Most express companies increase the shipping cost

Recently, we are notified by most express companies like DHL/FEDEX/UPS that they will increase the shipping cost. Comparing the update price with that in 2011, we find that such increase is rather high.

In 2011, the charge for the shipment over 100kg is about 5.0/kg, but this year it become USD6.5/kg.

During custom makeup brushes, if the quantity is not too huge, our customers usually choose express or airfreight to deliver the makeup brushes. As if by sea, it will take more than 30 days and the moisture may cause some problem on the makeup brushes. For express and airfreight, more customers will prefer express since it will save more time and the cost is not too high. So they usually pay the shipping charge to the makeup brush factory and let the factory arrange everything for them.

However, now, due to the price increase of express, many customers begin to consider airfreight, as the charge to ship via airfreight is much cheaper than express now, even if the airfreight may not offer door to door service.

Although airfreight is not as convenient for us as express, as a professional makeup brush manufacturer, we will do our best to meet customer every requirement. Customers just need to let us know their shipping way in advance as well as their forwarder contact information, then we will arrange everything at our side.

The deposit for makeup brush order

In China, most makeup brush manufacturers will require deposit for each order. Only after getting the deposit, we can order material and start production. It is a rule in makeup brush industry.  If customers do not agree to pay deposit, we would rather give up the customers.

 

Some customers cannot understand such rule, for them, it is unfair to pay without receiving products. They believe their official order is enough for the makeup brush manufacturers to arrange production. But for manufacturers, we have met so many customers who have placed order but finally cancel the order; at that time, we have ordered & paid the raw material, and the production is almost finished, but the order is cancelled, we have to afford all cost and loss by ourselves… If such issue happens twice a year, we have to close down.

 

As for the deposit percentage, some makeup brush manufacturers will require 30%, some may require 50% or more. 30% is the least, if less than 30%, the deposit will be somewhat meaningless. For common makeup brush sets, we can agree 30%-50% deposit, as even if the customers finally cancel the order, the material can be used for other orders; but for single brushes with huge order quantity, we will require more than 50% deposit, as if unfortunately the customers cancel the order, the material will become useless. One of our competitors once met a customer who ordered a single brush with huge quantity, and they also have arranged 30% deposit, but when the production is almost finished, they cancelled the order and declared that they no longer needed the brushes or deposit. But the fact is they immediately asked their Chinese agent to recycle the brushes from the manufacturer with extremely low price. Since the brushes have become useless for the manufacturer, they have to sell the brush to the agent even at great loss. Therefore, the customer finally gets the same brush with much lower price even if they give up the deposit. With such lesson, the makeup brush manufacturers get know that the order of single brushes has more risks.

 

We really would like to gain order as many as we can, but the premise the orders will not cause too much risks. Deposit is a way to control our risks, hope our customers can understand such rule.

The process to customize makeup brushes

To customize makeup brushes from makeup brush manufacturers, customers should understand the following process:

 

1) Customers tell the manufacturer of their detailed requirements on the brush type/material/size/color/order quantity/logo/packaging etc. If customers are not familiar with the above information, they should send the real sample or pictures/target price of the brushes they like. The manufacturers will understand customers’ requirements from pictures and target price.

2) After finalizing each detail of the brushes, customers need to pay 50% of order amount as deposit, so that manufacturers can order material and arrange production.

3) After getting prepayment, manufacturers firstly make samples for customers’ confirmation; customers check and confirm if the samples are ok for them;

4) After getting customers’ approval on samples, manufacturers start mass production.

5) When the production is almost finished, manufacturers notify customers and customers arrange the payment of the rest 50%;

6) After getting customers payment, manufacturers ship the brushes to customers.

 

Notes:

1.       It will be the best if customers can send real sample to manufacturers, which will help exact quotation and manufacturers will 100% understand customers each requirement on the makeup brushes. Only with description and pictures, it may have some misunderstanding and will raise dispute in future.

2.       The manufacturers will need about 7-10 days to make samples

3.       The bank transfer may take about 2-3 working days, so manufacturers should notify customers to arrange the balance payment 5 days in advance of the estimated finished date, in despite of any delay in shipment.

Makeup brush manufacturers in Shenzhen VS Yiwu

It is known that most Chinese makeup brush manufacturers and factories locate in Shenzhen and Yiwu. Shenzhen as the origin of Chinese makeup brush industry, attract the most skillful workers and crafts; while Yiwu is known as its low price.

