Case studies

Selected sourcing projects

A snapshot of how we’ve helped brands reduce risk, stabilise supply and improve landed costs when sourcing from Europe, China, India and wider Asia.

What these case studies show

Every project is different, but the patterns repeat: too much dependence on a single factory or country, unclear quality expectations, or no structure for inspections and supplier retention.

The examples below highlight how a structured sourcing process—combined with in-person checks—can quietly transform your risk and margins.

Typical outcomes

  • Additional suppliers without doubling your workload
  • Fewer quality surprises and last-minute firefighting
  • More leverage when negotiating price and terms
  • Clearer visibility over what each supplier is doing

Results vary by category and region, but the underlying playbooks are the same ones we use on every project.

Sourcing, inspections & retention in practice

Four examples across homewares, tools, retail and DTC ecommerce.

Diversification

European homeware brand diversifies beyond China

Category: Home & lifestyle · Regions: China & India

A mid-sized European homeware brand had one main Chinese supplier for several top SKUs. Any delay or quality issue with that factory put major revenue at risk.

What we did

  • Mapped viable factories in India for similar SKUs
  • Ran a structured sourcing round with factory calls
  • Coordinated samples, inspections and test orders

Results

  • Backup supplier secured within 12 weeks
  • Approx. 18% reduction in landed cost on selected SKUs
  • Stronger negotiation position with original supplier

The brand now has realistic options if either supplier underperforms, without being forced into rushed supplier switches.

China +1

Amazon FBA brand adds Vietnam as a second sourcing base

Category: Consumer accessories · Regions: China & Vietnam

A high-volume FBA seller relied on one Chinese region for multiple SKUs. Port congestion and freight spikes hammered profitability and stock availability.

What we did

  • Reviewed product range and shortlisted “Vietnam-ready” SKUs
  • Identified and screened Vietnamese factories for overlapping capabilities
  • Implemented inline and pre-shipment inspections for both regions

Results

  • Second supplier onboarded for 3 core SKUs
  • Lead time risk reduced with dual production lanes
  • Negotiated more stable pricing by de-risking volume

The client now treats Vietnam as a genuine second base rather than an emergency backup.

Resilience

Retail chain secures backup European suppliers for critical SKUs

Category: Retail own-brand · Region: Europe

A regional retail chain had several “hero” products made by small manufacturers. Any disruption risked empty shelves and lost in-store visibility.

What we did

  • Identified critical SKUs based on margin and shelf importance
  • Mapped European factories capable of matching spec and volume
  • Coordinated pilot runs with inspections and packaging checks

Results

  • Alternative suppliers in place for 70% of priority SKUs
  • Improved packaging quality and consistency across ranges
  • Better leverage when renegotiating terms with incumbents

Instead of relying on hope, the retailer now has written plans for what happens if a factory fails or a region becomes constrained.

Retention

DTC brand builds a repeatable inspections & retention program

Category: Direct-to-consumer lifestyle · Regions: China & India

A growing DTC brand worked with several factories but had no consistent way of tracking performance. Quality drifted, and “urgent” issues kept derailing launches.

What we did

  • Implemented a standard inspection checklist per category
  • Created simple supplier scorecards for quality, timelines and communication
  • Set up quarterly performance reviews with key factories

Results

  • Reduction in quality complaints and rework across top SKUs
  • Clear view of which suppliers to grow with, and which to phase out
  • More predictable launches thanks to fewer last-minute surprises

The brand now treats supplier retention as a deliberate system rather than a collection of one-off relationships.

Want to see what this would look like for your brand?

Share your current sourcing setup, key SKUs and regions of interest. We’ll outline what a first project could look like—sourcing, inspections and retention included.

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