Own-label sportswear programmes for retail chains

Voyager Sportswear manufactures own-label sportswear programmes for retail chains, with garments such as tees, leggings and jackets sampled, labelled and packed to the chain's brief. To assess the order, we need the chain's brief to set out the barcode for each SKU, label content per market, fold and bag, carton content and carton marking, and to state clearly any neutral packaging or chain-supplied labels. The quotation then confirms which packing and labelling work is included.

The packing, barcode and label brief

• Barcodes: the EAN or other code per SKU, issued from the chain's own numbering, and where it appears (printed hangtag, sticker on the poly-bag, or both).
• Who supplies each label and ticket: neck label, care label, hangtag, price ticket and any bag sticker. Send the artwork and market requirements for each item, and agree in the quotation who prints and applies it.
• Garment label content per destination market: fibre content, care symbols, country of origin, size format. Garment labelling for destination markets sets out what to check for each market.
• Fold and poly-bag: fold dimensions, bag type, whether the size is visible through the bag.
• Carton content: solid size or assorted, pieces per carton, maximum carton weight.
• Carton marking: style, colour, size ratio, quantity, carton number of total, destination, and any code the chain requires.
• Packing list format and the level it is broken down to, such as per carton.

Packing specifications, barcodes and cartons gives an example layout. Say whether each garment needs its own bag, how it is folded and what each carton must contain, and confirm the packing arrangement in the quotation.

Inspection scope

The approved sample and the written order requirements are the reference for fit, artwork, labels and carton content. If the chain requires an additional inspection, specify who carries it out, when, against which criteria and how a failed point is handled, and agree that scope in the quotation. Planning a sportswear quality inspection helps you write the requirement clearly.

Approve the garment as well as its retail presentation

Start with the target shopper, the intended activity, the fit and the price position. A retail tee, legging and jacket need separate fabric and fit decisions, even within one own-label collection. Supply an approved block or a reference garment if you have one. If not, describe the fit and the details that matter so that a sampling proposal can be agreed.

Review the sample both worn and packed. On the wearer, check the agreed measurements, the movement and how the selected fabric looks. Folded or bagged as proposed, the size and style should still be identifiable and the logo should show as intended. A garment approved without its final label and packing information leaves those parts of the order open.

Resolve a SKU change before it becomes a packing error

A chain may, for example, change a navy tee to black after issuing its item list. The garment colour, item description, barcode assignment and carton information must then all refer to the same final version. The chain supplies or approves its item data, and the order should confirm who prepares and checks the printed labels. A readable barcode can still point to the wrong product, so check the data as well as the print.

Send your product brief and any packing manual with the first enquiry, and point out the requirements that affect the sample or the quotation. If the packing manual is not ready, give the likely destination and sales format and ask which decisions are needed first. Voyager Sportswear can clarify garment and packing options, and the chain confirms its final item data and who is responsible for each approval.

Questions and answers

Who issues the barcodes for own-label sportswear made for a retailer?

The retail chain issues the barcodes, an EAN or other code per SKU from its own numbering, and states whether the code goes on a printed hangtag, a poly-bag sticker or both. The chain supplies or approves the item data, and the quotation confirms who prints and checks the labels. A readable barcode can still point to the wrong product, so review the data as well as the print.

Should a retail chain check an own-label sample in its retail packaging?

A retail chain should review the own-label sample both worn and packed. On the wearer, check the agreed measurements, movement and the look of the selected fabric. In the proposed fold or bag, check that size and style stay identifiable and the intended logo presentation is visible. Approving a garment without its final label and packing information leaves those parts of the order open.

Who sets the quality inspection criteria for a retail sportswear order?

A retail chain that requires an additional inspection specifies who inspects, when, against which criteria and how a failed point is handled. The baseline reference for fit, artwork, labels and carton content is the approved sample together with the written order requirements. Agree the inspection scope in the quotation, alongside the packing and label brief.

For an enquiry

Send the garment and design (or a reference), quantities by style and size, your fabric requirements, any numbers required, the destination and the date you need the goods. Voyager Sportswear usually sends a first reply within 24 hours. Request a quote