What the minimum order quantity is actually protecting
Every MOQ number traces back to a cost that only makes sense at volume:
- UV printed panels: print setup and colour calibration. The setup charge is fixed, so unit price collapses after the first few hundred square meters.
- Real wood veneer: a batch of veneer is sliced and matched together. Splitting a batch across small orders destroys the colour match.
- Felt and slat cutting: blade changes, machine setup and waste. Cutting 50 m² of custom sizes produces proportionally far more offcut than cutting 500 m².
- Melamine and PVC film: minimum roll quantities from the film supplier.
None of these are sales gimmicks. Once you know which one applies, you can often restructure the order around it.
Typical minimums by product
- PET polyester felt panels, stock colours: 100 to 300 m².
- PET panels, custom printed or custom colour: 300 m² and up.
- Wood slat panels, stock finishes: 200 to 500 m² depending on finish.
- PVC acoustic panels: 300 to 500 m².
- Custom dimensions and custom profiles: typically 500 m², sometimes more.
Four ways MOQ flexes in practice
- Order stock finishes. Catalogue colours are produced continuously; the MOQ is effectively a share of a running batch.
- Mix SKUs on one base panel. Three colours of the same 600 x 600mm felt panel can usually be combined to reach the minimum.
- Consolidate with another order. If you ship regularly, ask about holding your material and loading it with the next container.
- Repeat orders. A second order for a colour already in production carries a much lower minimum than a first order.
Samples: what to expect and what to pay for
A4-size samples in stock finishes are normally free, with the buyer paying courier. A box containing your shortlisted colours and both thicknesses is usually charged and then credited against your first order - which means it costs you nothing if you order, and is worth paying if you do not. Always take the box when the project has a real deadline; the cost of a wrong colour decision dwarfs the courier charge.
Sample evaluation checklist
- Measure actual thickness with callipers against the quoted figure.
- Weigh one panel - density drives both absorption and price.
- Lay two panels face to face and check the slats or the felt sit flat.
- Check slat spacing is even along the length, not just at the ends.
- Compare veneer grain across the batch, not between samples.
- Confirm the fire label or engraving matches the test report.
Deposit and terms
Standard practice is a 30 percent deposit with the balance against the bill of lading copy. If your quantity sits just under the minimum, ask what the actual gap costs rather than assuming the order will be refused. Frequently the honest answer is a small setup surcharge, and you keep your project schedule intact.
Send your specification, quantity and destination port and we will confirm the real minimum for your configuration. Request a wholesale quote, or read how to vet a supplier before paying a deposit.