Requesting Samples From 5 Factories: A Week-by-Week Playbook

The biggest mistake brands make in factory selection is sequential sampling — sending a tech pack to one factory, waiting 4 weeks for the sample, not loving it, sending it to a second factory, waiting another 4 weeks. Three factories in, you've burned a quarter and you still don't know whether what you're getting is market-competitive.

The better approach: sample from 3–5 factories in parallel, evaluate side-by-side, decide in week 6–8. Same calendar time, 3–5× the information.

This is the playbook.

Week 0 — Build the brief

Before you send anything, write a sample brief that every factory will receive identically. The brief includes:

1. Product specification

• Full tech pack with construction detail, fabric spec, trim list, fit dimensions, grading
• Reference images (not competitor product photos — your own sketches or mood-board images)
• Any specific callouts ("matte finish on hardware," "double-needle topstitch," "reinforced corners")

2. Sample terms

• Quantity: 1 sample per sample-round unless you need size grading sampled (then 3, e.g., S/M/L)
• Target turnaround: 18–25 business days (be explicit — not "soon")
• Sample cost (ask for their quote): normal range $80–$250 per sample plus fabric
• Shipping: factory's choice, tracked

3. Bulk quote request attached to the sample

Critical piece most brands miss: the sample brief should also request a bulk quote at three volumes (say 500, 1,000, 2,500 units). You want pricing data at the same time you evaluate samples — not a month later in a separate round.

4. Information you want back

• Factory's tech-pack interpretation notes (what they had questions on)
• Suggested construction revisions (a good factory will push back with improvements)
• Lead time for bulk at each of the three volumes
• MOQ and payment terms

Week 1 — Send to 5 factories; wire sample deposits

Pick 5 factories from your shortlist. They should be comparable on scale and specialty — don't compare a 40-person atelier to a 2,000-person factory on the same brief; you'll get incomparable data.

Send the brief to all 5 in parallel, with a personalized cover email that references their specific capabilities (not a BCC blast — they can tell). Expect:

• 1–2 factories to respond within 48 hours with clarifying questions
• 1–2 factories to send back a quote + terms in the first week
• 1 factory to disappear into a black hole and not reply for 10 days (happens; you'll have to chase)

Wire sample deposits quickly on the ones that respond. Fast deposit wiring signals you're a serious buyer and moves your project up their queue.

Week 2–3 — Samples start arriving

Samples don't arrive on the same day. Expect the first one in week 3, with the rest arriving over the next 2 weeks. Start evaluating as they land rather than waiting for all 5.

The evaluation rubric

Grade each sample on a 1–5 scale across five dimensions:

1. Construction quality. Stitch density, thread tension, seam allowance, finish quality, hardware attachment, general "does this look like a good factory made this" signal. Compare directly against the tech pack — did they execute the spec or take shortcuts?

2. Fabric accuracy. Did they use the fabric you specified, or close? Weight (GSM), hand, color, finish. Some factories substitute stock fabric "close to" your spec and hope you won't notice; this is the check.

3. Tech-pack interpretation. Did they follow the tech pack accurately, or "improve" things unilaterally? If they made changes, did they document what and why, or just sneak them through?

4. Cost competitiveness. Their bulk quotes at 500 / 1,000 / 2,500 units compared to the other 4 factories. Normalize for fabric quality and construction detail — cheaper isn't better if the construction is weaker.

5. Responsiveness and communication. How fast did they reply to questions? Did they surface issues proactively or only when asked? Did they send the sample with a note or silently? This is a preview of how they'll handle bulk production.

Score each sample across all five. Total out of 25.

Week 3 — Evaluate and shortlist

By end of week 3–4, you'll have 3–5 samples in hand. The scoring usually lines up cleanly: one or two factories are clear top-of-mind, one or two are disqualified, and the rest are middle-ground.

Shortlist the top 2

Send each of your top 2 factories a revision brief — specific feedback, specific changes, clear expectation for the revision sample. This is also where you can negotiate on bulk pricing if their first quote was high; revision feedback + "we'd need $X to move forward" together is a much stronger negotiating position than bluffing to a single factory.

For the disqualified factories, send a brief thank-you email. They'll remember; you may come back to them for a different product later. No scorched-earth departures.

Week 5–7 — Revisions and bulk-quote finalization

Revision 1 samples arrive in weeks 5–6. Most of the gap between first sample and approval is closed here — fit dialed in, fabric swapped if needed, trim finalized. A second revision (weeks 6–7) takes the remaining 10% to approval.

During the revision cycle, finalize bulk pricing, lead time, payment terms, and MSA/NDA (if any). You're negotiating with two factories at this point; pick the winner based on the full package — not just the best sample.

Week 8 — Place the bulk PO

Sign off on the winning factory's final sample. Issue the bulk PO with:

• Quantity
• Unit price confirmed
• Lead time confirmed (expect 60–90 days for custom apparel from India)
• Payment terms (typically 30% deposit, 70% on shipment or 50/50 on first order)
• Shipping method and timing
• QC protocol (inline inspection visits, final AQL standard)

Send a short, polite "we've chosen another factory for this project" note to your runner-up. Thank them for their time. They'll remember for the next project.

Cost summary

A rigorous 5-factory sampling round costs roughly:

• 5 × $80–$250 sample fees = $400–$1,250
• Shipping (factory to you) = $150–$300
• 2 × revision samples from top 2 = $160–$500
• Courier on revision samples = $60–$120

Total: $770–$2,170 for a proper factory selection process.

This is the upfront cost of making a decision you'll live with for the next 2–5 years of production. Compared to the $20,000–$80,000 cost of mid-program factory switching because the first pick didn't work out, it's a cheap investment.

Related reading

• How to Vet a Manufacturer: A 12-Point Checklist — the pre-sampling vendor vetting that feeds into your shortlist.
• Writing a Tech Pack: What Factories Actually Need — the document that drives the sampling round.
• Switching Manufacturers Without Losing a Season — the expensive version of factory selection that good sampling avoids.