Wholesale buying guide
China Furniture Wholesale: Plan a Mixed Order
Found furniture at a price you like? Before ordering, check how many pieces you must buy, whether you can mix colours, and what it will cost to get them to your door.
Does the wholesale price work for the quantity you need?
Start with the pieces you can sell or use. Then ask the supplier for the minimum quantity of each model, colour and fabric—not just the minimum total order. A low price can become expensive if it leaves you storing extra chairs or paying for several separate shipments.
Should you buy from a factory, a showroom or a trading company?
The answer depends on your shopping list. Reordering one chair model is a different job from buying chairs, tables and sofas together.
| Who you buy through | When it may help | Ask before ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist factory | You need many pieces from one product range. | Do you make this item here? What is the minimum quantity for each finish? |
| Showroom or market seller | You want to see and compare different styles. | Is this item in stock, or is it a sample? Which company will sell me the order? |
| Trading company | You want to buy several types of furniture through one seller. | Who checks the goods and deals with missing or damaged pieces? |
| Sourcing coordinator | You need help choosing suppliers and bringing their orders together. | What does the service cost, what is included, and who sells me each item? |
Ratahome is a sourcing and coordination team, not a furniture manufacturer. The manufacturer verification guide helps you check who makes and sells the goods. If you plan to visit, the Foshan buying-area guide explains how showroom visits differ from factory appointments.
What if you need 36 chairs but the minimum is 20 per colour?
MOQ means minimum order quantity. The important question is what the minimum applies to: one model, one colour, one fabric, a production batch or the whole order.
Here is a hypothetical example, not a supplier offer. You need 36 chairs: 12 sand, 12 olive and 12 charcoal. The supplier requires 20 per colour. Keeping all three colours means buying 60 chairs, leaving you with 24 more than you need.
Before accepting that order, ask about the alternatives:
- One colour: would the supplier accept all 36 chairs in the same finish?
- Two colours: 20 + 20 gives you 40 chairs, or four extras, if that mix works for you.
- Three smaller batches: would the supplier make 12 of each for an extra charge? Compare that charge with buying and storing 24 unwanted chairs.
You may still choose all three colours. The point is to make that choice knowing the full quantity and cost. Ask whether the same minimum will apply when you reorder, and whether any sample payment will be credited against the order.
Does the minimum apply to the chair or to each colour?
Ask what the minimum order actually covers before choosing several designs or finishes.
Your mix of furniture
A supplier may count different colours as separate orders, even when the chair design is the same.
Per model
Ask how many units of each design are required; a mixed catalogue order may not share one minimum.
Per finish or fabric
Check whether colour, upholstery or finish choices create separate minimum quantities.
Per production batch
Ask whether material procurement or production setup is driving the limit and what specification change might remove it.
Per purchase order
Confirm the total-order condition separately from variant rules, then check whether repeat orders keep those terms.
Keep in mindFewer colours or an agreed small-order surcharge may cost less than buying extra furniture you do not need.
A negotiation checklist, not a statement of supplier terms. The accepted MOQ must be confirmed for the exact specification.
Check what is inside the cheaper quote
A photo does not tell you whether a sofa has the same frame, filling or removable covers as another offer. Send every supplier the same product list, with sizes, materials, colours and quantities. Ask them to point out anything they have changed.
Then check the extras. Are sample charges, spare parts and protective packing included? When should the goods be ready? How long is the price valid, and in which currency? Agree payment stages, inspection arrangements and what happens if goods do not match the order.
Delivery wording matters too. ICC's Incoterms® rules divide transport responsibilities, costs and risks between buyer and seller. Record the chosen rule, its edition and the named place. If you are unsure where the seller's responsibility ends, ask before comparing the price with a delivered quote.
Can orders from several factories travel together?
Yes, if their packing and delivery dates can be coordinated. Bringing goods into one warehouse for a combined shipment is called consolidation. It does not make the suppliers share one warranty or give every item the same customs code.
