The headline number
Across 320 styles in the SOXMILL 2026 catalogue, the median minimum order is 1,500 pairs — yet 36% of the range (116 styles) can be ordered at 600 pairs or fewer, 19% (61) at 300 or fewer, and the lowest MOQ in the catalogue is 100 pairs. The figure matters because "MOQ 500" is widely quoted as a blanket minimum; in practice the binding constraint is the knitting machine's minimum run per yarn colourway, not a single store-wide number.
What the distribution shows
- Median MOQ: 1,500 pairs across all 320 styles.
- 36% (116 styles) at 600 pairs or fewer; 19% (61) at 300 or fewer.
- Lowest MOQ: 100 pairs — in the hosiery and grip-sock categories.
- Custom and private-label programmes start at 500 pairs per design & colourway for knitted styles; 1,000 pairs for sublimation and printed.
Why the "MOQ 500" myth persists
The number buyers see most often — 500 pairs — is the per-colourway minimum for a custom or private-label programme, not the per-style minimum for a catalogue style. Catalogue styles carry their own per-style minimum, most commonly 1,500 pairs, because the knitting programme is set up once per yarn and colour. A new brand can therefore enter at 100–600 pairs on selected catalogue styles, or at 500 pairs per colourway on a custom design.
"We publish MOQ and a full quantity price ladder per style because the only honest answer to 'what is your minimum' is 'it depends on the style and the colourway' — and a buyer should be able to see both before they talk to a salesperson." — the SOXMILL sourcing team
Methodology
The distribution covers all 320 styles in the SOXMILL 2026 catalogue (socks, underwear and apparel, 28 categories), measured on the per-style minimum order quantity published on each product page. The chart and category counts are reproducible from the public catalogue at soxmill.com/products/.