Ask for every minimum, not just one headline figure
Request the total order minimum and the allocation rules beneath it. A supplier may accept a mixed order while applying separate minimums to a construction, length, shade or custom development route. Ask whether the minimum is measured in pieces, packs or kilograms and what is included in that measurement.
Product minimums and printed-packaging minimums are separate decisions. Stock packaging may have different terms from a custom box, label or insert. Do not infer that the lowest product MOQ also applies to a branded retail presentation.
- Total order minimum and unit of measure
- Minimum per construction, length and shade
- Mixing rules and custom-development minimums
- Printed packaging minimum per artwork or design
- First-order versus repeat-order conditions
Define the SKU and weight basis before allocating
Use one SKU for each separately ordered configuration: construction, material specification, length, shade, texture and pack format. Add cap size and lace configuration for wigs when those vary. A product name alone is not an allocation sheet.
If a quote is in kilograms but your stock plan is in packs, agree the net weight per pack and calculate the conversion. Do not include packaging, tapes, bonds or weft-track weight unless that is the agreed quotation basis. For wigs, do not convert a piece minimum into kilograms using an assumed universal wig weight.
- SKU and specification revision
- Count or net weight per selling unit
- Whether components and packaging are included
- Length and shade reference codes
- Pieces, packs or kilograms used in the quote
Work through an illustrative first-order allocation
Suppose a hypothetical tape-in program allows a total of 100 packs, a minimum of 20 packs per length-and-shade combination, and mixing across two lengths and two shades. Assume each pack contains 50 g of net hair. These are invented assumptions used only to demonstrate the calculation; actual pack formats, minimums and mixing rules require a written supplier quote.
The allocation below places 40 packs in one selected combination and 20 in each remaining combination. That prioritization is not a claim about a best-selling shade or length: substitute your own customer feedback or sales evidence. The result is 100 packs and 5 kg of net hair, before any excluded components or packaging.
| SKU | Length | Shade reference | Packs | Net hair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 18 inches | Shade A | 40 | 2000 g |
| B | 18 inches | Shade B | 20 | 1000 g |
| C | 20 inches | Shade A | 20 | 1000 g |
| D | 20 inches | Shade B | 20 | 1000 g |
| Total | 100 | 5 kg | ||
- Total packs = 40 + 20 + 20 + 20 = 100
- Net hair = 100 packs × 50 g = 5,000 g = 5 kg
- Every example SKU meets the assumed 20-pack minimum
- Feasible only if the supplier confirms the same mixing and weight rules
Check whether the assortment exceeds the intended order
Increasing variants multiplies the number of commitments. For example, two constructions × two lengths × three shades create 12 combinations. If each required 20 packs under a hypothetical quote, the order would need 240 packs, not 100. Confirm whether a construction can share the same minimum before combining the totals.
When the proposed range exceeds your budget or storage plan, reduce unvalidated combinations, request confirmed alternatives using stock specifications, or postpone an optional variant. Do not lower quality or change the material specification silently just to preserve a long SKU list.
- Count all separately ordered combinations
- Multiply each SKU by its confirmed minimum
- Identify optional combinations
- Ask for alternatives and document specification changes
Calculate packaging exposure separately
Continue the fictional 100-pack example: if a single printed box design hypothetically required 500 boxes, the difference would be 400 unused boxes after packing the first order. Ask whether you must pay for all 500 immediately, who holds the balance, how storage is charged and what happens when artwork changes. An unused box balance is a commitment even when it is not delivered with the hair.
Compare confirmed alternatives such as unbranded stock packs with an approved label or a later print run. Do not assume the supplier offers those alternatives. Record whether each shade or length needs a separate printed design; variable labels and separate artwork can lead to very different packaging minimums.
- Packaging minimum per design
- Quantity paid for, delivered and held
- Storage ownership, charges and release terms
- Artwork version and change risk
- Stock packaging alternatives, if offered
Keep sample costs outside the bulk MOQ calculation
Ask whether the sample is a stock item, a development sample or representative of the quoted production route. Record the requested specification, sample units, charges, shipping and revision costs. Do not assume that samples count toward the later production minimum or that their cost will be credited.
Approve the sample and specification before committing to bulk allocation. A sample available in one shade does not establish production availability for every proposed SKU. For wigs, include cap, lace and fit checks; extension attachment tests are not a substitute.
- Sample origin and representative specification
- Sample and revision charges
- Shipping and any credit conditions
- Approval criteria and retained reference
Compare the full first-order commitment
Compare the same SKU allocation, material specification, pack weight and packaging across quotations. Itemize product, samples, development, packaging, inspection and shipping rather than comparing unit prices alone. Record the currency and validity of the quotation.
List payment milestones and the named delivery basis and place. Confirm which transport and import costs remain the buyer's responsibility with the supplier and importer. This guide does not provide destination-specific tax or import advice. Do not treat an unconfirmed delivery estimate as an agreed launch date.
- Same specification and quantities
- Itemized setup and packaging commitments
- Currency, quote validity and payment milestones
- Shipping basis and named destination
- Approval-dependent production schedule
Agree replenishment rules before the first order
Ask whether repeat-order minimums differ from launch minimums and whether you can replenish one SKU without repeating the entire assortment. Confirm shade consistency, material-change approval, packaging availability and sample references for reorders.
Set your stock-review method using actual sales, salon feedback and confirmed replenishment timing. Avoid choosing a universal reorder threshold without that evidence. Review slow-moving variants before expanding the range.
- Minimum per replenished SKU
- Reorder timing and approval dependencies
- Retained shade and product references
- Packaging balance and artwork version
- Sales and customer feedback by SKU
Send the allocation sheet with your inquiry
Include buyer type, destination, product construction, material requirements, SKU quantities, pack count and weight basis, physical color references, packaging, sample needs and requested timing. Mark undecided items as supplier proposals so they are not mistaken for fixed requirements.
StrandGate Hair is a Juancheng sourcing desk. Product availability, supplier capability, mixing rules, minimums, sample charges and delivery terms must be confirmed against the written brief. Catalog references and the example above are not binding offers.
- Product and specification revision
- SKU allocation with units and total
- Product versus packaging minimum questions
- Sample requirements and approval points
- Destination and requested quotation basis
Wholesale MOQ questions
Can I mix lengths and shades to meet a wholesale hair MOQ?
Only when the supplier confirms the mixing rules. Ask for the minimum per construction, length, shade and packaging design in addition to the total order minimum.
Are the 100 packs and 20 packs per SKU in this guide actual minimums?
No. They are fictional worked-example assumptions. Request a written quote for the exact product, material, shades, lengths and packaging you intend to buy.
Does custom packaging always share the product MOQ?
No. Confirm packaging minimums per design and how unused stock is paid for, stored and released. Do not assume a product minimum includes custom printed packaging.
Should samples count toward my first bulk order?
Do not assume so. Confirm sample charges, credits and whether sample units count toward production minimums in writing.
Use this on your next inquiry
- Confirm the minimum at order, construction, SKU and packaging levels.
- Convert packs and kilograms only using an agreed weight basis.
- Use customer evidence to select variants, not a larger catalog for its own sake.
- Include unused packaging and setup costs in the commitment.
- Approve samples and confirm replenishment rules before bulk purchasing.