 

For many customers who are not so familiar with Chinese market, it is really difficult to find a good supplier from China. Sometimes, they send a same inquiry to different makeup brush suppliers in China, but get greatly different price, for example, some may quote USD1.0 while some may quote USD0.2….. Most customers become puzzled then, they do not want to choose the supplier with the highest price, but are not dare to choose the lowest price due to quality consideration.

 

If customers are somewhat familiar with Chinese makeup brush market and manufacturers, they will know that Shenzhen price is usually expensive than Yiwu price, and of course, the quality is much better. The manufacturers in these two places have their own understanding on quality; Shenzhen manufacturers will firstly quote the good quality while Yiwu manufacturers will quote the lowest price. Therefore, even if customers send them same picture, the price may vary a lot.

 

If customers only care price, they will prefer Yiwu manufacturer; for example, most Indian customers will only source makeup brushes from Yiwu who can offer them the lowest price, they do not care the brush quality as long as it is a makeup brush.

 

While for most European and American customers, they care more about the quality; they firstly would like to buy good quality brushes and then if the price is low that will be the best for them. Usually they will not choose the Yiwu manufacturers in case of bad quality.

 

Yiwu suppliers will also source from Shenzhen makeup brush manufacturers, they only aims to the lowest price; sometimes, we believe some brushes are not qualified, they will accept them all. So the brushes sold to Yiwu market will be much cheaper than to HK market.

 

To know who can offer the best price with the same quality, customers should send real samples to the manufacturers for exact quotation. Only after checking the material and craft of the samples, the manufacturers can have the same understanding on the brush quality and then quote the accurate price.

Silk printing and hot stamping

Firstly, we should understand the meaning and difference of Screen printing and hot stamping.

 

Screen printing is a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. It is also known as silkscreen, serigraphy, and serigraph printing.

 

Hot stamping is a dry printing method in which a heated die and foil are used to apply graphics to a surface.

Hot stamping is a straightforward process:

1. A die is mounted and heated,

2. Foil is positioned above the material to be imprinted,

3. A combination of heat, dwell time, pressure and stripping time control the quality of the stamp.

Foil stamping is environmentally friendly due to it being a dry process. It does not use solvents or inks and does not create any harmful vapors.

 

During custom makeup brushes with private label, most customers will prefer screen printing due to cost consideration. For the same picture or logo, the cost of hot stamping is 4 times of silk printing. Also, it has more MOQ requirement. For screen printing, the MOQ may be only 200 sets or 300 sets, but for hot stamping, the MOQ is at least 1000 sets.

 

MAC brushes use hot stamping, so their logos look bright and shinning, some customers would like to have the same logo effect but are stopped by the high cost and MOQ.

 

In fact, although not as good as hot stamping, screen printing is very good, customers should not misunderstand that silk printing will drop down their makeup brush quality. Many big brands like Bobbi Brown and Sigma etc also use screen printing on their makeup brushes.

Mutual trust is the basis for cooperation

During the passed one year, we are keeping negotiating with a Russia company on a project, this project is a little big but not so big; the Russia customers are so cautious and we confirm every details repeatedly, that is very reasonable for international business.

 

Recently, the project finally seems to come to a close, everything is confirmed and ok for both parties. We are waiting for customers’ orders, but the customers began to doubt about our company authenticity. According to them, we may be not a makeup brush factory, but only a trader or only a person with a computer at home. We even sent them our business license and our office pictures, but they still not trust us. Finally, we suggest them visit our factory to see our real office and factory; they refused because the visit cost is high.

 

We really do not know how to prove us at this situation. We have coordinated with so many customers with much bigger amount than this project, but never been doubted so much. We know that the customers must been cheated by some Chinese makeup brush suppliers before, so they become so doubtful, but each country will have some bad suppliers and customers; in fact, the Russia customers also have bad fames in China, they overdue obligations to suppliers; they disappear after receiving goods without paying money….. But we still trust our customers.

 

Anyway, we will not do any further explanation on our authenticity. We believe mutual trust is the basis for cooperation, if customers insist on doubting us, we have no other way but quit from this game.

 

Cooperation is consensual, both parties will get benefits from the cooperation, no party should be above the other party; if customers have no sincerity for cooperation, we will also not always concede or beg for cooperation.