MOQ, Sampling and Lead Times: What Can Be Flexed, and What Cannot

Three questions arrive in almost every first enquiry: what is your minimum order quantity, how long does a sample take, and when can you ship. The honest answers are more useful than a competitive-sounding one, because these are the numbers a launch calendar has to be built around.

Why a minimum order quantity exists

An MOQ is not a sales tactic. It reflects what has to be bought and set up before the first bag can be cut.

• Material lots: a tannery, mill or hardware supplier sells in batches, and a colour is normally priced per dye lot.
• Colour changes: the same style in a second colour is a second material run.
• Tooling and dies: a new cutting die, a logo die or a custom hardware mould each has its own setup.
• Line time: cutting, skiving, edge painting and stitching all need setup and changeover time before the first unit comes off the line.

That is why an MOQ is normally quoted per style and per colour rather than per order. Our standard minimum is 100 pieces per style per colour.

Sampling and lead times we work to

• Sampling: 3 to 7 days for a new development, once the materials are confirmed and the tech pack or reference sample is with us. Repeat styles are usually faster.
• Bulk production: 35 calendar days from deposit and approved sample, including material sourcing.
• Repeat orders: around 25 days, when the materials are already in our supply chain.

Two conditions sit in front of those numbers. The first is material lead time: if the leather, fabric or hardware is not something we already buy, the supplier's production time runs before our line time. The second is a settled specification, because a change after sample approval usually means a re-quote and a fresh sample.

What can be flexed

Most commercial terms have some room in them, and we would rather discuss that at the enquiry stage than after the purchase order is placed.

• Consolidating a colour range so that fewer dye lots are needed.
• Using a hardware finish we already run, instead of a new plating specification.
• Building on an existing pattern or block rather than developing a new one.
• Splitting an order into delivery drops, so the total quantity supports the minimum.
• A smaller first run for a new style, by agreement, so you can test a market before committing to the full quantity.

None of these is automatic, and the answer depends on the materials involved. It is worth asking, though, because a five-minute conversation often settles a quote.

What cannot be flexed

Some parts of a schedule are physical rather than commercial.

• A new dye colour below the mill's minimum: mills typically will not run a batch for a handful of hides.
• A new custom hardware mould or logo die, which needs its own production run.
• A leather or fabric with a long mill lead time, which sets the earliest cutting date regardless of our capacity.
• Compression on a brand-new style below the sampling and material-sourcing time. Rush work is sometimes possible, but that becomes a decision about risk rather than about price.

Planning a launch backwards

As a working rule, allow about 8 to 10 weeks from approved sample to goods ready at the port, plus your forwarder's transit time. Before that, add the development period: a sample round of 3 to 7 days, plus time for your review and one revision cycle. Starting the conversation roughly three months before your target in-store date leaves room for a correction without moving the launch.

What to send with your first enquiry

• A tech pack, a reference sample or a clear photo set of the bag you have in mind.
• Target quantity per colour, and whether the colours are settled.
• Target market, so we can flag testing and labelling requirements early.
• The date you want the goods to leave China.

Send those four things and the first quote is usually accurate enough to plan around. Without them, every factory has to quote a range, and a range is not a plan.