You’ve finally settled on your product, your branding is perfect on screen, and now you’re ready to go have some custom packaging made – and then you encounter an obstacle: minimum order quantity, or MOQ. Now, for example, instead of being stymied by a super-small, single-box order, you’re looking at a range of three numbers: 500, 1,000, and 10,000, and for the life of you, you can’t figure out how you’re going to be able to commit to that many boxes when you’re just starting out or testing new products. It’s one of the most common headaches for small business owners and startups, but the key is that MOQs aren’t set in stone, and there are reasons behind them that you can often find a way to work around.
Here in this blog we give you proper information about what is the minimum order quantity for custom packaging? So, stay tuned with this blog.
Why Custom Packaging Manufacturers Require a Minimum Order Quantity
MOQs are necessary because custom packaging manufacturing isn’t the same as purchasing from a retail store. Custom boxes require design time, material ordering, die-cutting, printing plates, machine set-up – the list goes on. These costs are mostly “fixed” whether you need 100 boxes or 10,000 and so the MOQ can be thought of as the number of units needed to spread those fixed costs out so that the cost per box doesn’t become prohibitively high. MOQs are therefore not set to be “difficult” or unfair, but they represent the time and material required to produce a new box.
Typical MOQ Ranges for Different Types of Packaging
MOQs can range from very low to extremely high depending on the specifications such as type of box, printing and degree of customization. For example, simple kraft mailer boxes with one-color printing may only need quantities as low as 100-300, whereas large, custom rigid boxes with super-advanced finishes such as foil stamping or embossing may only be economical in 1,000+ quantities. Corrugated shipping boxes could fall in between, while digital printing may be able to lower the MOQ, given that no printing plates are required.
Factors That Influence Minimum Order Quantity
There are a few factors that can determine how high or low your MOQ will be. Firstly, substrate type is a major one – specialised substrates such as textured paper or rigid board tend to have a higher MOQ than standard corrugated. Printing method is also an issue – offset and gravure printing have higher minimum order quantities than digital, as they tend to be more expensive unless the order is a certain volume. Variety in the box – folds, windows, wraps, etc. – can also raise the minimum order requirement, as can the factory’s production capacity, which differs from one manufacturer to another depending on where they are based.
How to Find Custom Packaging Suppliers With Lower MOQs
If a 1,000-unit minimum sounds like a total killer, don’t give up yet. Plenty of manufacturers are making low-MOQ production runs for startups and small companies, sometimes down as far as 50-100 units. Digital printing companies are often the best option to check first because they don’t have to use the plate costs, which bump up usual minimums. And don’t be shy about asking the supplier if they will do a test order or sampler run before you get into a big order – if they build a long-term relationship with a client they often lower minimums on future production.
Tips for Working Within MOQ Restrictions as a Small Business
If you’ve hit a minimum order quantity from a supplier but don’t necessarily need all those units yet, there are still clever tricks you can try. For example, give yourself some wiggle room by ordering a larger quantity of a more neutral, flexible style that could work across multiple ranges and product lines rather than a super-specific shape. Or, take a look at semi-custom options – such as stock boxes with custom-printed stickers or labels – which come with far lower minimum quantities than fully custom printed boxes. Alternatively, see if you can co-bundle an order with a friend or other small business, or work with a pack out partner who buys packaging in bulk.
Balancing Cost, Quality, and Quantity When Choosing Packaging
Ultimately, as always, it’s a matter of cost versus value versus storage: How much will you pay in advance for an order of a certain size, and how much of that packaging will actually be available to use within the next three or four months? And think about it this way: ordering 50 boxes at a time will cost more than ordering 1,000 boxes, but ordering 1,000 boxes may mean tying up your working capital in packaging that may not be used for half a year. So be honest with yourself about how fast you’re selling versus how much space you have, and think of this order as a test order.
Final Thoughts on Choosing the Right MOQ for Your Brand
MOQ might seem like a frustrating obstacle, but it’s simply part and parcel of custom manufacturing. A little research and the right supplier, and there’s no reason your growing business can’t secure a low-minimum order quantity that provides great quality and good value. Yiruixing Packaging works with brands of every size and frequently offers solutions that are low MOQ, affordable, and high quality to make growing businesses’ lives a whole lot easier.
FAQs: Minimum Order Quantity for Custom Packaging
Q: Why can’t I just order 50 custom boxes for my small business?
Great question – I hear this a lot! The problem isn’t that suppliers don’t want your business, it’s that custom printing requires setup (plates, dies, machine calibration, etc.) that doesn’t really make sense until you’re working at higher volumes. Many suppliers do have low-MOQ custom printing options that utilise digital printing (rather than offset), so it’s always worth asking around before assuming that 50 units isn’t feasible.
Q: Is there any way to negotiate a lower MOQ with a supplier?
Yes, in fact – this can happen more than you’d expect. If you tell a manufacturer you’re a new company with the intention of purchasing again, they may be willing to lower the MOQ for your first order, in order to get your foot in the door. It never hurts to ask!
Q: Will I pay a lot more per box if I order below the standard MOQ?
Likely, yes. Buying smaller quantities means those fixed set-up costs will be amortized over fewer units, resulting in a higher cost per box. On the upside, you have the benefit of lower upfront spend and a more flexible purchase, though you’ll pay a premium per unit. Plenty of small businesses accept this at first and then negotiate prices when they grow.
Q: What’s the easiest way to get custom packaging without hitting a huge MOQ?
Digital printing is another default option. Since it doesn’t need the offset plate, you’re often free to go with smaller runs of digital packaging. You could also consider semi-custom packaging, such as a plain stock box with a custom label or sticker, which often has a much lower minimum than a printed box.
