Minimum order quantity
Packaging MOQ Guide for Beauty Brands
A quoted MOQ is not an arbitrary gate. It is the point at which a production run covers its own set-up cost. Understanding which set-up dominates your quotation tells you exactly what to change in the specification to bring the number down.
We do not publish universal MOQ figures, because they would be wrong for most enquiries. What follows is how the number is built — and what you can adjust.
How MOQ is built
Four minimums, usually quoted as one
A packaging MOQ is the highest of four separate minimums. Reduce the highest and the quoted figure falls.
- Container minimum
- Driven by mould cavitation and machine changeover time.
- Decoration minimum
- Screens, plates, dies and colour set-up, charged once per design.
- Component minimum
- Pumps, droppers and applicators carry their own supplier minimums.
- Material minimum
- Masterbatch resin and specialty board come in defined batch sizes.
By customisation level
What changes the number
Standard packaging
A catalogue container in a stock colour with a label. No tooling, no screens, no resin change — the lowest practical minimum we offer, and the fastest route to market.
- Existing tooling
- Stock resin or glass colour
- Label decoration
Custom colour
Masterbatch resin colour needs enough volume to justify a machine changeover and a resin batch. Spray coating achieves the same visual result at a materially lower minimum, which is why most emerging brands start there.
- Resin batch size
- Colour changeover
- Coating line set-up
Custom decoration
Screens, plates and stamping dies are one-time costs. A one-colour screen print is viable at modest volume; a four-colour wrap with foil needs more units before the per-unit cost settles.
- Screens per colour
- Foil dies
- Set-up and changeover time
Custom mould
Tooling is the largest fixed cost in packaging. The minimum is set by cavity count, part complexity and how the tooling investment is amortised — stated explicitly in the tooling quotation.
- Tooling cost
- Cavity count
- Amortisation agreement
Custom paper boxes
Our standard minimum order quantity for custom paper boxes is 5,000 pieces per design. For selected box styles and projects, smaller quantities starting from a few hundred pieces may also be possible, depending on box structure, material, printing method and finishing requirements. Please contact our team for a customized quotation. Offset becomes more economical once volume rises or spot colours are required.
- Digital vs offset
- Board grade minimum
- Finishing set-up
Custom plastic packaging
Injection and blow tooling follow the same logic as glass moulds, with the added factor that multi-cavity tooling lowers unit cost but raises the tooling investment and the volume needed to justify it.
- Tooling investment
- Cycle time
- Resin and colour batch
Three questions that get you a better answer
Asking "what is your MOQ?" gets a single number. These three give you a cost curve you can design against.
- 01What is the minimum for this exact specification?
- 02What would it be with one decoration step removed?
- 03Where does the next price break sit?
A note on honesty: some suppliers publish a low headline MOQ and add tooling, plate and set-up charges afterwards. We would rather show the whole cost structure up front, including where a lower quantity simply is not economical for either side.
MOQ FAQ
Because it would be misleading. The minimum for a stock PET bottle with a label and the minimum for a coated custom-moulded glass jar differ by an order of magnitude. We quote the real minimum for your exact specification instead.
It depends on the specification. Stock containers with labelling start low; custom colour, decoration and moulds raise the minimum. For custom paper boxes the standard minimum order quantity is 5,000 pieces per design, and selected paper box projects may start from a few hundred pieces subject to evaluation of the structure, material, printing method and finishing. Send the item and target quantity and we will quote the real minimum for that exact configuration rather than a generic figure.
Yes — standard samples, decoration samples and pre-production samples. Standard samples are usually available quickly; customised samples are quoted with the project because they require set-up.
Yes, through masterbatch resin colour, spray coating on glass or plastic, or printed colour on cartons. Coating gives full Pantone freedom at a lower minimum; masterbatch is more durable but needs a larger volume.
Yes — silk screen printing, UV printing, hot stamping, embossing and labelling. We will advise which method suits your artwork, substrate and quantity, including minimum legible sizes.
Yes, for glass and plastic. The programme covers feasibility review, tooling, trial samples and a dimensional report. Ownership and storage terms are agreed in writing before tooling starts.
Next step
Tell us what you are packing. We will send a specification and a price.
Share the product type, capacity, quantity and any decoration you have in mind. Qualified RFQs are answered within one business day.