Private Label · Process
The private label process, step by step
Eight steps from your first message to cartons leaving the warehouse — with what we need from you at each stage, and how long each one takes.
What this route covers
What actually happens, in order
Each step closes before the next opens. Nothing is produced against an assumption.
Choose your product
Pick a ready style or send a reference sock. We confirm construction, gauge and yarn before anything else.
Send your requirements
Artwork, logo files, target quantity, target price, delivery market and timeline.
Sample development
A digital mock-up first, then a physical pre-production sample in 7–10 days.
Logo & packaging
Knit, printed or embroidered logo plus labels, hangtags, barcodes and retail packaging.
Sample approval
You sign off the sample. Free revisions until you do; the sample fee is refunded on bulk.
Bulk production
18–28 days with inline inspection and a photo/video progress report every week.
Quality inspection
AQL 2.5 final inspection with a photo report. SGS, Intertek or BV welcome.
Global shipping
FOB, CIF or DDP with full export documentation prepared by our team.
What keeps the schedule honest
Nothing starts without written approval
The specification and the sample define the bulk order. If you have not approved it, we do not run it.
Weekly reporting while it runs
A photo and video progress report every week your order is in production, so a problem surfaces while it can still be fixed cheaply.
AQL 2.5 before it ships
Final inspection with a photo report, plus your own inspector welcome if you want independent verification.
Documents prepared by us
CO, Form E and market-specific certificates, so the shipment clears without you chasing paperwork.
What we need from you, and when
Most delays in a private label project are caused by a missing input rather than by production. Here is what we need, and when.
At enquiry
Artwork or a reference sock, target quantity, destination market, and a target price if you have one.
At sampling
Pantone references for each colour, logo files in vector format, and the size chart your market uses.
At logo & packaging
Approved artwork, label copy, barcode numbers (or a request for us to allocate them) and packaging sign-off.
At sample approval
A written or emailed approval against the sample reference. This is the gate that locks the specification.
At bulk production
The deposit, and confirmation of the shipping address and delivery window.
At shipping
Forwarder details if you use your own, or approval of the freight quote and Incoterm.
Terms at a glance
| Item | Standard |
|---|---|
| Free digital mock-up | Before any yarn is ordered |
| Sampling | 7–10 days after tech-pack approval · Quoted per style, refunded in full on the bulk order |
| Revisions before approval | Free |
| Bulk production | 18–28 days from deposit and sample approval |
| Typical first-order timeline | 6–8 weeks from brief to dispatch |
| Payment | 30% T/T deposit, balance against B/L copy · L/C at sight above USD 30,000 |
| Trade terms | FOB Ningbo / Shanghai · CIF · DDP to your warehouse |
| Inspection | AQL 2.5 with photo report; third-party inspectors welcome |
| Reporting | Weekly photo and video progress report during production |
Common questions
How long does a first private label order take?
Typically six to eight weeks from brief to dispatch: about one week to agree the specification, one to two weeks for sampling and approval, and three to four weeks for bulk production and inspection. Complex technical constructions or rigid gift packaging sit at the longer end.
What if I do not have a tech pack?
That is normal — roughly 70% of our buyers start without one. Send a reference sock or a clear photo, tell us the price point and the market, and our pattern team builds the tech pack with you at no charge.
How fast are samples and what do they cost?
Pre-production samples ship 7–10 days after tech-pack approval, by express, with a spec sheet. The sample fee is quoted per style and refunded in full once the bulk order is placed. Revisions are free until you approve the sample.
What is the bulk production lead time?
18–28 days from deposit and sample approval. Compression and heavy terry constructions sit at the longer end. You receive a photo and video progress report every week while your order runs.
What happens if the sample is wrong?
We revise it, at no charge, until it is right. The bulk order only starts when you approve the sample, so a wrong sample costs time rather than money. It is the cheapest place in the whole process to find a mistake.
What payment terms do you accept?
30% T/T deposit, balance against B/L copy · L/C at sight above USD 30,000. First orders from new markets may need a higher deposit — we stay flexible for verified buyers and repeat programs.
Start the process.
Send a reference sock or a logo file. Free digital mock-up, then a physical sample in 7–10 days.