Why is mid-January my real deadline?
Chinese New Year begins on 6 February 2027, but factories in China feel it weeks in advance. From mid-January many workers travel home for the holidays, and production slows down as a result. From the end of January to mid-February production stops, and we call that the shutdown here. At the end of February the factories start up again, which is the restart.
BC Branding works with factories that follow the same rhythm. Not every factory closes or reopens on exactly the same day, though. Freight also runs ahead of the shutdown. The last reliable shipments leave China in early to mid-January. In the weeks before that, freight gets busier and more expensive, because many brands want their goods on the way in time. If your order is ready by mid-January, it can still ship before the shutdown.
How much time does my order need?
That depends on the type of order and on the materials. For a new product, everything starts with the sampling phase. That is the time from your brief to an approved sample, and it usually takes 3-5 weeks. Shipping the sample to you and your approval are already included.
Then comes production itself. At BC Branding, production of bags and accessories usually takes 6-9 weeks when the materials are in stock. Custom materials are made specifically for your product, for example in your own colour or texture. With those, production usually takes 7-13 weeks.
| Situation | Time until the order is ready | Ready by mid-January? |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat order, stock materials | 6-9 weeks of production | Yes, if production starts in the first half of November |
| Repeat order, custom materials | 7-13 weeks of production | Yes, if production starts before 1 November |
| New product, stock materials | 3-5 weeks of sampling and 6-9 weeks of production | Usually not |
| New product, custom materials | 3-5 weeks of sampling and 7-13 weeks of production | No |
The table is an indication, not a promise. A repeat order with custom materials still makes it if production starts before 1 November. Some custom materials are available sooner, and not every factory slows down on the same day.
Can I still make it with a new product?
Usually not. From brief to finished order, a new product needs 9 to 18 weeks. If you start at the end of October, you will not be ready until after mid-January. With stock materials it can sometimes just work, if both sampling and production stay short. You just cannot plan on that.
You could try to push the order through anyway, but we advise against it. In the last weeks before the shutdown, many brands still want their orders finished. Factories rarely say no at that point, and that only adds to the rush. If the final inspection finds a defect, it often cannot be fixed before the shutdown. You are then left choosing between a batch with defects and weeks without stock. With custom materials there is one more factor, because after the shutdown the material mill can restart later than the factory making your bag.
So plan a new product for right after the restart. BC Branding already schedules orders in December and January that go straight into production at the end of February. Use the weeks before the shutdown for the sampling phase. That way an approved sample is ready as soon as the factories are running again. If your new product has to be in your online shop in February 2027, production in China is too late for that, at BC Branding too.
What can I still do with a repeat order?
With a repeat order it can still work. The sample has already been approved, so the sampling phase drops out and you go straight into production. Take an order of 300 make-up bags per style per colour with stock materials. That is the minimum at BC Branding. If production starts on 9 November, the order is usually ready between 21 December and 11 January. It can then still ship before the shutdown.
With custom materials there is less room, because production then has to start before 1 November. Whether it works depends on the materials, and we check that per order.
How do I know what I am getting when the factory is rushing before the shutdown?
The risk of quality problems is highest around the shutdown. Before the shutdown that comes from the rush, and afterwards from new people on the factory floor, because some of the regular workers do not return.
That is why the inspection has to happen before your order ships. At BC Branding our own QC team does that. These are our people, checking quality in the factory according to AQL 2.5. AQL stands for Acceptable Quality Limit. An inspector takes a random sample from the order, and the AQL sets how many defects it may contain. If there are more, the batch is rejected. AQL 2.5 is the common standard for consumer products.
The QC team usually works right up to the shutdown and starts again immediately after the restart. That way you know what you are getting while there is still time to act. An AQL inspection is still a random sample, though. Not every piece is checked, so a small deviation within the standard can end up in the batch.
When will my order arrive if I miss the deadline?
If you already have an approved sample, your order can go into production at the end of February. The factories are not yet at full capacity then. That only happens in the course of March, because some workers do not return.
After production comes transport. Sea freight from China usually takes 6-8 weeks and air freight 7-10 days. From brief to delivery, an order at BC Branding usually takes 15-25 weeks by sea freight and 10-18 weeks by air freight.