Lead time

Days from confirmed order to goods ready.

What it changes for you

The repeat-order figure matters more than the first-order estimate.

In practice

Lead time is the number of days from a confirmed order to goods ready. The repeat-order figure is the one that matters for planning: a first order includes tooling and first-article approval, so it is longer and less repeatable. Our published timeline runs about 7 to 9 weeks from order to goods landed on existing tooling, and 10 to 14 weeks with new tooling, sea transit included.

Questions about Lead

Why is the first order slower than a repeat?

Because it carries tooling, sample approval and a first-article check that a repeat order does not. Planning on the first-order figure overstates the lead time for every order that follows.

When should I order for a spring season?

Work backwards from the shelf date. A new tooling programme takes about 10 to 14 weeks order-to-landed, so a northern-hemisphere spring programme is normally confirmed in the fourth quarter of the previous year.

Other terms

• FOB (Free On Board) - Seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port; cost and risk transfer there.
• EXW (Ex Works) - Buyer collects at the factory gate.
• MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) - The smallest quantity a factory will run for one specification.
• Tooling cost - The one-off cost of the injection mould, die or print plate.
• Colourway tolerance - The measured range a factory will hold between sample and repeat production.
• AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) - The sampling standard (ISO 2859-1) defining allowed defects per inspected lot.

Send a specificationAll 14 terms