Minimum order quantities: what is negotiable and what is not

A minimum order quantity is rarely a single number. There is a fabric minimum, set by the mill, and a cut-and-sew minimum, set by the factory. The number you are quoted is usually the larger of the two, and the fabric side is where most of the rigidity sits.

You can often reduce the effective minimum by using a stock fabric the mill already runs, by combining colourways on the same base cloth, or by accepting a slightly higher unit price in exchange for a smaller run. A factory that wants the relationship will usually work with you on the first order.

What is not negotiable is a real production efficiency floor. Below a certain quantity a factory genuinely loses money, and pushing past that point buys you a supplier who is looking for the exit.

The 300 to 600 unit minimums achieved on a fast-fashion category in the case studies came from consolidating fabric and committing to a repeat relationship, not from pressure. A Supplier Search negotiates this for you.