Views: 222 Author: Loretta Publish Time: 2026-02-12 Origin: Site
Content Menu
● What Does It Really Cost to Start a Swimwear Line?
● Understanding Sampling vs Bulk/Wholesale Costs
>> Why Sampling Costs More Per Piece
>> How Bulk/Wholesale Pricing Works
● How Price Lists Work in Swimwear OEM
>> Custom Design vs Ready Design Price Lists
● Example Budget Scenarios Using Price Lists
>> Scenario 1: Starting on a Tight Budget
>> Scenario 2: Mid‑Range Collection with 5 Designs
● How MOQ and Order Size Impact Your Per‑Unit Price
● Key Cost Components to Include in Your Budget
>> Typical swimwear manufacturing cost breakdown
● How to Build a Swimwear Budget Step by Step
>> Step 1: Define Your Total Budget and Goals
>> Step 2: Choose Between Custom and Ready Designs
>> Step 3: Use Price Lists to Estimate Sampling Costs
>> Step 4: Plan Your Bulk Order with MOQ and Style Mix
>> Step 5: Add Branding, Packaging, and Shipping
● Pricing Strategy: From Factory Cost to Retail Price
● Common Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid
● How an OEM Swimwear Factory Like Yongting Can Help You Budget Better
● FAQs: Budgeting and Price Lists for Swimwear OEM
>> 1. How much money do I need to start a small swimwear brand?
>> 2. Why are samples 2–3 times more expensive than bulk?
>> 3. Can I skip sampling and go straight to bulk production?
>> 4. How does MOQ affect my cost per swimsuit?
>> 5. What should I ask my OEM factory before finalizing my budget?
Launching a profitable swimwear line starts with one thing: a clear, realistic budget based on accurate sampling, bulk production, and shipping costs. When you understand how price lists work and how each cost category affects your margins, you can plan confidently, avoid cash‑flow surprises, and scale your brand with the right OEM swimwear manufacturer.
Starting a swimwear brand does not require a luxury‑level budget, but you do need a structured cost plan. Many new brands begin with a few thousand dollars, while more ambitious collections budget higher to cover designs, sampling, bulk orders, and marketing.
Key cost pillars for a new swimwear line:
- Design and product development (your styles, patterns, tech packs)
- Sampling (fit samples, pre‑production samples)
- Bulk/wholesale production (per‑unit manufacturing cost)
- Branding, labeling, and packaging
- Shipping, duties, and insurance
- Marketing and e‑commerce setup
A simple example: with around USD 4,500 you can often produce roughly 300 units in bulk, depending on designs and fabrics. A full small‑brand launch including production, packaging, and extras may range from about USD 5,000 to 30,000, depending on how fast you want to grow.
When budgeting, you must separate sampling costs from bulk/wholesale costs, because they follow very different pricing logic.
Sampling is where you test fit, fabrics, and construction before committing to large orders. The factory must set up machines, cut fabric, and sew with the same care as bulk production, but for just one or two pieces per style.
A common pricing pattern in OEM swimwear manufacturing looks like this:
1- Sample price = 2–3× bulk price
2- Example benchmark:
- Bikini top – bulk about USD 12, sample about USD 36
- One‑piece – bulk about USD 18–19, sample about USD 54–57
- Active bra/leggings – sample often around three times the bulk cost
You pay more per piece at the sampling stage because you are covering development time, pattern adjustments, and production interruption for very low quantities.
Bulk or wholesale pricing applies once your designs are confirmed and you place a larger order. At this stage, factories can spread their setup costs across many units and buy materials in larger, cheaper lots.
Indicative wholesale price ranges often look like this:
- Bikini top/bottom: roughly USD 12–25 per unit depending on fabric, complexity, and order quantity
- One‑piece swimsuit: roughly USD 22–35 per unit
- Sports bra/leggings: usually aligned with activewear pricing in the same factory
The general rule is simple: the higher your MOQ, the lower your cost per piece. This is crucial when you calculate margins and retail prices.
