italian offers than developing the category |
The three services
Strategic Sourcing
A retained engagement in which we act as your purchasing office in Italy. Supplier management, negotiation, benchmarking, portfolio development and support for your own sales team. Not a supplier sending you offers, an operational extension of your purchasing department.
Private Label
Your brand, produced by an Italian manufacturer. We match the product to a producer who can actually run it, manage recipe and format development, coordinate artwork and packaging, and handle the minimums and lead times that decide whether a programme survives its second order.
Sourcing and Export Management
The core service. We source against your brief from selected Italian producers, confirm the producer is legally able to ship to your market before quoting, quality-check every batch before dispatch, and prepare the origin, health and conformity documentation your importer and customs broker need.
Not sure which service fits?
Most relationships start with a single sourcing project and move on from there. If you are testing whether an Italian supply line works at all, start with sourcing and export management. If it works and you want your own brand on it, private label is the next step. Strategic Sourcing only pays off when Italy is a category you are building rather than a country you occasionally buy from, which is why it carries an agreement and the others do not.
Ready to start?
Tell us the categories you buy, the market you sell into and what your purchasing time actually goes on, and we will tell you which of the three fits, including when the answer is none of them yet.