1. Start from your shop floor and your date
A homeware shop needs breadth in small quantities. A retail chain needs depth in a few lines. An online seller needs a handful of products that ship well. Write down the target retail price, the quantity you can sell in a season and the countries you sell in.
Then look at the calendar. Autumn and winter decor must be in stores by October–November, and spring ranges by March–April. Work backwards from that date, not forwards from the day you find a supplier. Our how it works page shows the order steps and lead times.
2. Find manufacturers, not only listings
Platforms show many near-identical offers, and many come from trading companies. That is not always bad, since a trader can combine small quantities, but you should know who you are dealing with.
- Ask for the business licence and the company's export history.
- Ask for a video call from the production floor: the glaze line, the sewing room, the candle pouring area.
- Ask which items they make themselves and which they buy in.
If you plan to put your brand on a product, or change a colour, glaze or scent, you want the manufacturer.
3. Send one specification to every supplier
Quotes are only comparable if they answer the same question. For decor, a specification should cover:
- Material and finish. Stoneware or porcelain, reactive or matt glaze, soda-lime or borosilicate glass, soy or paraffin blend wax, fibre composition and gsm for textiles.
- Dimensions and tolerances. Handmade glazes and mouth-blown glass vary from piece to piece. Agree what is acceptable.
- Packing. Inner box, dividers, master carton size, gross weight and units per carton.
- Labels. Barcode, care label, safety texts and the language of each market.
4. Compare on delivered cost, not unit price
Decor is often light but bulky. Floor vases, baskets, lanterns, mirrors and furniture pay for space, so the cheapest unit price can become the most expensive delivered product. Ask for carton dimensions with every quote and calculate the cost per piece on your shelf.
| Cost line | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Product price | Material, finish, quantity |
| Export packing | Glass, ceramics, mirrors need inner boxes and dividers |
| Freight | Carton volume more than weight |
| Customs duty | Tariff code of each item |
| Import VAT | Customs value plus duty and freight |
| Breakage and returns | Packing quality and handling |
Minimums and payment terms
Factory minimums in decor vary widely. A standard glass tealight holder may be available from a few cartons, while a custom glaze, a new candle scent or a printed gift box needs a production run. Private label usually starts from 300 pieces per model. Ask whether the minimum is per item, per colour or per order, because that changes how many colours you can take.
The usual pattern is a deposit of 30–50 % with the order and the balance before shipment. Deferred terms are normally offered only after several orders. Agree in writing what happens if production runs late against your in-store date, and what counts as a defect.
5. Test samples as your customers will
Burn the candle for several sessions and check the melt pool and soot. Wash the cushion cover and the towel and measure shrinkage. Put the vase on a wet surface and check the base. Hang the mirror with the fixings supplied. Keep one approved sample as the reference for production and inspection. Our samples page explains how we handle this; samples take about 7–14 days.
6. Plan for breakage, do not hope against it
Glass and ceramics break. You cannot remove the risk, but you can manage it. Ask for individual inner boxes or moulded pulp, cell dividers, and master cartons that have passed a drop test. Agree in writing how breakage on arrival is documented and credited. Mirrors and framed glass travel better standing on edge in crates than flat in cartons.
7. Inspect before the goods leave the factory
Fixing a problem in Europe is slow and expensive. A pre-shipment inspection checks quantity, workmanship, colour against the approved sample, packing and labels on a statistical sample (AQL). For candles add a burn test, and for textiles a check of the fibre label against the order. Pay the balance only after you have seen the report.
8. Choose the transport
Sea freight usually suits bulky decor and furniture. Rail is a middle route for mixed orders, about 25–45 days to Poland. Air, about 7–12 days, is for samples and urgent light goods. Space fills up before the factory holidays in late January–February, so book early for spring ranges.
9. Customs, duty and VAT
The importer of record files the import declaration, pays customs duty according to the tariff code and pays import VAT. You also need an EORI number. Duty differs between ceramic tableware, glassware, candles, textiles and furniture, so check the code for each item before you calculate your margin.
10. Make the product legal to sell
Since 13 December 2024 the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 has applied to consumer products. Every item needs an EU economic operator, contact details on the product or packaging, a type or batch number and warnings in the language of the country of sale. Home textiles need a fibre composition label, tableware and glassware need food-contact documents, and scented candles may need CLP labelling. Our quality page lists the documents by product type.
The alternative
If you would rather not be the importer, buy through an EU importer. You get an EU invoice, inspected goods, the documents the manufacturer provides and a delivered price, and you can mix candles, textiles, vases and tableware in one shipment. That is what we do. Send us your product list and compare our offer with your own calculation; we reply within 2 working days.
