A DTC brand launching a Vietnamese handwoven basket line has a different sourcing brief from a legacy retail chain. The MOQ math has to work for a 5-SKU first launch, not a 30-SKU catalogue rollout. The product photography has to be usable on a Shopify PDP without a full studio shoot. The packaging has to survive Amazon FBA inbound without polybag rejects. And the lead time has to fit inside a 12 to 16 week planning window between PO and go-live. This page is for exactly that brief.
What e-commerce brands ask for on this category
- A first container that covers 5 to 7 SKUs, not 30. DTC brands need shelf breadth to test which SKU converts, not depth on a single hero SKU. HMD ships a first mixed-SKU 40HQ at 300 pieces per SKU across the buyer's shortlist so the launch data drives the re-order.
- Private-label labelling from the first order. Buyer's hangtag, branded care card, and buyer-designed carton insert applied at packing. No production change required for hangtag-only private label; branded carton insert needs one artwork approval cycle of 3 to 5 working days.
- Marketing images that work on a Shopify or Amazon PDP. Every SKU ships with a neutral-background product photo and a lifestyle shot as a baseline. Extended packages (multiple angles, close-up detail, 360-degree turnaround, room-set with buyer props) quoted per SKU.
- FBA-safe packaging on request. FNSKU barcode on each retail unit, polybag with suffocation warning where the ASIN category requires it, master carton labelled with FBA shipment ID. HMD ships FBA-ready cartons FOB HCMC; buyer's freight forwarder routes direct to the assigned Amazon warehouse.
- Freight economics that make sense on a $22 to $45 retail unit. A 300-piece SKU shipped in a mixed 40HQ typically lands 8 to 12 percent lower per-unit freight than a solo air-freight sample run. Below MOQ, air freight of finished samples is the sensible route.
SKU shortlist for a first DTC launch
A representative first-order shortlist for a US or EU DTC brand launching in the natural-fibre home décor category. Full spec sheet, hi-res photography, and per-SKU CBM shared on enquiry.
| SKU | Design | Material | Pack | Sizes (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMD-001 | Storage Basket with Wooden Handle, Brown Wash | Water Hyacinth | Set of 2 | 13.4 × 9.1 × 5.9 · 11.4 × 7.1 × 5.1 |
| HMD-017 | Rectangular Storage Basket | Water Hyacinth | Set of 3 | 19.3 × 15.4 × 5.1 → 11.4 × 7.5 × 2.8 |
| HMD-025 | Tall Magazine Basket | Water Hyacinth | Single piece | 16.5 × 5.9 × 14.2 |
| HMD-031 | Round Storage with Liner | Seagrass | Set of 3 | 13.6 × 10.4 × 7.7 → 10.8 × 7.7 × 5.3 |
| HMD-042 | Cachepot / Planter Sleeve | Water Hyacinth | Set of 2 | 10.6 × 10.6 × 8.7 · 8.5 × 8.5 × 7.1 |
Trade terms at a glance
Why the mixed-SKU first container is the right first order for DTC
Ordering 1,500 pieces of one hero SKU means the brand is betting one product against the launch. If it does not convert, the entire container is dead inventory. Ordering 300 pieces each of five SKUs into the same container turns the launch into an assortment test. The freight economics stay whole, and the second container is planned around the SKU-level sell-through data from the first — not around a hope.
Amazon FBA-specific considerations
Brands running a private-label play on Amazon FBA need a few things HMD handles as a standard workflow. First, FNSKU-coded retail units: the buyer supplies the FNSKU barcode per ASIN at production stage, HMD prints the barcode onto the retail hangtag or a stick-on label on the retail carton. Second, polybag suffocation warning where the ASIN category requires it (storage baskets typically do not; some smaller décor items do). Third, master carton labelling with the FBA shipment ID for the destination warehouse.
The container ships FOB HCMC as usual. The buyer's freight forwarder then handles the direct-to-Amazon-warehouse route, which typically takes 5 to 10 extra days beyond ocean transit for the customs clearance, forwarder consolidation, and FBA appointment slot. Realistic PO-to-FBA-live window for a first shipment is 12 to 16 weeks. Second shipment onward runs 10 to 14 weeks as the buyer's forwarder relationship matures.
Marketing photography package
Every SKU ships with two baseline images: a hi-res product photo on a neutral background (usable directly on a Shopify PDP as the primary image), and a styled lifestyle image (usable as the secondary image or Amazon listing lifestyle shot). Both are shot in HMD's studio in HCMC at the pre-shipment stage and delivered digitally the same week the container leaves port.
Brands wanting a fuller creative package can commission an extended shoot: multiple angles per SKU, detail close-ups of the weave and finish, top-down flat lay, 360-degree turnaround for a Shopify AR viewer, and room-set styling with buyer-branded props. This adds 2 to 3 weeks to lead time and is quoted per SKU based on the shot list. Video (short-form product video for social ads) is available on request via HMD's partner studio in HCMC.