Henrik Pontoppidan, Director of S2U Design, talks about the cost of sampling in Vietnam and asks the question: Does sampling in Vietnam cost you more than you think? And how to fix it?

It’s showtime again, and by now you are probably working through inspirations and new potential suppliers met at the NEC.

Here in Vietnam, we’re also in the usual rush to get samples ready for the VIFA EXPO show, held this year from March 5-8. Allegedly the biggest VIFA show ever, it’s worth a visit – I look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces.

This rush is all about samples – new designs to impress visitors. But sampling goes on year-round, a critical part of product development. Perfect samples, done right on the first attempt, can significantly impact your product’s commercial performance. They can save substantial sums when launching a new product or moving production to a new supplier.

In Vietnam, I’ve noticed five recurring sampling challenges. Does this sound familiar?

1. The Inadequate Brief – Ambiguous or incomplete information – oftentimes just a picture of a competitor’s product, with a request to change some details to prevent IP issues. This leads factories to interpret the brief their way – rarely optimal or aligned with your vision. The result? A sample that lags behind competitors and wastes time and resources.
2. The Failing Sample – A sample fails inspection, wasting your trip to Vietnam and/or delaying your timeline as you deal with costly air shipments. Factories may cut corners because “it’s only a sample” – a frustrating scenario that sends you back to square one.
3. The Revealing Sample – The sample is fine, but on inspection, you spot better, cheaper ways to produce it. Now you must choose between meeting the deadline or starting over, when perhaps this could have been known from the beginning
4. The Technical Spanner in the Works – A factory stalls for months before admitting it can’t handle your design’s technical challenges. You are back to square one having wasted a lot of time.
5. Sample Delays – There you are, with the cheque in your hand for deposit on the first order, and it seems the factory doesn’t allocate any time to your sample, constantly delaying.

All these problems are avoidable. I can help prevent them and empower your company to speed up the sampling process, and move ahead of your competition. If you experience these problems the solution is a phone call away. And solving them can make a substantial difference to your bottom line. Here’s how:

The Inadequate Brief

If you are a retailer or wholesaler, it is, of course, all about buying right. But when buying furniture from Vietnamese factories, to be consistently ahead of the competition there is a lot more to it than negotiation skills and spotting a good deal. The key to addressing the above problems is in the brief – and here I can fill in the blanks. A brief should be complete and leaving nothing to interpretation. A tip to bring you ahead of the majority of your competitors I strongly recommend that your brief contains the following as a minimum: Complete and professional 3D and 2D drawings (I create these for all projects I am involved in), annual volume, MOQ you are willing to accept, and target price. Sharing precise and complete technical data, if need be after an NDA is signed, sets you ahead of competitors, many of whom provide only pictures and vague ideas.

Moreover, providing a full unambiguous and clear brief earns factory respect, prioritizing your project while optimizing costs and quality.

The Failing Sample

By controlling the technical documentation and working closely with factories, I ensure samples meet expectations. I set deadlines a week before client visits, allowing time for pre-inspection and corrections – so no visit is wasted.

The Revealing Sample

With thorough 3D modelling, I explore multiple production methods before sampling, selecting the best path upfront to avoid costly post-sample revelations.

The Technical Spanner in the Works

Choosing the right factory is key. Analysing factory expertise against sample requirements helps avoid predictable failures. Vietnamese persistence is admirable, but identifying limitations early saves months of frustration.

Sample Delays

Delays nearly always hinges on low factory motivation (priority) in the midst of many different projects and clients. Address these common factory frustrations:

1. Inadequate Brief – Make your project straightforward with precise details. Don’t rely on the factory’s imagination.
2. Perception of Timewasting – Acknowledge that many samples never lead to orders. Show your commitment by staying engaged and persistent—politely but firmly.
3. Sample Cost Arguments – Factories often charge a nominal fee (2-3 times FOB price). Any factory will find refusal to pay for samples a point of contention and whether they make this known to you or not, you are back in the queue. Pay the – symbolic – sample cost promptly and with a smile and you have earned a brownie point.

Mastering the sampling process will give you a competitive edge, better products, and a smoother path to market success. If you ever encounter any of the above problems during your sourcing from Vietnam, you are welcome to reach you. I will help you on many levels – and the sampling process is of course in the centre. We – and by extension you – control the technical documentation for your approval and manage the sampling process making your product portfolio excel.

CTY TNHH S2U Design Vietnam
Email: henrik@s2udesign.com
Tel: +84 (0)1432 851 824 – Tel UK: +44 (0)1432 851 824
Whatsapp: +44 (0)7766 70 50 60