Food importers and distributors, by market

ProspectX books food manufacturers into sales meetings with the right buyers abroad. Those buyers are distributors, importers, retail chains, wholesalers and the hotel and restaurant trade (HoReCa). Pick your market and product category below. We open new markets and categories all the time.

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MARKETS WE OPEN

Where we get manufacturers in front of buyers

Each page below covers one product category in one country. Bakery in Germany. Frozen food in Sweden. That is the level at which a buying decision happens. A German frozen-food distributor and a German fine-foods distributor are different companies. They fill different shelves and say yes for different reasons.

A page tells you who buys your category in that market. It says what each buyer checks before they will list you, and which trade fairs they attend. If you already know your market, go straight to it. If you are still choosing, start with the buyer types further down.

Austria

DACH · Retail · Premium & regional · Organic (Bio) · HoReCa

Czechia

CEE · Retail · Discount & promotions · Private label · HoReCa

Denmark

Nordics · Discount · Retail · Organic · HoReCa / foodservice

Germany

DACH · Discount · Convenience · Feinkost (delicatessen) · HoReCa

Hungary

CEE · Retail · Discount & promotions · Domestic chains (smaller towns) · HoReCa

Italy

South · Retail · HoReCa & foodservice · Discount · Regional distribution & speciality

Romania

CEE · Retail · Discount & proximity expansion · HoReCa · Ready-meal & processing

Sweden

Nordics · Retail · Organic & sustainability · Private label · HoReCa

Switzerland

DACH · Retail · Premium & delicatessen · HoReCa · Import/wholesale

By category

Don’t see your market or category yet? Book a call — we open new ones all the time, and we will tell you honestly if we can help.

Which buyer actually fits your product

“Find a buyer abroad” means 6 different kinds of company. Each one buys differently and pays differently. Choosing the wrong one is the most common reason a first export try fails. The product was fine. That company was never going to buy it.

Distributors: They buy your pallet, store it, and sell it on to shops and restaurants in their country. You give up some margin and direct contact with the shopper. You get local coverage, local transport and someone who knows which retailer takes what.
Importers: Often the same company as a distributor, but the job is different. An importer handles the customs, the certificates and the labels for your market. If your paperwork is not finished, this is the partner who tells you what is missing.
Retail chains: The supermarket groups themselves. Best margin, hardest entry. Expect audits, listing rules, and a buyer who compares you with what is already on the shelf. They pick new products only a few times a year, so timing matters.
Wholesale: Cash-and-carry and delivered wholesale. They serve independent shops and smaller chains. Orders are smaller than in retail, but far fewer people have to say yes. This is a common first step in a new market.
HoReCa: Hotels, restaurants and catering (HoReCa), reached through foodservice wholesalers. They want different pack sizes and different prices. Your consumer branding counts for very little here.
Private label & ingredients: Retailers and other producers who buy your capacity, not your brand. Own-brand (private label) work fills a production line fast and pays on a steady schedule. It does not build your name in that market.

Why this list is short

The markets here are DACH, Central and Eastern Europe, the Nordics and Southern Europe. Not because nothing else is worth exporting to. These are the ones we know well enough to be specific about: who buys your category, what they check before they will list you, which trade fairs they attend. A page goes live only when we can say that much. The rest stay unwritten.

We would rather show you the 9 countries we know than a map of forty we do not. If your market is missing, ask. You will get a straight answer about whether we can help.

Common questions

Do you only work with food manufacturers?

These market pages are food only, because that is where our record is. We also work with manufacturers of other physical products. Those pages are not written yet, so start with a call instead of this list.

My market or category is not listed. Does that mean no?

No. A page goes live only when we have real substance behind it. That means buyer types, the retail landscape and the trade fairs that matter. Markets we can work but have not written up yet are missing here, so ask.

Should I target distributors or retail chains first?

It depends on whether you need volume or margin. Distributors get you into a market faster and carry the local contacts. Retail chains protect margin, but they want certificates, audits and patience. They also choose new products only a few times a year. Many producers start with distributors and wholesale, then approach the chains once they have references in that market.

Do I decide which companies get contacted?

Yes. You approve every company on the list before anyone is contacted. You see every message and every reply in your own dashboard. You take the meeting and sell. We get you to the table.

Ready to meet your buyers abroad?

Book a 30-minute Discovery Call. We look at your products and your target markets. If we can’t help, we’ll say so.

Book a Discovery CallFixed fee — no commission · First meetings 2–3 weeks after we start writing · Min. 10 meetings guaranteed