Almost every RFQ opens with the same line: what is your MOQ? On decorative lighting
the honest answer is rarely a number. It is a threshold — the quantity at which a run becomes
worth scheduling — and it moves with the model, the finish, the driver and the packaging.

Buyers who understand what moves that threshold get useful answers. Buyers who treat MOQ as a
single figure end up comparing two quotes that were never comparable in the first place.

Why “MOQ: 100 pcs” tells you nothing

A factory schedules a run when the order covers its setup. Four costs sit in that setup:

• Tooling — a new mould is amortised across the order, an existing one is not.
• Surface finishing — powder coating and plating are batch processes. A custom
  RAL colour means a batch change; stock black does not.
• Packing setup — a retail box with your barcode needs artwork, a print run
  and a line change. A brown box does not.
• QC and testing — every batch is aged and lit before packing, which costs
  bench time regardless of quantity.

A 600 mm pendant covers those costs at a lower unit count than a 120 mm sconce, because each unit
carries more value. That is why two models from the same factory can have very different minimums and
both be correct.

The five variables that move the quotation point

Variable	What it does to the minimum	What to ask
Tooling	New mould raises it; an existing platform does not	Is this model tooled already?
Finish	Custom RAL or plating becomes a batch item	Is there a stock finish on the same body?
Driver	A nominated brand may have its own pack size	Which driver, and what is its pack quantity?
Packaging	Retail box adds print setup and a line change	Can the first order ship in a brown box?
Combination	Mixing models in one run spreads the setup	Can I combine models to reach the point?

How mixed orders change the maths

Setup is per run, not per model. If three ceiling models share a finish and a carton size, one
production slot can cover all three. That is the practical reason a mixed order of 300 pieces across
four SKUs is often accepted when a single-model order of 300 would not be.

The same logic applies to freight. A container filled from two product lines spreads the fixed cost
of the sailing across more units, which changes the landed cost per piece as much as the ex-works
price does. If you are building a first order, ask for the loading plan before you assume a container
is out of reach.

What a credible answer sounds like

Weak: “Our MOQ is 100 pieces.”

Credible: “In stock black, this model reaches its quotation point at a low unit
count because the body is already tooled. In a RAL colour it becomes a batch item and the minimum goes
up. If you combine it with the 400 mm version in the same finish, both come down.”

The second answer tells you what you can actually buy. It also tells you the factory understands its
own cost structure, which is a decent proxy for how it will handle a change order later.

Four questions to put in your RFQ

1. What is the quotation point for this model in a stock finish, and what is it in a custom finish?
2. Which models can be combined in the same run or the same container?
3. What is the pack quantity for the driver you are quoting?
4. If we start in a brown box, what changes at the second order?

Answers to those four turn a vague number into a plan. They also expose factories that quote a
minimum without knowing why it exists.

Where buyers lose money on MOQ

• Ordering to hit a number rather than a need. Reaching a minimum with stock you
  cannot sell costs more than paying a slightly higher unit price.
• Splitting across too many SKUs. Every extra model adds setup and a carton spec.
• Ignoring the carton. A low unit price with inefficient packing can lose the
  saving in freight.
• Not asking about the second order. Setup costs fall once tooling exists, and the
  minimum usually falls with them.

For how the same logic applies to private label, see the OEM process. If
you already have a model in mind, send it with a target quantity and we will confirm the quotation
point rather than quote a round number. Our FAQ covers lead times and sample
policy in the same detail.

Frequently asked questions

Can I order below the quotation point?

Not for production. You can buy a sample at prototype cost, or combine models in the same finish and packaging to reach the point together.

Does the minimum change on a repeat order?

Usually it falls. Tooling and packing artwork already exist, so the setup left to cover is the finishing batch and the bench time.

How do I compare MOQ between two suppliers?

Normalise by model, finish, packaging and driver first. A lower minimum in a stock finish is not comparable to a higher one in a custom colour.