A minimum order quantity is not a sales tactic. It is the point at which the setup cost of a production run stops dominating the unit price.
Published 17 October 2026 · Sabo Furniture, Foshan
A minimum order quantity is not a sales tactic. It is the point at which the setup cost of a production run stops dominating the unit price — and understanding that makes the number negotiable in a way that arguing about it is not.
Changing a finish means stopping the line, masking, cleaning the spray booth, mixing the batch and re-setting the jigs. That work costs the same whether you order 50 chairs or 500, so it is spread across the run.
At 500 units the setup is negligible per chair. At 50 it is visible. Below 50 it is the price — which is why a factory that quotes you 30 pieces will quote a number that looks unreasonable, and why the honest answer is usually "the same price as 50".
| Minimum order | 50 pieces per model |
|---|---|
| Colours within a model | Can be mixed towards the same 50 |
| Mixing models | Allowed in one shipment, but each model needs its own 50 |
| Lead time | 15 working days from deposit |
| Payment | 30% deposit, 70% before shipment |
If your first order is smaller, it is usually cheaper to take 50 and hold the balance as stock than to pay the small-run premium.
Fifty chairs is a commercial minimum; a 40HQ is a freight minimum. Our steel Chiavari loads up to 1,420 per container, so a 50-piece order ships as LCL — which means consolidating with other cargo and accepting a longer transit.
This is where the economics usually settle: at around 300–400 chairs, the freight per unit in a shared container stops falling and it becomes worth filling your own.
Ask for the price at three quantities — 50, 200, 500 — before discussing anything else. If the 500 price is materially better, you have found the real threshold and you can plan stock around it. If all three are close, the setup cost is small and the argument is about materials, not volume.
You need 120 chairs: two minimums of 50, plus 20 more. Two options — order 120 and pay the small-run premium on the second batch, or order 150 and hold 30 as stock.
The 150 option is usually cheaper per chair, because the second 50 is produced as one run instead of a run plus a short top-up. It also gives you a float for damage without a second shipment later.
Freight: 150 steel chairs is roughly 11% of a 40HQ, so this is LCL. At about 300–400 chairs the freight per unit stops falling and a dedicated container starts to make sense — that is the number to plan towards, not the MOQ.
50 pieces per model. Colours within one model can be mixed inside that 50, so a mixed fleet does not need 50 of each colour.
No — the minimum applies per model, because the frame and the finish change setup on the line. Mixing models is fine within one shipment, but each model carries its own 50.
Because a finish change means stopping the line, cleaning the spray booth and re-setting. Below about 50 units the setup cost dominates the unit price, which is why small orders are quoted higher rather than refused.
Usually yes, and it is worth understanding why before negotiating. Ask what the price is at 50, 200 and 500 pieces — the curve tells you where the setup cost stops mattering.
All buying guides — thirteen articles on sizing, pricing, importing and specifying.
