Last reviewed: Sep 15, 2026
Most lighting programmes fail at a predictable point: after the sample has been approved and before the second order has arrived. The causes are procedural rather than commercial, and each of them can be closed with a document.
The six gates
A programme that passes these six points in order rarely fails after the third order:
| Gate | Deliverable | Who signs |
|---|---|---|
| Specification | Drawing, materials, tolerances | Buyer and factory |
| Golden sample | Signed, dated reference unit | Both parties, retained by both |
| Compliance | Certificate listing the model | Buyer, checked in the directory |
| Packaging | Structural drawing and drop test result | Buyer |
| First production | Inspection report before shipment | Buyer or agent |
| Rollout | Reorder terms, lead time, parts commitment | Both |
The golden sample is the whole thing
Without a signed reference unit held by both parties, every subsequent quality discussion is a matter of opinion. With one, a defect conversation takes a single photograph, and the factory corrects the process rather than the argument.
Sign off packaging before production
Artwork and structure are approved late in almost every programme, and late approval is what pushes a shipment past a vessel cut-off. Approve packaging at the same time as the product, with a printed mock-up in hand.
Agree the reorder terms in advance
Reorder minimum, lead time, price validity and spare-part availability should be settled while everyone is enthusiastic, not after a successful first season when the buyer has no alternative supplier.
Review at 90 days
Ninety days after the first shipment, compare defect rate, damage rate, sell-through and the two or three support questions that keep arriving. That review is where the second order is designed, and it costs an hour.
Bring the factory into it. Manufacturers respond to numbers far better than to adjectives, and a defect rate expressed as a percentage of units against an agreed threshold turns a complaint into a process correction. Programmes that review together at 90 days typically fix the problem on the second order instead of the fourth.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What does running a wholesale lamp programme require
It requires a stock plan tied to lead time, a price ladder by quantity, clear MOQs, and a replacement and warranty process retailers can rely on. The programme lives or dies on whether the buyer can reorder the same certified model consistently.
How do I keep a wholesale assortment profitable
Use a price ladder that rewards larger orders, concentrate depth on proven fast movers, and keep a thin buffer of certified replacements. A long tail of slow SKUs ties up cash and complicates reordering the models that actually sell.
What do retailers ask for most in a lamp programme
Predictable lead time, a stable certified model they can reorder, and clean documentation for their own compliance files. Meeting those three consistently matters more to most buyers than a slightly lower opening price.
Sourcing lamps for your business?
We stock the Anrotix range in the United States — complete with LED bulbs and accessories — and supply from 10 units, mixed across SKUs.
Request wholesale pricingRelated product: Anrotix wholesale terms — sample to rollout, with minimums and lead times in writing
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