This page covers one thing: wholesale showroom selling and line sheet requirements. For the wider view, read lip packaging across Texas.
Selling to buyers, not shoppers
Dallas supports a substantial wholesale showroom trade, and brands selling through it operate on a different rhythm from those selling direct. Orders are written months ahead, at market, on the strength of a sample and a line sheet.
The consumer never enters that transaction. The buyer does, and a buyer is assessing whether the pack will sell in their store, whether the margin works, and whether the case count suits their ordering pattern.
That means packaging has to exist earlier than a retail-only schedule would require. A pack that will be ready for a spring launch has to be sampleable at a market months before.
What a wholesale buyer needs to see
Six items that turn interest into a written order.
- A production-standard sample, not a render or a flat proof
- The actual case count and inner pack, since it determines whether they can order
- Wholesale and suggested retail pricing that leaves a workable margin
- A barcode already allocated, since a listing cannot proceed without one
- Lead time from order to delivery, which they will plan their floor around
- Whether the range will still exist next season, because they are buying into continuity
The case count question comes up in almost every showroom conversation and is the easiest to get wrong, because a count that suits a chain will not suit an independent boutique.
Producing samples ahead of production
The scheduling problem is that a production-standard sample requires the specification to be finalised, and market dates arrive before most brands want to finalise anything.
The practical route is to lock the structure early and produce a small quantity to production standard for the market, accepting that the unit cost on that small run is high. It is a selling cost rather than a production cost, and it is small against the orders it writes.
It also means the die is already cut when the orders come in, which shortens the path from written order to delivery considerably. How an order runs from quote to delivery is set out separately.
Answered before you order for Dallas
Can you produce a small quantity of finished samples for a market?
Yes. The unit cost on a small production-standard run is high, but it is a selling cost rather than a production one and it is small against the orders it writes. The die is then already cut when orders come in.
What case count do wholesale buyers expect?
It varies by buyer, which is why it comes up in almost every showroom conversation. A count that suits a chain will not suit an independent boutique. Ask your buyers before production, since packing to a count costs nothing when specified early.
How far ahead do I need packaging for a market?
Earlier than a retail-only schedule implies, because orders are written months before delivery. Work back from the market date rather than the launch date, and include your own approval time.
Is a render enough for a showroom?
No. Buyers pick a pack up, feel its weight and open it. A render or a flat printed proof communicates almost nothing about the object, and the assessment happens in a few seconds.
Do I need a barcode before taking wholesale orders?
Effectively yes, because a listing cannot proceed without one and registration takes time. Start it as soon as the SKU list is fixed, since it also blocks completing the artwork.
What if the specification changes after the market?
Artwork changes run on the existing die and are straightforward. Structural changes mean a new die and would invalidate the samples buyers have already seen, which is a commercial problem as much as a production one.
Should I read the Texas page as well as this one?
The Texas page covers distributing across five metros, with case counts, pallet patterns and call-off scheduling. This page is about wholesale showroom selling, where the sample and the line sheet close orders months before delivery.
Do you have a Dallas facility?
No. There is no office, plant or warehouse in Dallas. Every order is manufactured after you approve it and sent to your Dallas address by carrier.
Lip Boxes has no address, warehouse, collection point or staff in Dallas. Packaging is manufactured to order and shipped to Dallas addresses through a nationwide carrier service, with delivery cost and lead time confirmed in writing on each quote.
