Episode 56 – How to Request an FMCG Quote from Vietnam (and Get a Real Number Back)
Ask three Vietnamese factories for an FMCG price and you will get three quotes you cannot compare. Rod sets out the five things a real quotation needs from you, why the packaging rather than the product usually sets the MOQ, and how to brief a factory so the number that comes back actually means something.
AI-generated audio, produced by Vietnam Direct Sourcing from our article on this topic.
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This episode is AI-generated audio. The transcript has been lightly edited for readability.
The MOQ Most Buyers Miss
When asking an FMCG factory for their Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), buyers usually plan their launch budget solely around turning on the liquid filling machines.
Take a custom-shaped bottle of face wash wrapped in a printed shrink sleeve. That liquid formulation is only half of your purchase. The primary factory might only need 3,000 units to justify mixing and filling the gel, but each packaging component has its own independent supply chain. That custom bottle requires commissioning a unique mold, and the printing house producing your shrink sleeves demands a minimum order measured in thousands of linear meters.
Packaging Sets Your Real Minimum
The packaging component with the highest MOQ threshold becomes the absolute floor for your entire project, completely overriding the factory's baseline liquid minimum.
The Workaround for First Production Runs
To bypass high upfront capital requirements on a new launch, swap custom containers for pre-existing stock packaging components. Using standard, off-the-shelf bottles and caps eliminates the massive minimums required for custom molds and high-volume print runs.
By launching with stock packaging, you can hit the market at the factory's true liquid minimum without funding miles of unused plastic.