Why one shoe can carry several minimums
The shoe, a material change and the packaging are usually reviewed separately. A new colour of upper material, a printed shoe box or a custom insole can each introduce a minimum of its own, because they start a separate arrangement upstream. Ask which parts of your request stay unchanged and which parts create a new minimum.
Check which unit the minimum is counted in
A minimum can be stated per style, per style and colour, per size, or per shipment. Two suppliers can both say 300 and mean very different commitments. Write the unit next to the number in your own notes: 300 pairs per style is not the same commitment as 300 pairs spread across four colours.
Ask how a mixed order is treated
If you are planning an assortment, say so at the start. Combining several styles or colours in one discussion can change how a minimum is reviewed, but it does not remove the underlying requirement. Ask for the minimum to be stated for the whole request and for each line separately.
Do not treat the minimum as the only lever on price
Unit price also depends on material, construction, packing, size ratio, payment terms and destination. A smaller trial order and a larger repeat order are two different commercial conversations. Ask which parts of a quotation are driven by quantity and which are not.
How to ask for a minimum in writing
Example: “We plan BQ001 in black and white, roughly 60 pairs per colour, with our logo on the insole. Please confirm the minimum for the shoe, for the logo change and for individual shoe boxes, and tell us which unit each minimum is counted in.”
This is a wording example. It is not a Beiqiang minimum, a quotation or a statement of availability: minimums are confirmed per style and per project in writing.
