Online italian food shop and gift hampers

Food lovers across the UK, gift buyers, and people who want Italian products not stocked by their local supermarket.

Margin on products sold through your website or marketplaces, plus higher-value hampers and subscription boxes. Postage costs and packaging need to be built into your prices.

• Knowledge of Italian food
• Basic website and social media skills
• Careful packing and organisation
• Photography for product listings

• Register your food business with your local council, as home-based food storage and packing may be covered; check what applies
• Selling alcohol online needs the right licences, so check with your council before adding wine
• Allergen and labelling rules for products you repackage into hampers
• Damage and delays in the post, especially for glass bottles and chilled items
• Check with your landlord or mortgage lender before storing stock at home

Startup costs are typically around £1,500 to £8,000, depending on your opening stock, website, packaging and any storage space. Treat this as an estimate and cost a small, focused range before you scale up.

Monthly revenue is typically around £500 to £4,000, depending on your range, how you attract customers and how much time you put in. Damage and delays in the post can affect results, especially for glass bottles.

Check registering your food business with your council, as home storage and packing may be covered, licences for selling alcohol online, allergen and labelling rules for hampers, and your landlord or mortgage lender's view on storing stock.