How to Compare Knitted Bag Quotes: A Six-Branch Decision Tree With Nine Normalisations
How do you compare knitted bag quotes that look nothing alike? Work six branches in order and apply nine normalisations, because the slowest branch decides the answer and most comparisons fail on branch one. Two quotes for the same E12 tote differed by 27 percent on the page and by 4 percent once both were restated on an FOB Xiamen basis at the same GSM, the same quantity per colourway and the same validity date. This article gives the branches, the nine normalisations and the four numbers that must appear on both.
The Decision Tree: Six Branches, Slowest One Wins
Comparing knit quotes means walking six branches in a fixed order — term, material basis, quantity basis, boundary, release basis and validity — and the branch that fails first is the one that decides, because a quote cannot be normalised past a branch it has not answered.
The order matters for a specific reason: each branch removes a class of difference, and the classes are nested. Term removes freight and insurance differences. Material basis removes GSM and yarn differences. Quantity basis removes set-up amortisation differences. Boundary removes differences in what is included at all. Release basis removes inspection cost differences. Validity removes timing differences. Working them in that order means the largest differences are removed first and the residual difference at the end is the real one.
A comparison worked out of order produces a false answer that is hard to detect. Two quotes at USD 4.80 and USD 6.10 look like a 27 percent difference. Restated on the same term they are USD 4.80 and USD 5.05, and the apparent gap collapses to about 5 percent. Restated again at the same GSM the gap moves back out, because the lower quote was priced at 380 g/m² and the higher one at 450 g/m², which is not the same bag. The second restatement is the honest one.
Branch One: Are Both Quotes Stating the Same Term?
Branch one is the term, and a quote on CIF or DDP cannot be compared to a quote on FOB until one of them is restated; this is the branch most comparisons skip and the one that produces the largest false differences.
The ICC Incoterms 2020 rules define where cost and risk transfer, and the practical consequence is arithmetic. A CIF quote carries the sea freight and the marine insurance to the named destination port; an FOB Xiamen quote carries neither. To compare, either add freight and insurance to the FOB figure or strip them from the CIF one, and name which was done. On a mid-volume tote the freight and insurance line is commonly USD 0.60 to USD 0.90 per piece on a sea movement to northern Europe, which on a USD 4.80 unit price is a material share of the apparent gap.
The same branch catches a subtler difference: the named place. FOB Xiamen and FOB Shenzhen are different quotes, because the inland leg and the port handling differ. Ask for the rule, the named port or place and the edition of the rules, and if any of the three is missing the quote is not yet on branch one.
Branch Two: Are Both Quotes Stating the Same Material Basis?
Branch two is the material basis, and a quote cannot be compared across a GSM difference at all: 380 g/m² and 450 g/m² are different bags wearing the same name.
- Finished GSM, stated as a number with a tolerance band and a conditioning basis under ISO 139.
- Yarn count in denier, with the fibre and whether the recycled content is certified by lot.
- Gauge, E7, E12 or E14, because machine minutes per panel differ substantially between them.
- Handle construction: integral to the body, or joined, and the join method.
- Hardware: zip gauge, slider type, ring finish, foot studs, all named rather than described.
- Colourway count, because each shade carries its own yarn set-up charge.
The GSM line is worth dwelling on, because it is the single most common source of an apparent price gap that is not a price gap at all. A quote at 380 g/m² is carrying roughly 16 percent less material than one at 450 g/m² and a shorter machine cycle as well. Normalising it means asking both parties to re-price at one GSM, and the party that resists is usually the one whose number depended on the lower figure.
- Term
- FOB Xiamen under the ICC Incoterms 2020 rules; CIF and DDP restated before comparing
- Material
- E12, 600D polyester, 450 g/m² finished, plus or minus 5 percent after conditioning
- Quantity
- Per style and per colourway, at MOQ 100 pcs, with the set-up charge stated separately
- Sampling
- 7 working days, with the number of included correction rounds stated
- Bulk
- 30 days from handover of an approved sample with a frozen specification
- Release
- AQL 2.5 under ISO 2859-1, with sample size and accept and reject counts
- Validity
- A stated date, commonly 30 days from issue, aligned across both quotes
Branch Three: Are Both Quotes Stating the Same Quantity Basis?
