MOQ samples lead times: how ordering with us works
MOQ samples lead times are the three numbers every buyer asks for before committing to a plant-fibre tableware programme, and they are the three we answer first. Samples go out on request, your minimum order quantity is confirmed in the quotation rather than guessed at in advance, and lead times depend on whether you are ordering stock pieces or a custom shape. Here is how each one works and how to plan a first order around real dates.
The short answer
- Samples: sent on request, with a reply within one business day.
- MOQ: confirmed in the quotation, and it varies by collection and by piece.
- Stock pieces: production follows the calendar confirmed at quotation, then ocean freight.
- Custom moulds: seven days to sample, thirty days to production once the drawing is approved.
MOQ samples lead times: planning your first order
A first order runs on a simple loop: you send a brief, we reply within one business day, samples go out, the quotation arrives with the MOQ and lead times stated in it, you confirm, production runs, and the pieces ship. Nothing in that loop is meant to be a surprise, and the two dates that matter, sample arrival and production start, are both fixed in writing before anything is committed.
The loop is the same for a first container and for a reorder. What changes is the detail: a reorder skips the sampling step if the piece is unchanged, because the approved sample from the first order is the reference the batch is judged against.
How samples work
Samples go out on request. The useful move is to ask for the pieces your menu uses rather than the whole catalogue, because a sample earns its keep by answering a specific question: does the bowl hold the stew, does the lid fit, does the cup survive the coldest display you run. Our sample testing guide lists the checks we recommend, from hot food to lid fit and stacking.
Samples are the cheapest part of a programme and the part that protects everything else. A programme that fails, fails because someone skipped the sample and discovered the problem at the container stage, where the only options are all expensive.
What sets the MOQ
The MOQ varies by collection and by piece, and it is confirmed in the quotation. The reason it exists is practical: moulding lines run most efficiently at a setup size, cartons load most efficiently at a carton size, and containers fill most efficiently at a container size. A minimum order quantity is the point where all three line up, which is also the point where the unit price makes sense.
A mixed order across several pieces usually clears a minimum more easily than a single unusual piece, because mixed cartons still load. If your programme starts small, ask about a phased order: a first run at the minimum, a reorder once the menu has proved itself. The cost guide shows how volume moves the unit price.
How lead times work
Stock pieces run on the production calendar confirmed at quotation, and ocean freight follows production. The shipping guide covers how the pieces are loaded, how moisture is kept out, and which documents travel with the container.
Custom shapes follow the mould route: seven days to sample and thirty days to production once a drawing is approved, as set out in the custom moulds guide. The thirty days start at approval, not at enquiry, which is why the drawing review is the step worth getting right the first time.
What we need from you
- The pieces. Which collections and formats, from the catalogue tour or your own references.
- The quantities. Per piece, even roughly, because the mix affects the MOQ and the carton loading.
- The destination. Market and port, because documents and loading follow the route.
- The branding. Whether pieces carry your logo, covered in the private label guide.
- The timeline. The date the programme needs to be live, so lead times are planned backwards from it.
Common questions
Can the MOQ be lowered? Sometimes, through a mixed or phased order, and we will say so honestly when it cannot. Can samples be free? They are sent on request, and for a serious programme that is the normal answer. What happens if a timeline slips? We tell you early, because a date known in advance is a plan and a date discovered late is a problem.
Ready to plan a first order?
Send the pieces, quantities and destination and you will have samples on the way and a quotation with the MOQ and lead times stated in it. Start a brief →