A step-by-step buying guide
What should be clear before you ask for a perfume quote.
You do not need final artwork or a finished formula to begin. But a useful first enquiry needs enough detail for a factory to state what is included, what changes the price and what still needs a decision.
Format, size, fragrance direction and packaging route.
Sales market, target launch and documents to confirm.
Quantity, custom work, components and sample approvals.
Phase 01 · Define the brief
01
What do you need to decide before you email a factory?
A useful first sentence: “We are preparing a perfume for [market] and deciding between a stock bottle and a custom carton.” It tells a factory what is fixed and what still needs a discussion.
“I want to make a perfume” is not yet a brief. State what you want to sell, where it will be sold and which parts you want the supplier to handle.
- 01 Product type, bottle size and preferred concentration.
- 02 Sales market and planned launch date.
- 03 First-order quantity and packaging route.
Phase 02 · Build the product
02
What does the supplier actually include?
Ask whether the quotation is based on an existing product, a specification you provide, or the supplier's development support. Do not assume private label, OEM and ODM include the same work.
Watch the scope, not the label: two offers may both say “OEM,” while one prices stock components and another includes development work. Read the product list and approval steps before comparing names.
03
What is creating the MOQ — and the price?
When a supplier says “MOQ 3,000”: ask whether that figure covers finished goods, fragrance liquid, cartons or a single component. The answer tells you which choice is setting the minimum.
MOQ is not one universal number. It changes with the formula, components, decoration and packaging work in your project. A stock bottle and existing fragrance base may have a different minimum from a custom bottle or a new fragrance development project.
Read: What determines a perfume factory MOQ? What affects manufacturing cost?
04
Specify concentration, bottle size and intended climate.
Tell the supplier the format you want to sell, not only the scent direction. Concentration, base, bottle size and intended climate are part of the product brief and should be confirmed during sampling.
EDT
Eau de toiletteConfirm the concentration and wear target with the supplier.EDP
Eau de parfumState the bottle size and target customer in the brief.EXTRAIT
ExtraitCheck the formula, packaging and sampling route together.05
Choose stock, semi-custom or custom packaging.
Decide which components must be unique: bottle, cap, pump, label or carton. Stock components reduce the number of approvals. Decoration and printed packaging add customisation without requiring every component to be developed from scratch.
A lower-complexity first order
Stock bottle + tailored fragrance direction + printed outer box = fewer component approvals while still allowing visible brand differentiation.
Phase 03 · Validate before production
06
Approve samples against a written checklist.
Record fragrance direction, spray performance, bottle and carton fit, label placement and document needs in one feedback sheet. Send one consolidated response to the supplier so sample changes can be tracked.
07
List documents before you commit to the sales market.
Ask which documents the supplier can provide and which submissions, notifications or product claims remain the brand owner's responsibility. Generic documents are not the same as market approval for your final formula and packaging.
Phase 04 · Select and act
08
Compare quotations line by line.
For each supplier, note the product specification, included components and decoration, sample process, documents, production lead-time factors and exclusions. This makes two quotations comparable even when the headline price is different.
Compare the two purchasing routes09
Send an RFQ with the details a factory needs.
Include the product format, sales market, expected quantity, packaging route, target launch date and document needs. Ask the supplier to state its assumptions and exclusions in the reply.