A minimum order quantity (MOQ) is the smallest run a manufacturer can produce efficiently for one style. It is driven mostly by fabric and trim minimums, the number of colours and sizes, set up time on the line and how complex the garment is. You can usually lower it by using stock fabrics, fewer colours, standard trims and small batch or made to order production.
Key points
- Minimums exist because fabric, trims and line set up have fixed costs.
- Fabric is usually the biggest driver: stock fabric allows smaller runs than custom colours.
- Every extra colour or size spreads the quantity thinner.
- Small batch and made to order production exist for brands that need to start small.
- Ask for minimums per style in writing, after the manufacturer has seen your design.
What an MOQ is
The minimum order quantity is the smallest number of pieces a manufacturer will produce for a style, sometimes per colour. Below it, the cost of setting up the work outweighs the value of the order for both sides.
There is no single industry number. Two manufacturers can quote very different minimums for the same garment because they buy fabric differently, run different line sizes or work with different trims.
What drives minimums
Five factors explain most of the minimum you are quoted.
- Fabric: mills sell custom colours and developed fabrics in rolls or minimum lengths, stock fabrics can be bought in smaller amounts
- Trims: custom zips, buttons, prints and labels have their own minimums
- Colours: each colour needs its own fabric, dye lot and trims
- Sizes: a wide size range spreads the same quantity across more patterns
- Construction: complex garments need more set up and line training before they run smoothly
Per style, per colour or per order
Always check what the minimum refers to. Per style means all colours together, per colour means each colour on its own, and per order means the total across styles. The same number means very different things depending on which one is quoted.
How to start with smaller quantities
If you are launching a new brand or testing a style, these choices lower the quantity you need.
- Choose stock fabrics for the first run and develop custom ones later
- Launch fewer colours per style
- Use standard trims with your own label instead of fully custom trims
- Keep the first collection to a few styles
- Ask about small batch runs or made to order production
Made to order: producing after you sell
Made to order production turns the question around. You sell first, then the pieces are produced in small quantities or one by one. It suits online brands and boutiques that want to avoid holding stock, at the cost of a higher price per piece and a delivery time customers need to accept.
How to ask for minimums
Send your design, the fabric you want, colours, size range and rough quantities. Ask for minimums, price and timing per style in writing. A manufacturer who quotes one minimum for everything before seeing your design is guessing.