You’ve found the perfect branded product.
The colour is exactly right. The design is fresh, on-brand and something people will actually want to use. You can already picture it out in the wild.
Then you see it.
Minimum order quantity: 1000 units.
Do we really need 1000?
Minimum order quantities are one of the first things brands consider when planning their merch, and for good reason.
While ordering more merch can often mean better value, committing to a larger quantity is a decision worth getting right. The sweet spot is finding the balance between your budget, expected demand and what you’re trying to achieve with your campaign.
So, how much merch do you really need?
What does MOQ mean?
MOQ stands for minimum order quantity.
Simply put, it’s the smallest number of units you need to order for a particular product.
If a product has a minimum order quantity of 200 units, but you only need 125, you’ll still need to order the full 200.
If the quantity doesn’t quite work for your project, don’t stress. Your account manager can help you find a similar option with a lower minimum or explore other solutions that better suit your goals.
Why do suppliers have minimum order quantities?
Minimum order quantities exist because of how products are produced.
Whether it’s printing, manufacturing or creating a completely custom product, there are setup costs involved before any merch is even made.
Ordering larger quantities helps spread those costs across more products, which often means a lower cost per unit.
For stock merchandise, minimum order quantities can often be lower. For custom merchandise, the MOQ is usually higher because the product is being created specifically for your brand, from the materials and colours through to the final design.
How do I know what the minimum order quantity is?
We try to make this as easy as possible to find.
When you’re browsing our products, the minimum order quantity is listed alongside the pricing information on each product page.
If you’re ever unsure whether a product is the right fit for your budget, timeline or quantity, your account manager can walk you through it.
Stock merch vs custom merch: what’s the difference?
The right choice usually comes down to three things:
- How quickly do you need it?
- How much do you need?
- How much control do you want over the final product?
Stock merchandise
Catalogue products are ideal when you need something quickly and don’t need to reinvent the wheel. They’re already made and waiting for your branding, which means shorter lead times and often lower minimum order quantities.
They’re a great option for:
- Smaller teams
- Tight deadlines
- Events where you need great branded products quickly
The trade-off? You may be restricted in size, material, decor area, and colours.
Custom merchandise
You have the flexibility to customise the design to suit your brand entirely with made-to-order merch. Because these products are created from scratch, you have flexibility over the design, materials, colours, printing and finer details.
It’s ideal when:
- You’re creating a standout campaign
- You need larger quantities
- Brand consistency is very important
- You want something people have never seen before
The trade-off? It takes more planning and usually comes with higher minimum quantities.
So, how much merch do you actually need?
There’s no magic number.
The best merch isn’t about ordering the most. It’s all about understanding who it’s for, what you want it to achieve, and creating something people genuinely want to use.
That’s where we come in.
Our team can help you balance your budget, timeline and goals to find the right product and the right quantity for your project.
