The Ultimate Fabric Sourcing Guide
Hey everyone I wanted to share my new updated guide for sourcing fabrics in Guangzhou. Here are some excerpts of insider tips that you might not know about:
Minimums: Most stores carry ready stock at the Zhongda Fabric Market. Wholesale pricing typically starts at one full roll. Purchasing less than a roll usually incurs a higher “sample rate” per meter/yard.
Zhongda’s Unique Pricing Method (Shortage)
In most places, fabric is sold by the meter, yard, or kilogram. In the Zhongda Fabric Market, while the unit of measurement is similar (wovens by the meter/yard, knits by the kilogram), you must be aware of two unique local practices that affect the final price: The Paper Tube (纸桶) and Shortage (空差).
**The Paper Tube (**纸桶 – Zhǐ tǒng)
Knitted fabrics are rolled onto a cardboard core. The weight of this tube (typically 0.5kg to 2kg) is often included in the total weight you pay for.
Example: A vendor quotes 30 RMB/kg (1+2).
The “1” represents the weight of the paper tube.
The “2” represents the “shortage” (explained below).
If the invoice says 30kg, you pay for 30kg but only receive 27kg (30kg minus 1kg for the tube and 2kg for shortage).
- There is a street filled with direct manufacturers and their large warehouses. Check out my blog post here to learn more!