Kick-off strategy for getting La Natura products live on Amazon USA as quickly as possible. Rather than waiting 2–3 months for new US-compliant packaging to be produced, the team agreed to ship existing European stock with English/UPC sticker labels applied to secondary (outer case) packaging. This approach generates early revenue while new product lines and packaging are developed in parallel.
Key participants: Mark Hope (Asymmetric), Sidik Delic, Adis Rastoder, Ewald Struggl, Dubravka Kukic (La Natura)
Waiting for purpose-built US packaging for newer products (mushroom coffee, vitamins) would have caused a 2–3 month delay before any sales could begin. The team agreed this was unacceptable — Amazon listings cannot go live without inventory in-country, and every week of delay is lost revenue.
The core insight: US labeling compliance applies to the unit being sold. If the product is sold as a case (e.g., a 12-pack box), only the outer case needs compliant English-language labeling and a UPC barcode. Individual units inside do not need to be relabeled.
Approach:
- Apply large English-language stickers with UPC barcodes directly to existing secondary packaging (outer case boxes)
- Sidik can print labels in-house at any size needed
- No repackaging of individual units required
- Compliant for US sale and Amazon FBA inbound shipments
Initial product mix (1–2 mixed pallets):
- Aluminum coffee (standard)
- Compostable tea bundles
- Flavored coffee bundles (120-count and 60-count cases already in Sidik's Austrian stock)
| Decision | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ship existing stock immediately | Don't wait for new packaging; use sticker label solution |
| Sticker on secondary packaging only | Inner unit labels not required for case-sold product |
| 1–2 mixed pallets as initial shipment | Enough to go live on Amazon without over-committing inventory |
| New products developed in parallel | Mushroom coffee, vitamins, and new packaging continue on separate track |
| Contract remains active | Adis to send email retracting prior cancellation notice; no new contract needed |
The Italian factory's FDA registration is still pending as of this call. This is a prerequisite for importing food products into the US. Sidik is following up with the factory's quality manager (Deborah, via Thomas). Mark noted that renewal is straightforward — typically a simple online submission.
Risk: If FDA registration is not in place before the shipment arrives, customs clearance may be delayed. Confirm status before booking freight.
Dubravka Kukic (La Natura) was on Orthodox Christmas holiday during this call. Full review of remaining product catalog and new packaging status to happen upon her return.
Development of US-ready packaging and new products continues independently:
- Mushroom coffee
- Vitamins and supplements
- Flavored coffee (full range)
These will follow once packaging is finalized, using properly designed US-compliant primary packaging rather than the sticker workaround.