Client situation
Client
High-volume e-commerce brand (identity withheld)
Product
Packaged consumer product with custom sachets
Order quantity
15,000 boxes
Service scope
Manufacturer ID, verification, price negotiation
The client was already selling the product at substantial daily volume, but the goods were being purchased through a China-based fulfilment intermediary. That company handled both sourcing and shipping, and refused to disclose the manufacturer.
The client wanted to move fulfilment to a different provider while continuing to buy the same product with the same custom packaging. Without direct access to the source, changing fulfilment partners could have disrupted product consistency, packaging continuity and future supply.
The objective was not to find a similar replacement. It was to trace the existing supply source, verify the manufacturer's connection to the product, confirm that the required packaging could be supported, and establish direct purchasing terms.
What we did, in order
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Step 1 · Review
Examined the existing product and packaging
The client sent product information, reference images and details of the current packaging. We analysed the product format, sachet design, box configuration and other identifying details that could help trace the source.
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Step 2 · Locate
Identified and approached the likely direct manufacturer
We searched Chinese supplier channels and found a manufacturer whose product format and packaging capabilities matched the client's existing item. During direct outreach, the supplier indicated the sachet image appeared to be its own and asked whether someone from the company had contacted us before — treated as supporting evidence, then verified against product details, packaging discussions, pricing and the client's subsequent confirmation.
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Step 3 · Quote
Confirmed customisation and obtained direct pricing
The supplier confirmed that the packaging configuration could be supported. Its initial quotation for 10,000 boxes with customised sachets was $4.755 per box — already below the client's existing intermediary price of $5.40. We continued negotiating rather than accepting the first offer.
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Step 4 · Negotiate
Renegotiated based on the real order volume
After confirming the planned order was 15,000 boxes, we used the higher quantity to negotiate again. The supplier reduced the price to $4.60 per box.
The result
The client moved from an intermediary price of $5.40 to a direct-manufacturer price of $4.60 per box. That works out to $0.80 lower per box, a 14.8% unit-cost reduction, and approximately $12,000 saved on the 15,000-box order.
The negotiation also created value beyond simply finding the manufacturer. Compared with the supplier's first customised quotation of $4.755, the final negotiated price saved an additional $2,325 on the planned order.
Why the project mattered
- Direct access to the manufacturer
- Freedom to change fulfilment providers
- Greater visibility into factory pricing
- Continued access to the required custom packaging
- Better control over future orders and negotiations
- Less dependence on an intermediary that withheld supplier information
In the client's words
“The price right now is $5.40, so we've saved some money, which is good.”
“Yes, fixed and placing the order now at $4.60 per unit.”
Excerpts anonymised and lightly edited for punctuation only.
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