Branch three is the quantity basis, and the difference it removes is set-up amortisation: a yarn set-up charge of USD 45 per colourway is USD 0.45 per piece at 100 pcs and USD 0.05 per piece at 900 pcs.
This is why MOQ must be read per style and per colourway. A quote at 100 pcs per colourway across three colourways is a 300-piece order, and one at 100 pcs total across three colourways is a different product. Restate both at the same per-colourway quantity before comparing, and if one party cannot re-price at that quantity, the comparison stops here rather than continuing on a false basis.
The same branch holds the development charge. Development is quoted separately from the unit price and on one reference structure runs across seven line items totalling USD 600 to USD 1,300 for an E12 tote. Whether that is amortised into the unit price or invoiced separately changes the comparison, so ask both parties to state it the same way, and preferably separately.
Branch Four: Are Both Drawing the Boundary in the Same Place?
Branch four is the boundary: which costs sit inside the unit price and which sit outside it, and two quotes can be identical in number while drawing that line in different places.
| Cost | Usually inside | Usually outside |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn | Always inside the unit price | Never outside |
| Machine time | Always inside the unit price | Never outside |
| Hardware and trims | Usually inside when named | Outside only if buyer-supplied |
| Polybag packing | Usually inside | Outside for a box, sleeve or printed mailer |
| Development | Sometimes amortised | Usually quoted separately, USD 600 to USD 1,300 |
| Lab testing | Rarely included | Charged per standard per material |
| Onward freight | Included under CIF or DDP | Outside under FOB Xiamen |
| Duties and destination handling | Never inside | Always the buyer's account |
The row that causes the most trouble is packing. A polybag is normally inside the unit price; a printed mailer, a sleeve or a rigid box is normally outside it. A buyer comparing two quotes where one includes a mailer and the other does not is comparing a bag against a bag plus a mailer, and the difference on one reference programme was USD 0.85 per piece, which is larger than most unit price gaps being negotiated.
Branch Five: Are Both Quoting the Same Release and Validity?
Branch five is release and validity, and it removes the last two classes of difference: who pays for inspection, and whether both numbers were priced on the same week's yarn.
On release, ask for the acceptance quality limit, the sampling standard and who bears the cost of a re-inspection. A quote that includes release at AQL 2.5 under ISO 2859-1 with the report issued by the production side is a different offer from one where the buyer appoints and pays a third-party inspector. On validity, the rule is simply to align: ask both parties to quote on the same day and state the same validity period, commonly 30 days, because a yarn price quoted in one month is not a yarn price in the next.
The Nine Normalisations in One Table
Nine normalisations turn two documents into one comparison, and working them in this order means the largest false differences are removed before the small real ones are argued about.
1. Restate the term
Put both on FOB Xiamen, or add freight and insurance to the FOB figure explicitly.
2. Fix one GSM
Re-price both at the same finished GSM with the same tolerance band and conditioning basis.
3. Fix one yarn
Same denier, same fibre, same recycled content and same certificate status by lot.
4. Fix one gauge
Machine minutes per panel differ between E7, E12 and E14; one gauge only.
5. Fix the per-colourway quantity
Set-up amortisation dominates below about 300 pcs per colourway.
6. Separate development
Ask for it as a line item rather than amortised, on both quotes alike.
7. Draw the same packing boundary
Polybag, sleeve, mailer or box, named on both quotes before comparing.
8. Name the release basis
AQL 2.5 under ISO 2859-1, and who pays for a re-inspection after a failure.
9. Align the validity date
Quote both on the same day, with the same validity period, commonly 30 days.
When a Low Number Is Not a Lower Cost
A lower unit price is not a lower landed cost in four situations: a lower GSM, a wider tolerance, an excluded packing route and an excluded inspection — and each of the four reappears as a cost elsewhere.
