How we operate
Small, deliberate, and able to hold to what we agree.
How we assess an offer, how we handle pricing, and what we can and cannot do — so that anything we agree is something we can keep to.
How we work
The parts of the operation a supplier or brand owner would reasonably want to check before trading.
How we assess an offer
Every line is checked against live UK market pricing and sales history before we quote. We work to a fixed net margin threshold after all selling, fulfilment and VAT costs, which is why we can give a straight answer quickly — the line either clears the threshold or it does not.
We would rather decline a list in two days than hold it for three weeks and negotiate you down.
Pricing and channel discipline
We hold recommended retail pricing. We do not buy a brand in order to undercut it — a line only works for us if it can be sold at a sensible price, and price erosion destroys the replenishment we are buying for.
For brand owners: pricing and channel terms are agreed in writing before a first order. Where a brand’s terms restrict where its products may be sold, we establish that in writing before we buy rather than after the stock has arrived.
Terms and payment
We pay in advance on opening orders and would rather earn terms over several cycles than ask for credit from a supplier who does not yet know us.
Opening orders are deliberately modest, so both sides can assess the other before volume increases.
Import and VAT
Gusto Commercial Ltd is VAT registered in the United Kingdom, number GB525000349. We buy directly from suppliers in Europe and further afield and handle our own import documentation and customs clearance.
Overseas suppliers: we can be invoiced correctly for cross-border supply, and we will raise an error on an invoice rather than absorb it.
Compliance
Different categories carry different obligations, and we would rather raise them than be asked.
Where we import directly, those obligations fall to us and we expect to hold the paperwork. Where we buy from a UK distributor who already holds them, we ask for written confirmation rather than assume it.
Common questions
Are you a distributor or a reseller?
Both, depending on the arrangement. We buy stock outright from wholesalers and clearance sources, and we take on distribution and authorised-reseller arrangements with brand owners who want their product handled properly in the UK. We do not act as an agent and we do not broker — we buy, we own the stock, and we carry the risk.
How do you protect a brand’s pricing?
We hold recommended retail pricing, and we buy on the basis that a line can be sold at a sensible price. Pricing and channel terms are agreed in writing before a first order, and if a brand’s terms are ones we cannot keep to we say so before signing.
Which markets do you sell into?
The United Kingdom and the European Union. We buy internationally and sell into both, to trade and direct to consumers, shipping from Great Britain.
How quickly do you decide on a stocklist?
Within the same week, and usually within two working days. Every line is checked against live UK market pricing and sales history, then against a fixed net margin threshold after all selling, fulfilment and VAT costs.
Who is responsible for regulatory compliance on imported goods?
Where we import directly, we are, and we expect to hold the file. Where we buy through a UK distributor who already holds those obligations, we ask for written confirmation rather than assume it.
Can you provide trade references?
We provide our full company record — registration number, VAT number and director — and every line of it can be checked against the public register rather than taken on trust. Named references we supply once the supplier concerned has agreed to be named; we do not list referees without asking them first.