Most professional swimwear OEM factories offer transparent price lists to help you estimate your budget quickly. These price lists usually distinguish between Custom Design and Ready Design options and sometimes between product categories such as bikini, one‑piece, active, men's, and kids.
1- Custom Design – your designs from scratch
- You provide sketches or tech packs.
- The factory develops patterns, grading, and samples.
- Sampling is more expensive because of the development work.
2- Ready Design – factory's designs with your label
- You select from an existing catalog.
- Patterns and grading are already done.
- Samples are cheaper, and time to market is much faster.
Factories often host Ready Design price lists in online catalogs, where you can see benchmark bulk prices and optional extras like prints, special fabrics, or eco materials. For Custom Design, they usually share indicative price tables showing average prices per category and the possible variation depending on fabric and construction.
Concrete examples make it easier to understand how to budget using price lists.
Some swimwear producers show that with around USD 1,500 you can place a very small order through a shop‑based system combining products, labels, and packaging. A common benchmark is:
- USD 1,200 for products
- USD 300 for labeling and packaging
- Around 100 units total, depending on styles and mixes
This kind of micro‑budget is suitable if you want to test the market, validate your designs, and keep inventory risk low.
For a mid‑range launch, consider this example:
- You want to develop 5 different designs.
- Your total manufacturing budget is about USD 10,000.
- You could produce roughly 500 units in bulk and still keep a reserve for your next order.
This scenario fits brands that already have some demand, want stronger size runs, and need better economies of scale.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is one of the most important factors in your pricing strategy. Lower MOQs reduce your upfront risk but increase your per‑unit cost, while higher MOQs do the opposite.
Industry benchmarks show:
1- Low MOQ (under ~100 units)
- Per‑unit price can reach USD 20–30 or more.
- You pay a premium for flexibility and small runs.
2- Higher MOQ (around 300 units)
- Per‑unit price may drop to around USD 9–20.
- The factory spreads setup and material costs over more pieces.
Some specialized swimwear producers offer very low total MOQs, such as 100 pieces across your collection, to make it easier for new brands to get started. You still need to watch your style, size, and color breakdown, because each variation increases complexity and cost.
To build a realistic budget, break it down into line items using your OEM factory's price lists and any extra costs.
Cost Component | Typical Range (Indicative) | Notes |
Design & development | USD 100–500 per style | Concept, CADs, and pattern work for new Custom Design styles. |
Sampling | 2–3× bulk unit price per sample | Fit samples and pre-production samples. |
Materials (fabric, trim) | USD 5–30 per yard | Depends on fabric type and sustainability level. |
Bulk production | USD 12–35 per unit (benchmark) | Varies by category, complexity, and MOQ. |
Branding & packaging | USD 200–1,000 per run | Labels, tags, polybags, and boxes. |
Shipping & duties | USD 300–2,000+ per shipment | Depends on weight, destination, and shipping mode. |
Other fees | USD 500–2,000 | Document fees, QC, certification, and contingencies. |
This structure lets you plug in numbers from your OEM partner's price lists and quickly estimate your total investment and cost per unit.
Follow a structured approach so you do not overlook any critical cost.
- Decide how much you can invest in manufacturing only versus your overall brand launch.
- Clarify whether your first run is for market testing or for serious retail distribution.
- If you need speed and lower development cost, prioritize Ready Designs from your OEM catalog.
- If you need a highly differentiated brand, invest more in Custom Designs but expect higher sampling costs.
- Count how many designs you need to sample and in how many colorways.
- Multiply the bulk price by the sample factor (for example, three times) to estimate sample costs.
- Add a buffer for resampling if you want to adjust fits.
- Choose your number of styles, sizes, and colors.
- Use the factory's wholesale price tables to calculate per‑unit cost at your intended order quantity.
- Run a what‑if check: if you increase your total units, how much does your per‑unit cost drop?
- Include costs for branded labels, hangtags, and packaging based on your partner's price sheet.