- A lower GSM reappears as a lighter bag and, on a structured body, as a shorter abrasion life under ISO 12947-2.
- A wider tolerance reappears as a higher defect rate at goods-in, and at AQL 2.5 a lot is accepted or rejected on counts.
- An excluded packing route reappears as USD 0.03 to USD 1.20 per piece depending on mailer, sleeve or box.
- An excluded inspection reappears as a third-party inspection fee and a day of the buyer's own time per release.
- An excluded certificate reappears as a second lot and a second transaction certificate when the claim is added later.
The test for all four is the same and takes one email: ask each party to restate at the same GSM, the same quantity per colourway, the same packing route, the same release basis and the same validity date. The party whose number barely moves was quoting honestly. The party whose number moves substantially was quoting a different bag, and the buyer now knows it before the order rather than after the carton. For the negotiation step that follows a normalised comparison, see knitted bag cost negotiation.
The Four Numbers That Must Appear on Both Quotes
Four numbers must appear on both quotes before a comparison is legitimate at all: the unit price at a stated quantity, the MOQ basis, the finished GSM and the validity date — and a quote missing any one of them is a figure rather than a commercial offer.
- Unit price at a stated quantity per colourway, not at an unspecified volume that can be reinterpreted later.
- MOQ basis: 100 pcs per style and per colourway, stated as per colourway rather than per order.
- Finished GSM as a number with a tolerance band, after conditioning under ISO 139.
- Validity date, commonly 30 days from issue, aligned across every party being compared.
- Term, rule and named port together: FOB Xiamen under the ICC Incoterms 2020 rules.
These four are also the four a buyer should ask for first, before any normalisation work starts, because a quote that arrives without them has to be reissued anyway. Asking for four numbers costs one email and saves the two rounds that follow when a comparison is attempted on documents that were never comparable. Buyers who make a habit of it find that fewer quotes arrive incomplete, because a brief that names the four numbers trains the other side to answer in numbers.
Send us two quotes to normalise
Send the competing quote and the specification behind it. Our knit team will restate both at the same GSM, quantity per colourway and FOB Xiamen basis, and return the normalised comparison. Start on the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare two knitted bag quotes?
Work six branches in order: term, material basis, quantity basis, boundary, release basis and validity. Apply nine normalisations and re-price both at the same GSM, the same quantity per colourway, the same packing route and the same release basis. The branch that fails first decides.
Why is the term the first branch?
Because it removes the largest false difference. A CIF quote carries sea freight and marine insurance to the named port; an FOB Xiamen quote carries neither. On a mid-volume tote that line is commonly USD 0.60 to USD 0.90 per piece, which is most of an apparent gap.
Can two quotes at different GSM be compared?
No, not without re-pricing. A 380 g/m² quote carries roughly 16 percent less material than a 450 g/m² one, plus a shorter machine cycle. Ask both parties to quote one GSM and one gauge, and the party that resists was relying on the lower figure.
How does quantity per colourway change a comparison?
Through set-up amortisation. A yarn set-up of USD 45 per colourway is USD 0.45 per piece at 100 pcs and USD 0.05 at 900 pcs. Restate both quotes at the same per-colourway quantity, because MOQ of 100 pcs applies per style and per colourway.
What sits outside the unit price on a knit quote?
Usually development, lab testing, packing beyond a polybag and onward freight. Development on one reference E12 tote runs across seven line items totalling USD 600 to USD 1,300. Duties and destination handling are always the buyer's account under every term. Duties, destination handling and bank charges sit outside the unit price under every term without exception.
Why does the packing boundary matter so much?
Because it is worth more than most unit price gaps. A polybag is normally inside the unit price; a printed mailer, sleeve or rigid box is normally outside. On one reference programme the difference was USD 0.85 per piece, larger than the gap being negotiated.
How long should a quote stay valid?
