A strong private label brief tells the partner the product, tier, channel, volume and target landed cost. For Australian and New Zealand supermarket buyers, Shiiv Imports runs four steps: brief, sample, approve, deliver. We handle factory, recipe, artwork, FSANZ labelling and warehouse delivery. About 90 days is typical from a locked brief to the first shelf-ready order. Ask for MOQ, lead time and the compliance pack (ISO 9001, HACCP, batch tracking, 24-hour recall) under NDA before you sign artwork.
Shiiv Imports Pty Ltd trades as Shiiv Imports. We are a sourcing agent, importer and private-label partner. We are not a manufacturer. The maker sits in a checked network. Your team stays on the commercial calls. We run the work between that brief and the first warehouse delivery. The same path is written on private label.
What to put in the brief
A thin brief produces a thin sample. Put the commercial facts on one page before anyone books a trial run.
- The product, pack format and a reference SKU if you have one (a hero brand to match, or a gap to fill).
- The tier: value, mid or premium.
- Channel and volume: supermarket warehouse, independent grocery, QSR, or a foodservice drop.
- A target landed cost, even if it is a band rather than a single number.
- Logo and brand marks, if they exist, plus any retailer quality spec you need us to hit.
If you do not have artwork yet, say so. We can still lock a recipe and a pack size. Artwork waits on approve. If exclusive use of a recipe matters, write it into the brief. We do not reuse a buyer’s own-brand recipe for another banner.
Send that pack through a private-label brief or the general sourcing form. We reply the same business day with indicative pricing, order sizes, lead times and how the quality pack is shared under NDA. Straight answers also sit on the buyer FAQ.
Value, mid and premium
Tell us the tier in the brief. We source to it. The three tiers share one partner, one order path and one recall plan. They do not share a unit cost, a pack finish or a claim set.
- Value. Everyday lines built to a sharp unit cost. Honest packs, clean labels, no extra claims.
- Mid. Match or beat the category leader on taste and pack, at a better landed cost. The tier most buyers start with.
- Premium. A tighter spec, better ingredients and a pack that can sit beside a brand leader. Origin or quality stories go on pack only if they are true.
A value wafer and a premium pickle in glass will not share an MOQ. Put the tier on page one of the brief.
The four steps
Four steps for you. We handle factory, recipe, artwork, FSANZ labelling and warehouse delivery between them.
1 Brief
We match the product to a maker we already know, or we open a new one if the spec needs it. An importer who already ships grocery into Australia quotes to your warehouse, your label rules and your recall plan. If we cannot name the maker and the market, we do not sell the line.
2 Sample
We lock a maker, send samples and a draft spec. Your team tastes, costs and marks up. Artwork and production wait on that step. Ask for a draft ingredient list and allergen set written for an Australian pack, a pack size that fits your warehouse, an indicative MOQ and timetable, and whether a written food-safety plan and outside audit sit on file. A sample that tastes right can still fail on unit cost once freight, duty, labelling and cartage are in.
3 Approve
Recipe, artwork and labels are signed off together. Packs are prepared to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code: ingredients, allergens, nutrition information and country of origin, before print. If a claim is not supported, it does not go on the pack.
Shiiv Imports holds an ISO 9001 quality system for how we source, select suppliers, watch production and handle recalls. The plant that makes the food holds its own food-safety plan. In our network that means HACCP-checked makers, with outside audit reports on file. We do not describe ourselves as the factory. Details sit on quality and compliance. Your brand marks stay yours. Recipe and supplier files for that brief are shared under NDA.
4 Deliver
Production, shipping, biosecurity and delivery to your warehouse follow approve. Every load is tracked to a batch number from maker to warehouse. A 24-hour recall plan runs from alert to the store warehouse and is tested every quarter.
MOQ, lead time and recall
Order sizes are set per product and channel. There are no rigid container minimums on the current line. Private-label MOQs follow the factory and the tier you brief. Trial orders are possible where the factory allows. We put a number on the first reply. More on flexible MOQs for grocery importers and the MOQ FAQ.
About 90 days is typical from a locked brief to the first shelf-ready order at an Australian warehouse. Factory production is one clock. Australian border, labelling and warehouse booking is the other. Complex specs, new artwork or peak season can add time. We confirm a timetable with the sample.
Ask for the compliance pack (ISO 9001, HACCP, batch tracking, 24-hour recall) under NDA before you sign artwork. Food Import Compliance Agreement (FICA) applies where required. There is no public PDF. Request the pack through contact or the quality desk.
Checklist before you choose a partner
- Who invoices you, and who makes the food? An importer and a factory are different legal jobs.
- Can they run value, mid and premium on the same path, with the tier written into the brief?
- Is brief-to-shelf timing typical and written down (about 90 days here), or only a slogan?
- Are MOQs set per product and channel, or is a full container the house rule?
- Will FSANZ labels, ISO 9001, HACCP at the maker, batch tracking and a tested 24-hour recall sit on file under NDA before artwork?
We already ship to 10,000+ stores through Australia’s largest independent grocery wholesaler. We do not name major-chain private-label clients on this site.
Start a private-label brief with Shiiv. sales@shiv-impex.com
Questions buyers ask
What belongs in a private label brief?
A strong private label brief tells the partner the product, tier, channel, volume and target landed cost.
How long from brief to shelf?
About 90 days is typical from a locked brief to the first shelf-ready order.
What are typical MOQs?
Order sizes are set per product and channel. There are no rigid container minimums on the current line. Private-label MOQs follow the factory and the tier you brief.
What compliance should buyers ask for?
Ask for the compliance pack (ISO 9001, HACCP, batch tracking, 24-hour recall) under NDA before you sign artwork. Packs are prepared to FSANZ labelling rules.
Shiiv Imports Insights. Shiiv Imports Pty Ltd (ABN 15 158 243 442 / ACN 158 243 442). Trading name Shiiv Imports. Public email sales@shiv-impex.com. Cities: Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Ahmedabad.