iHerb is the world's largest specialty supplement e-commerce platform, shipping to over 185 countries from distribution centres in the US, UK, and South Korea. For supplement and health product brands, iHerb represents a unique opportunity: a single listing that generates sales across global markets without the regulatory complexity of establishing in-country distribution in each territory.
iHerb operates as a retailer — they purchase your products wholesale and sell them to consumers globally. Unlike Amazon (a marketplace where you sell direct), iHerb is a traditional retail buyer relationship. They purchase inventory from you at an agreed wholesale price, stock it in their warehouses, and handle fulfilment, customer service, and returns globally. Your obligation: supply iHerb with compliant product, maintain minimum fill rates, and support the brand with content and occasional promotions.
iHerb has a supplier application process. Requirements typically include: (1) US FDA facility registration (or international equivalent). (2) GMP certification — NSF, NPA, USP, or equivalent third-party GMP audit. (3) COA (Certificate of Analysis) for each product batch. (4) Product liability insurance (minimum $1 million). (5) English-language product information and high-quality product images. (6) DSHEA-compliant labelling if shipping to US customers (which iHerb does from US warehouses). Applications are reviewed by iHerb's quality team — approval takes 4–12 weeks.
iHerb ships to over 185 countries. Key markets: US, UK, Australia, Canada, South Korea (major iHerb hub), Japan, Germany, and most of Europe and Southeast Asia. iHerb's South Korean distribution centre specifically serves the Korean market — which is one of iHerb's largest international markets. For supplement brands that struggle to access Japanese or South Korean domestic distribution, iHerb provides meaningful volume in these markets without local regulatory approval (products ship as personal import — import rules vary).
iHerb buys at wholesale — typically 40–55% off the consumer retail price (RRP). There are no listing fees or promotional commitments required (unlike Amazon), but iHerb does run promotions and may request promotional funding for key sales events (Black Friday, etc.). iHerb charges a small fulfilment service fee deducted from the wholesale purchase. Net margin after cost of goods and iHerb wholesale discount needs to be modelled carefully — most brands expect 20–35% gross margin on iHerb sales.
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