- Request shipping estimates (air vs sea) and include customs duties for your target country.
- Keep at least 10–15% of your manufacturing budget as a buffer for unforeseen increases.
Your retail price must cover all costs and leave enough profit to reinvest. A simple approach is to start from your landed cost per unit and then apply appropriate markups.
- Landed unit cost ≈ (manufacturing + branding + shipping + duties) ÷ number of units.
- Wholesale price ≈ 2–2.5× landed unit cost if you sell to retailers.
- Retail price ≈ 4–6× landed unit cost depending on positioning and channel.
For example, if your landed cost is USD 15 per bikini set, you might target:
- Wholesale: USD 30–37.50
- Retail (direct‑to‑consumer): USD 60–90
Your exact numbers will depend on brand positioning, competitor pricing, and local taxes.
Even strong designs fail when the budget is poorly managed.
Frequent mistakes new swimwear brands make:
- Underestimating sampling costs and resampling rounds
- Ignoring shipping, duties, and insurance until the last minute
- Spreading the first order over too many styles and colors, driving up complexity and MOQs
- Not keeping a cash buffer for reorders, marketing, or unexpected costs
- Pricing only from what competitors charge instead of from your own cost structure
Working closely with an experienced OEM swimwear factory helps you avoid these pitfalls, because they can share realistic MOQ structures, price lists, and budgeting examples from similar brands.
A reliable OEM partner does more than simply quote a price; they help you design a scalable budget plan.
By sharing structured price lists and MOQ options, an OEM factory can:
- Suggest Ready Designs that match your target price point and timeline.
- Help you choose fabrics that balance quality and cost, including sustainable materials where relevant.
- Provide sample‑to‑bulk cost comparisons so you know exactly when to scale up.
- Offer order planning support, such as how many units per size and color, to avoid overstock or shortages.
For overseas brands, having one OEM partner that understands international shipping, labeling requirements, and brand positioning significantly reduces both risk and hidden costs.
If you are planning your next swimwear collection and want a precise, factory‑backed budget, now is the time to speak with a professional OEM swimwear manufacturer. Share your target prices, preferred designs, and launch timeline, and ask for transparent price lists that cover sampling, bulk production, and shipping so you can make confident decisions.
Reach out to the Yongting team and tell us about your swimwear concept, budget range, and ideal order size. We will help you turn your ideas into a complete production plan, with clear cost breakdowns, realistic MOQs, and practical suggestions to protect your margins from the first collection onward.
Contact us to get more information!
Most small swimwear brands can start with around USD 5,000–10,000 if they focus on a limited number of designs and use carefully planned MOQs. Some micro‑launch models show that you can test the market with about USD 1,500–4,500, but that usually means fewer styles and smaller runs.
Samples cost more because each piece requires setup, pattern work, and manual attention without the efficiency of larger runs. When those fixed efforts are spread over just one or two units, the per‑unit price naturally increases compared with bulk orders.
Some factories allow brands to skip sampling and order bulk directly, especially when using proven Ready Designs from their catalog. However, most new brands still choose to sample at least once to confirm fit and fabric before investing in larger quantities.
Lower MOQs mean higher cost per unit because the factory cannot spread setup and fabric costs across many pieces. Higher MOQs, such as around 300 units, usually lead to significantly better unit prices and healthier profit margins.
You should request detailed price lists, including sample and bulk rates, plus any charges for branding, packaging, and shipping. Also ask for MOQ per style, size, and color so you can build a realistic order plan and calculate your landed cost per unit accurately.
1. https://help.baliswim.com/en/articles/2468105-how-to-budget-price-lists
2. https://swimwearbali.com/how-to-budget-and-price-your-swimwear-line/
3. https://baliswim.com/budgeting-price-list/
4. https://www.swimsuitcustom.com/blogArticle/budget-custom-swimwear-costs
5. https://weftapparel.com/cost-to-start-a-swimwear-line/
6. https://modaknits.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-make-swimwear/
