Why is there a MOQ for Seamless Clothing?

If you got an inquiry with customized seamless clothing, you will always get a MOQ from the supplier, but why is there a MOQ for seamless clothing?

With the fast development of the seamless clothing industry, more and more customers pursue more styles and less inventory. So, an increasing number of customers are requiring Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) 300 or 500 pcs leggings or sports bras in 4 or 5 sizes with 2 or 3 colors.

Can we make it at this quantity? Yes, however, the cost will be very high, and most manufacturers are difficult to operate.

Then why is there a MOQ for seamless clothing?

Here are several reasons:

1, Seamless garments are circular knitting machine (such as SANTONI brand) weaved, according to size needs, each size needs a corresponding caliber machine to knit.

It is not the same craft as the cut & sew types. For cut & sew garments, as long as there is a textile supply, 100 square meters of cloth can be cut into 4 sizes easily. Seamless knitted fabrics, as one machine weaves just one size and can’t be cut into various other sizes.

2, We will need to use 4 machines of different sizes if you have 4 sizes including S, M, L, and XL. Each seamless knitting machine is capable of producing at least 500 leggings, 600 bras, 1000 women’s panties per day.

If an order contains 100 items of bra with 4 sizes, which will be, 25 pcs/size, it takes only 1 hour for the machine to create 25 pieces in the weaving stage. After finished, the machine needs to change the program to make other styles, otherwise, it will stop working after only 1 hour of work.

For seamless clothing manufacturers, this production effectiveness is really low, and also the equipment has to be stopped for a while. It is even worse if one item is using a unique yarn material, 100 items of the bra are insufficient for the MOQ of the yarn material manufacturers.

For normal materials, 100pcs order cannot be made use of to hang yarns on our knitting machines at the same time. After ending up one size, you should remove the yarn and also re-install it on another size machine to make various other sizes.

You have to repeat these actions for many times. In the meanwhile, high waste and low efficiency take place at the same time. The manufacturer pays the exact same salaries to the workers, however creates only a small amount, and also generates a small number of orders, but does a lot more job. By doing this, the manufacturer is at a loss.

3. Dyeing process likewise has this problem. The smallest coloring barrel can dye 50 kg knitted cloth. So, 250pcs bra (assume 0.2kg/pc) can be colored in one time (0.2kg/pc*250=50kg). It can’t be satisfied with the minimum order kilogram if one order just includes 100 pcs bra (0.2kg/pc*100=20kg).

4. Many accessories as well as customized packaging also have MOQ. 200 items often cannot get to the MOQ of suppliers. The purchase expense will be 2 or 3 times more.

In short, the manufacturing facility is not cost-efficient for any order of less than 300pcs, even 1,000pcs (it depends on different factories). Obviously, lots of big customers, they ordered 500pcs for the first order, then 3,000pcs for the 2nd, the manufacturer is willing to buy this type of order. If every order is 300pcs, most factories have difficulties to make.

Personally, I really hope more and more factories will be willing to do small quantities to support a new brand. Because all big brands start from small!

Please contact us and let us help you build your brand with a minimum order quantity!