Six kinds of buyer order this range, and each one gets caught by something different. These apply to every model in the range — the model pages then tell you what changes for that particular one.
Importers & wholesalers — What your landed cost actually turns on
Unit price is where buyers negotiate and freight is where the money goes. This model packs the quoted figure per carton (the quoted figure for the base size — the full carton table is in the spec above), and that number decides how many pieces fit a 20ft container far more than the FOB price does. We quote EXW Yongkang, FOB Ningbo or Shanghai, or DDP door to door — and we will tell you which of the three costs you least given where you are, rather than defaulting to whichever is easiest for us. Export documents (CO, BL, invoice, packing list) are prepared here, so there is no second party to chase when your customs broker asks for something at short notice.
Brand owners & private label — Three separate budget lines, not one
Logo logo application sits inside the unit price. A matched Pantone is its own run and starts at 1,000 pieces. Packaging is a third line with its own tooling and proofing round — this model ships in the quoted figure as standard, and anything else needs its own lead time. Brands that budget these as one number are the ones that get surprised at quotation. We sign an NDA before you share artwork, and a shape you tool for stays reserved to you.
Retail chains — Getting through the receiving door
Retail-ready means more than a colour box. UPC or EAN printed and scan-tested before the carton is sealed, carton marking to your own packaging manual if you send it, and inner counts that match what your DC expects. A barcode that fails at the till becomes a chargeback, and it is entirely preventable at our end. Ask for the retail packaging spec sheet with your first quote rather than after the sample is approved.
Promotional distributors — Working backwards from the in-hands date
Standard production is the quoted figure after deposit and artwork approval, plus sea freight — roughly 30-35 days to Europe, 25-30 to the US west coast. Add 7-10 days for a printed pre-production sample before any of that starts. Give us the in-hands date at enquiry rather than after artwork approval: we work backwards from it and tell you the real cut-off for each stage. Late artwork is normal in this business; a date discovered late is not survivable.
Amazon & e-commerce sellers — FBA-ready at the factory, not at a prep centre
FNSKU labels, Prop 65 warnings and suffocation warnings applied here, cartons built to FBA dimension and weight limits, and shipment splits by fulfilment centre if you send us the plan. Doing this at the factory removes a prep-centre handling fee and a week of transit on every restock. The compliance documents your listing may be asked for — FDA, LFGB, EU 1935/2004 — are downloadable now rather than promised later.
End users & institutions — What survives daily institutional washing
Canteens, schools, hotels and site catering wash hard and often. the quoted figure It costs slightly more up front and removes the complaint entirely.
