How to Choose a Souvenir Supplier — 9 Questions to Ask

1. Who owns the design?

Stock wholesalers sell the same designs to every shop on your street. If you want products nobody else has, the supplier must draw for you and the artwork must be yours. Ask: "Will you sell this design to anyone else?" and get the answer in writing.

2. What is the real minimum?

"MOQ 100" sometimes means 100 per design, sometimes 100 per order, sometimes 1,000 for anything custom. Ask for the minimum per design per product, and whether designs can be mixed in one order.

3. Where is it made, and how long does it take?

Sea freight from Asia means 3–4 months and customs. EU production means 3–6 weeks and a parcel. Both can be fine — but the lead time must fit your season, and a reorder in July must be possible.

4. Is it legal to sell?

Since December 2024 every consumer product sold in the EU must carry GPSR data: responsible person, batch, warnings. Plush needs EN71 and CE; mugs need food-contact compliance. Ask for sample documents before you order, and for batch documents with the goods.

5. Can you see it before you pay for 500?

Digital mock-ups show the design; a physical pre-production sample shows the product. A supplier who refuses samples is asking you to carry the risk.

6. What does the price include?

Packaging, backing cards, tooling, delivery, duties. A low price per piece with everything else as extras is not a low price.

7. What happens when something is wrong?

Ask how defects are reported and how fast replacement arrives. A supplier two hours away by courier behaves differently from one two months away by ship.

8. Will reorders cost the same?

Tooling and artwork should be kept; reorder prices should be held for a season. Ask for it in writing.

9. Do they understand your shop?

A good supplier asks about your visitors, your price points and your shelf before showing a catalogue. If the first thing you get is a catalogue, you will end up with the catalogue.

A checklist to send to any supplier

Minimum per design, per product
Design ownership and exclusivity in writing
Place of production and lead time by product
GPSR, EN71, LFGB documents — samples before, batch with the goods
Sample policy and cost
All-in price: packaging, tooling, delivery, duties
Complaint procedure and replacement time
Reorder price validity

Frequently asked questions

Is a European supplier always more expensive than importing?

Per piece, printed products from the EU are comparable to imported ones once freight, duties, minimums and unsold stock are counted; cast and hand-painted items are usually cheaper from Asia at very large quantities. For a single shop the EU route is almost always cheaper in total.