A lot of new importers think they cannot start until they can order a full container of one model. They can. The trick is to match a realistic per-SKU minimum to a container plan, so you test several chairs without paying to ship empty space. Here is how we set that up for a first order.
What a real per-SKU minimum looks like
For catalog models — chairs we already build, finished in your fabric and colour — the minimum per style is modest, in the range of a few dozen to around 50 pieces, which is roughly what independent sourcing guides cite for off-the-shelf furniture. There is no tooling to amortise on a catalog chair, so the minimum is about set-up and material runs, not about forcing volume on you. The moment you want a custom mould — a unique base or armrest — the minimum jumps, because a mould spread over 50 chairs makes each one expensive. That is the dividing line, and we will tell you which side your request falls on before you commit.
Mix to fill the box, not to chase a discount
Because we build office, dining and leisure chairs in one place, you can combine them into a single order. A 40-foot high-cube gives you roughly 67–76 CBM of usable volume, and chairs are light and bulky — you will cube out long before you hit the weight limit. So the smart first order is not "as many of one chair as I can afford." It is a mix that fills the box: task chairs for your core line, a dining set or two to test a category, a few leisure swivels for the showroom. One supplier, one container, one set of shipping documents.
The trade-off: LCL versus a shared full container
If your total is small — say under 15 CBM — LCL (less-than-container-load) lets you ship without filling a box, but you pay a per-CBM rate, commonly a few hundred dollars per cubic metre, and your goods get handled more at the consolidation and de-consolidation points, which is where chairs pick up scuffs. A full container costs more in total but less per chair and gets handled less. The honest version: for a genuine first test, LCL is fine and we pack for it. Once you know which models sell, a full mixed container almost always lowers your landed cost per chair enough to justify the larger commitment. Do not force an FCL on order one just to chase a unit price you have not earned yet.
The two-step order that protects a new buyer
The pattern that works best for a first-time importer is not one big leap, it is two steps. Step one is a small trial — a sample or a low first lot at a higher unit price — to confirm the finish, the colour match and how the chair performs in your market. Step two is the production order once you know the model sells. Yes, the trial costs more per chair; that premium is the cheapest market research you will buy, far cheaper than committing a full container to a model your customers turn out not to want. Independent guides describe this two-step approach for exactly this reason, and we are glad to run an order that way rather than push you straight to volume on a model you have not proven.
The matching mistake to avoid is under-counting your CBM and then discovering the goods do not fit the box you booked. We send a CBM figure per carton so you can plan the load before you confirm — the same discipline we describe in our piece on first-import mistakes, and the per-category planning in our mixed-order note.
What a sensible first quote should contain
A quote that is just a unit price is not enough to plan a small mixed order, and it is a quiet warning sign. For a first order you want the unit price broken out by model, the per-SKU minimum, the CBM per carton, the lead time per category, and the payment terms in writing. On payment, a normal structure for a new relationship is a deposit with the balance against shipping documents or after an inspection — a supplier demanding 100% up front before production removes every bit of leverage you have if the goods arrive late or wrong. If a quote is vague on any of these, push for the detail before you commit; the answer tells you as much about the supplier as the price does. We put all of it on a first quote because a small order with surprises buried in it is how a new importer loses money on what should have been a low-risk test.
Send us the models and rough quantities you have in mind and we will return a per-SKU minimum and a loading plan for both LCL and a shared 40HQ. Reach the desk via our contact form or mail@hgjj.net; the OEM / ODM page covers how a catalog-plus-custom mix works.