Minimum Order Quantities
- Folding paper boxes: as low as 100 pcs. Small quantities are accepted for start up customers.
- Plastic bags: 20,000 pcs.
- Paper bags, rigid boxes, poly mailers, bubble mailers, retail signage and labels are quoted against the specification, because size, material and colour count move the break points.
Samples
- Folding paper box: free plain sample within 7 days, freight paid by the customer.
- Rigid cardboard box: sample lead time 3 to 5 days.
- Plastic bag: free stock samples offered, customised samples in 5 to 10 working days by express, part or full sample fee refunded after the deposit is received.
- Custom development sample with insert tray: usually around USD 300 for the box and insert tray mould together, courier excluded, normally refunded on orders above 10,000 pcs.
- General development sampling: 7 to 10 days plus 3 to 7 days international courier.
Production Lead Times
- Rigid cardboard box: 10 to 15 days based on quantity.
- Folding paper box: 10 to 15 days subject to quantity.
- Plastic bag: 10 to 15 working days after the design is confirmed.
- Retail signage: 5 to 7 days on this line, and 5 to 15 working days after file confirmation and deposit.
- General mass production: normally 3 weeks.
Shipping Time
Inland transport within China is normally about 1 week, and sea freight to major world seaports is normally another 4 weeks. Air, express and land options are available where the schedule needs them. Shipment ports used are Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong depending on the line.
Payment Terms
- Folding paper box: 30% deposit, balance paid before shipping. FOB or CIF.
- Plastic bag: T/T, PayPal, Western Union or Trade Assurance, 50% deposit and 50% balance before shipment.
- Rigid cardboard box: credit card, T/T, L/C, Western Union, PayPal or Trade Assurance.
Planning Backwards From A Launch Date
For a new pack developed from scratch, a realistic plan is 7 to 10 days sampling, 3 to 7 days courier, an artwork round with your designer, then 10 to 15 days production, 1 week inland and 4 weeks at sea. Work backwards from the date the stock has to be in your warehouse, and start the sampling conversation earlier than feels necessary.
How To Speed It Up
- Send a physical product sample with the first enquiry, not after the first quotation.
- Approve the die line before the artwork is finished, so the two run in parallel.
- Use digital printing for short run versions to skip plate making.
- Confirm the colour reference once, at the start, for the whole set.