Commonly 30 days from issue. Yarn moves, and a quote with no stated validity is either a promise nobody intended or an escape clause nobody noticed. Align validity dates across both parties and quote them on the same day. Align the validity dates and ask both parties to quote on the same day of the same week.
Does the inspection basis belong in the comparison?
Yes. A quote including release at AQL 2.5 under ISO 2859-1 with the report issued by the production side is a different offer from one where the buyer appoints and pays a third-party inspector. Ask who pays for a re-inspection too. Ask who pays for a re-inspection after a first failure, and how many days the re-inspection takes.
What should I do if a party will not re-price?
Stop the comparison at that branch. A party that cannot restate at one GSM, one quantity and one term is quoting a different bag, and continuing produces a number that will move after the order rather than before it. Continuing past that branch produces a number that moves after the order rather than before it.
Is the lowest unit price the lowest cost?
Not in four situations: a lower GSM, a wider tolerance, an excluded packing route and an excluded inspection. Each reappears as a cost elsewhere, usually at goods-in or at the destination, where it is harder to recover than it was to prevent. Each of the four reappears at goods-in or at the destination, where it is much harder to recover.
What is a reasonable freight allowance to compare with?
On a sea movement from Xiamen to northern Europe, freight and marine insurance commonly run USD 0.60 to USD 0.90 per piece on a mid-volume tote. Ask for the actual figure from the forwarder rather than assuming, because it moves with the season.
Should development be amortised or separate?
Separate, on both quotes alike. Amortising it into the unit price hides it and makes a comparison at a different quantity misleading. Stated separately it can be compared directly, and it does not distort the per-piece figure at other volumes. Stated separately it can be compared directly and does not distort the per-piece figure at other volumes.
People Also Ask
Why did two quotes for the same bag differ by 27 percent?
Usually term first, then GSM. On one comparison the gap was 27 percent on the page, about 5 percent once both were restated FOB Xiamen, and back out again once the GSM difference of 380 against 450 g/m² was found.
Should I tell each party I am comparing quotes?
Yes, and say what you are normalising on. Naming the GSM, the quantity per colourway and the term gets both parties to re-price on the same basis without a second round, and it is faster than deducing it afterwards.
How many quotes should I collect?
Three. Two gives no way to tell which one is the outlier, and four adds a sampling round per extra party without improving the decision. Ask all three on the same day with an identical brief.
What if one quote is much more detailed?
Prefer it, cautiously. Detail is a good signal, but check that the extra lines are specifications rather than qualifiers. A quote with seven named parameters beats one with a price and a promise every time.
Can I compare quotes from different countries on this tree?
Yes, and the term branch matters more. Normalise both to FOB at their own named port, then add the actual freight and insurance quote for each leg. Duty differences belong to the destination, not to the comparison.
Sources and further reading
Every figure on this page is either our own programme data or attributed below. Open the originals before you write them into a specification.
- Incoterms rulesInternational Chamber of Commerce The rule set that makes FOB, CIF and DDP restatable against one another on branch one of the tree.
- ISO 2859-1 — Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes, Part 1: AQL-indexed sampling schemesISO The sampling standard behind the release basis that must be named on both quotes before comparing.
- ISO 139:2005 — Textiles, standard atmospheres for conditioning and testingISO The conditioning basis for the finished GSM figure that both quotes must be re-priced against.
- ISO 12947-2 — Textiles, determination of abrasion resistance, Part 2: MartindaleISO The abrasion method behind the shorter service life a lower GSM quote silently carries.
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United StatesUSITC The classification reference a buyer needs when a duty line appears outside either quote.
Normalise Before You Negotiate
Most quote comparisons fail on branch one, and the failure is invisible because both numbers look like prices. Restating the term removes the largest false difference, restating the GSM removes the second, and what is left after nine normalisations is the only gap worth negotiating over.
Ask both parties to re-price on the same basis on the same day, and take the resistance as an answer. For the negotiation step that follows, see knitted bag cost negotiation. For the term definitions used on branch one, see incoterms guide for bag imports.