A sofa can look right in a showroom, and still be wrong for a retailer's first order. The seat may feel different from the approved sample, the cartons may be awkward to handle, or replacement legs may arrive without the fittings needed to install them – so, for UK importers and retailers buying overseas, the issue comes down to what both sides have agreed to deliver, suggests Shanice, the founder and CEO of Chinese manufacturer Lenatees Furniture, who advises readers to settle those details while changes are still straightforward to make, and before an attractive quotation becomes a production commitment …
It’s best to start with the customer, and the delivered cost. Give the supplier a brief that describes the intended customer and selling channel. A compact sofa for a flat raises different questions from a generous model sold through a showroom. Set out the target retail price, overall dimensions, seat height and depth, preferred materials, finish and comfort expectations. Explain which features are essential and where alternatives are welcome.
If you’re buying dining chairs, check them against the table they will accompany. Do the arms fit underneath, and is there enough room for customers to sit comfortably? For larger items, record packed dimensions as well as product dimensions so the delivery team can assess access at the customer's address.
Compare quotations against the same brief. Ask what is included in the price and allow for freight, handling, assembly and the likely cost of resolving problems. If one supplier quotes detachable legs and another quotes a fully assembled item, the difference affects packaging and the customer's experience. Resolve it before treating the prices as comparable.
Check relevant products and production arrangements
Ask to see recent products similar to the ones you intend to buy. A polished catalogue is a starting point – a discussion about a comparable sofa, dining chair or cabinet gives you something specific to question. Ask how that item is made, where the work takes place and which stages are subcontracted.
An intermediary or subcontractor is not automatically a problem. What matters is knowing who controls the specification, checks the work and answers when something changes. During a visit or live video call, follow the proposed product through the relevant work areas. Ask the person handling your order to explain how your approved requirements will reach the people making it.
Make the sample a shared reference
Choose a sample that represents the product you will actually order, including its upholstery, finish, fittings and packaging. Sit on the chair, operate the drawer and try the assembly instructions. For a sofa, describe the comfort you are approving rather than relying only on words such as ‘soft’ or ‘premium’.
Record the sample's identity, approval date and outstanding changes. Keep labelled material swatches and photographs, and agree a physical reference for colour and finish wherever practical – screen images alone leave room for disagreement. Natural materials also vary, so discuss acceptable variation rather than assuming every piece will look identical.
Product safety evidence needs separate attention – have the requirements for your particular product and destination checked before ordering. A satisfactory sample does not settle that question.
Agree how changes will be approved
Ask the supplier to flag proposed substitutions before using them. A different fabric, foam, fitting or finish may affect a feature the buyer has already approved. Put the proposed change, its effect on price or timing, and the decision, in one written record. Give the revised specification a clear date or version so the factory and buying team are working from the same instructions.
Name one person on each side who can approve changes. An informal message about trying another handle should not become permission to change an entire order. If the sample still has unresolved points, list them and agree how approval will be recorded before production begins.
Ask the supplier to confirm which documents take precedence if a quotation, drawing and email describe the same product detail differently.
Plan packaging around the delivery route
Describe what happens after the container arrives. Furniture that passes through a warehouse and several delivery stages may need different protection from goods handled once by an installation team. Ask to see a packed example, including protection for exposed corners, loose fittings and surfaces that could rub together. Check that the package can be opened without easily damaging the product.
Make carton identification useful to the people receiving the order. Agree product and colour codes, carton numbers for items packed in several boxes, and a clear location for hardware and instructions. For furniture requiring assembly, ask someone unfamiliar with the product to follow the supplied instructions. Confusion at that stage is worth correcting before the customer encounters it.
Decide what happens before shipment and after delivery
Agree inspection arrangements before placing the order, including who checks the goods, which approved references they use, and how unresolved defects affect shipment. Review products from the actual order rather than relying solely on photographs of a selected finished piece. Allow time for corrections instead of scheduling every decision against the container's departure.
Set out the after-sales process as well. Agree what information is needed to investigate a defect, who responds, and how replacement parts or other remedies will be considered. Identify parts clearly enough to avoid sending the wrong hinge or leg. Discuss responsibility for associated costs rather than leaving the retailer and supplier to negotiate while a customer waits.
A final check before committing
Before signing off, put the agreed brief, approved sample record, current specification, packaging instructions, inspection plan and after-sales contacts together. Can another colleague understand what has been bought without searching through weeks of messages? If not, close those gaps with the supplier. That shared record gives both sides a practical basis for checking the order and handling any disagreement.
Buyer checklist before the first order
Use this companion checklist with the agreed specification. For each item, record the supporting document or sample reference and the person responsible for closing any gap.
1. Define the customer and product. Record the selling channel, target retail price, dimensions, materials, finish and comfort expectations. Identify essential features and acceptable alternatives.
2. Compare equivalent quotations. Confirm what each price includes and consider freight, handling, assembly and the delivery route.
3. Check relevant production. Review comparable products, identify where the work is done and confirm who controls any subcontracted stages.
4. Approve an identifiable sample. Keep its reference and approval date, labelled swatches and agreed limits for variation. Resolve outstanding changes before production.
5. Check product safety separately. Have applicable requirements and supporting evidence reviewed for the product and destination. Do not rely on sample approval alone.
6. Control changes in writing. Name the authorised approvers and keep one current specification. Record the effect of substitutions on appearance, function, cost and timing.
7. Review a packed example. Check packed dimensions, protection, carton identification, hardware location and instructions. Consider receiving, handling and customer access.
8. Agree inspection and after-sales arrangements. Identify who checks the order, how unresolved defects affect shipment, and how claims, parts, response times and associated costs will be handled.
Record any unresolved item and its owner before committing the order.
