There are three prices for every garment in Guangzhou, and which one you hear depends almost entirely on how you ask.
The three prices
- Retail price (
零售价) — what a walk-in customer pays. Up to double the wholesale price in second-hand markets. - Wholesale price (
拿货价) — what you pay once you hit the minimum order quantity. - Pack / bundle price (
打包价) — what you pay when you take the full pack of one style, usually 10–30% below the first quote.
The gap between the first number you hear and the pack price is where your margin lives.
What MOQ really means
一手 (one "hand") is a full size run of a style — often 5 to 10 pieces. 几件起批 is the minimum number of pieces per style and colour. In first-hand markets (一批) the minimum is higher and the price is lower; in second-hand markets (二批) you can mix styles and sizes for roughly 20–40% more.
| Market type | Minimum | Price level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一批 first-hand | 5–20 pcs per style/colour | Lowest | Volume buyers, own-brand sellers |
| 二批 second-hand | 1–3 pcs, mixed allowed | +20–40% | Small shops, first trips, testing |
Four phrases that move the price
这款怎么拿?— How do I take this wholesale? The opener that marks you as a buyer.打包价多少?— What is the pack price? Usually the cheapest number available.可以混色吗?— Can I mix colours? Saves you from buying ten pieces of one colour.量大什么价?— What is the price for a bigger quantity? Use it when you are genuinely ordering volume.
Avoid 多少钱 ("how much is this?"). It is the retail question and it costs you money.
When bargaining actually works
- It works when you take a full pack, when you take several colours of one style, and in stock-lot markets where the owner wants the pile gone.
- It does not work in designer booths with fixed prices, in first-hand markets already at source price, or when you are buying one or two pieces.
A fair way to open: state your quantity first, then ask for the pack price. "I'll take 30 pieces in three colours — what is the pack price?" gets a better answer than "can you do cheaper?"
Five things to confirm before you pay
- Unit price and how many pieces are in one pack.
- Whether the goods are in stock (
现货) or made to order (排单). - The defect and exchange policy — in most markets, sales are final.
- Who packs and when it ships.
- Take a photo of the booth number with the goods. Disputes are settled with screenshots.
