A quotation that is significantly cheaper is not automatically a better quotation. It is a different specification, usually in a place the quotation does not show.
Where the money goes
| Cost line | Share of price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn | 45-60 % | Combed versus carded is the biggest single lever, and it shows up in pilling |
| Knitting | 12-18 % | Machine gauge and speed; do not buy on price per kg alone |
| Dyeing and finishing | 20-28 % | Reactive dyeing plus compaction; the compaction step is what prevents shrinkage claims |
| Testing | 2-4 % | Cheap relative to a chargeback |
| Packing and freight | 6-10 % | Bale or roll compression changes container utilisation by 15-25 % |
Reading the structure
The largest line is yarn at 45-60 %. That is where a supplier has the most room to move and the most temptation to substitute. When a quote comes in well below the market, the difference is almost always here rather than in labour or packaging.
The smallest line is often the one that protects you: packing and freight at 6-10 %. Cutting testing or packaging saves a visible amount per unit and costs a multiple of it in claims. This is the first place a new supplier cuts and the last place a serious one does.
Three levers that actually move the price
Colour count, which is where knitted fabric cost is really set
Most buyers push on total quantity. The factory cost is driven by setups, not by total metres, and 500-800 kg per colour is quoted per colour because a colour change resets the process. Four shades at a quarter of the volume each cost more to make than one shade at the full volume, even though the total is identical. Consolidating shades usually beats a volume discount.
Loosening skew (torque), if the product allows it
A tight tolerance on a parameter the product does not need is pure cost. Skew (torque) at <= 5 % is usually where a specification has been carried over from another programme without being re-examined. Loosening it recovers more than the discount being negotiated, and it does not damage the product.
Timing against a 20-30 days cycle
Production slots matter. A 20-30 days cycle can usually be met; a two-week expedite usually cannot, and when it is accepted the cost appears as overtime and air freight rather than in the unit price. Booking a slot four weeks out is the cheapest concession a buyer has.
The savings that come back as claims
Side seams spiral after washing, garments twist on the body. The cause is high twist yarn, poor relaxation, or tubular fabric slit without rest. This is what a 10 % saving looks like eighteen months later, and it is why the cheapest quote is rarely the lowest landed cost.
A working rule: price the difference between quotes against the cost of one replacement shipment. If the gap is smaller than that, the decision is not really about price.
What to ask for in the quotation
- The specification, line by line, against weight and stitch length at the values you asked for.
- The validity period, because the raw material index moves before the price list does.
- What is included: dimensional change, packing, certification, sample courier.
- The MOQ per colour (500-800 kg per colour is typical) separately from the order minimum.
- The payment terms and what would change them.
Cost detail for the material itself is on the knitted fabric page; the commercial terms we work to are on the logistics page.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Can you match a Pantone colour on cotton jersey?
Within dE <= 1.0 on most shades. Very bright greens and some blues are outside the reactive gamut; we will tell you before sampling rather than after.
Do you offer compacted fabric?
Yes, and we recommend it for any garment that will be washed by the end consumer. Compaction adds cost and removes most shrinkage claims.
What is your minimum for a custom colour?
500-800 kg depending on shade depth. Stock white and black can go lower.
Reading a quote that looks too low
A quote 15-20 % below the market is not a negotiating position, it is a different product. These are the five places the difference hides, in the order it usually appears.
- A lighter construction. Composition quoted at the bottom of 100 % cotton / CVC / TC / 100 % polyester rather than the middle. Ask for the measured figure per lot.
- One coating pass instead of two. Cheaper to make, fails at the fold within a season.
- Testing excluded. The quote is ex-works without reports; the reports then cost more than the saving when a buyer asks for them.
- Packing downgraded. Thinner cartons, no moisture barrier, more transit damage and a claim at destination.
- Payment terms tightened. A deposit-heavy structure is often funding the order, which is a credit risk rather than a price advantage.
Three concessions that lower the price honestly
None of these damages the product, and together they usually recover more than the discount being negotiated.
- Fewer colours. Setup is per colour, so consolidating shades cuts cost without touching the specification.
- A longer slot. Four extra weeks lets the factory combine runs; the saving is real and it costs you nothing if the launch date allows it.
- Looser non-critical tolerances. A tight figure on skew (torque) adds cost and the product does not need it.
The three tiers of knitted fabric, and what each one buys
| Tier | Structure | Weight | Programmes it suits | Where it fails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Structure at the low end | Weight at the low end | Short-life, promotional, market testing | Skew / torque |
| Standard | Structure mid-range | Weight mid-range | Repeat retail and industrial programmes | Shrinkage beyond claim |
| Contract | Structure at the top | Weight at the top | Projects with a warranty attached | Rare, and usually a process failure rather than a material one |
The tiers are not marketing labels; they are different constructions at different points in structure and weight. A supplier who quotes one price for all three is quoting the middle and calling it whatever you asked for.
The useful question is which tier your programme can defend. If the end product is replaced before skew / torque would appear, entry is rational. If it carries a warranty, the premium for contract is usually smaller than one claim.
Failure modes, and the test that catches each one
A specification only earns its keep if it names the failure it prevents. These are the two that matter for the price you are trying to move.
| Failure | What triggers it | Test to demand on the production lot |
|---|---|---|
| Barre (fabric bars) | Yarn count variation or uneven tension across the beam. | Colour fastness to washing — ISO 105-C06; acceptance >= grade 4 change, >= 3-4 staining |
| Pilling | Short staple, loose stitch, or a brushed finish without anti-pill treatment. | Bursting strength — ISO 13938-1; acceptance report value |
The other two, with acceptance numbers attached, are in the full failure analysis for knitted fabric. A supplier who cannot name the mode he sees most often is describing a catalogue, not a process.
From quotation to specification in seven lines
Leave the tolerance and the method out and every dispute is settled by whoever needs the goods more.
- Structure: jersey / interlock / rib / fleece is the market band. Fix the figure you will test at goods-in, and the instrument you will test it with.
- Composition (100 % cotton / CVC / TC / 100 % polyester): fix the value per shipment, and state who pays for the re-test if a lot lands outside it.
- Weight: 120-320 gsm is not an answer on its own. Ask for the last three lots’ actual readings and the spread behind them.
- Stitch length: agree the test method with the number. Two labs, two methods, two answers, one argument.
- Sample retention: one production sample per lot stays with the mill for twelve months. Claims are settled against it, not against memory.
- Test reports: name the standard as well as the test. A pass on a development sample is not a pass on a production lot.
- Deviation rule: anything outside the agreed bands is reported before shipment, not after arrival.
Want a costed quotation against a real volume?
Send the end use, the quantity and the destination market, and we will come back with a specification that meets it, a price at your volume and the test reports that back it up. Samples are free for qualified programmes; we charge the courier only.
Related reading
Sample cut with your values on it · Neutral packing and private label · Consolidation, documents and lead times