Imagine cartons from three factories arriving on different days. Each needs an item reference that matches your order and packing list. Otherwise, someone must open boxes just to work out what has arrived.
| Question | Information to provide | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What is arriving? | Supplier, order number, item code, finish and quantity | Similar boxes may contain different versions. |
| Is it ready to ship? | Inspection result, any repairs still needed and arrival date | Finished goods may still need corrections. |
| How is it packed? | Box count, outside dimensions, gross weight and stacking limits | The forwarder needs to know what will fit safely. |
| Where does it go? | Delivery address, unloading arrangements and assembly needs | Delivery to a warehouse is not the same as delivery into a room. |
Ask the forwarder to check the loading plan and weight. Adding up cubic metres is not enough: a long tabletop or a crate that cannot be stacked may leave unusable space.
What will the order cost by the time it arrives?
The goods price is only the start. Your total may also include collection in China, packing, inspection, warehouse handling, freight, insurance, customs clearance, applicable duties and taxes, local delivery and assembly.
Beside each cost, write “included,” the quoted amount, or “not yet confirmed.” An unknown cost should not look like a free service.
If you calculate a cost per item, explain how you split shared charges. Dividing freight equally between every piece may hide how much space a large sofa uses compared with a flat-packed table.
Use the furniture HS code guide to gather the information your destination customs adviser needs. This page cannot give you a binding duty calculation.
Will you be able to reorder the same furniture?
Suppose the first batch sells well and you want more. Keep the model number, fabric and finish codes, approved drawing and packing details from that first order. A saved catalogue photo may not show what was inside the frame.
Ask the supplier to tell you before changing a material, component or production partner. Agree what natural colour or grain variation is acceptable, and check the new batch against the same references.
For a shop or venue opening, think about small replacement parts as well as extra furniture. Spare glides, connectors or hardware may help you repair a piece without importing a whole new chair.
What should you send when asking for a quote?
Send a product list with quantities by colour or finish, the delivery destination and the date you need the goods. Add photos or drawings, sizes where you know them, and a note about what can change. Mark the must-have items separately from the optional ones.
You do not have to know every answer before asking for help. Point out the gaps so a supplier can price them clearly. The complete buying guide explains what follows: samples, payment, inspection and shipping.
If the furniture is for a business venue, use the contract furniture guide to think through cleaning, daily use and installation before choosing the products.
Buyer questions
Practical questions, answered
What is the minimum wholesale order for furniture from China?
There is no single minimum. Ask about the exact model, colour and fabric you want. A minimum of 20 per colour, for example, means something different from 20 pieces across the whole order. Custom versions may have different minimums.
Can I mix furniture from different factories in one shipment?
Yes, when the suppliers, warehouse and forwarder can coordinate the goods. Each item still needs its own order reference, inspection and description. Sharing a container does not combine supplier warranties or customs codes.
Is factory-direct always cheaper than a trading company?
No. Compare the same furniture and the full delivered cost. A lower unit price may require buying extra stock or paying for separate collection, inspection and shipping.
Should I buy extra furniture to fill a container?
Only if you need the stock and the numbers work. Ask the forwarder about other shipping options, then compare them with the cost of buying, storing and selling the extra pieces.
Want to check the details?
Official sources and notes
The examples are for planning, not quotations or past client projects. Photos illustrate the subject; they do not prove factory ownership or product certification. Check current requirements and dates with the relevant authority or organiser.
- ICC — Incoterms® 2020 — Official trade-term rules. The chair quantities on this page are a hypothetical example, not a supplier quote.
Have a project in mind?
Tell us what you need, where it will be delivered and when you need it. A furniture list or a few reference photos is a useful place to start.
Ratahome helps coordinate suppliers, samples and delivery in Foshan. We work with manufacturers; we do not manufacture the furniture ourselves.
Talk about your project