Private Label Charcoal Briquettes Cost: What to Ask First

Most future brand owners start with one question about private label charcoal briquettes cost: what is the price per kilo? It is a fair question, but the answer is only one slice of what it costs to launch a briquette brand. A low price per kilo can be eaten by printing charges, sample freight and stock that sits waiting for buyers. A high price may already include items another maker bills separately.

This note holds no figures. Kora does not print prices or MOQs on its product page, and we will not invent any. What we offer is a list of cost lines, so that when a quotation arrives you can fill each one in and compare makers fairly.

Private label charcoal briquettes cost: seven lines

The seven lines below run in order from samples to waiting stock.

Line 1: samples

Ask whether samples are free, paid, or credited against an order if you proceed. Ask who pays freight on the sample, how many pieces you receive and whether the sample comes off the same line as production. A sample made by hand or from another lot does not guarantee what production will deliver.

Line 2: shape and mould

If you pick one of the nine moulds Kora lists, ask whether there is a set-up charge. If you want a custom mould from your own drawing, this is the largest and riskiest line. According to the Kora product page, custom moulds are discussed for long-term contracts. Ask:

• what the mould costs to make and whether it can be spread over the per-kilo price;
• who owns the mould once finished;
• what happens to the mould if the contract ends.

Line 3: branded packaging

Packaging is the cost most often underestimated. The Kora product page states a 1 kg inner pack and a 10 kg master carton. For your brand, split it into:

• design: made by you or with help;
• printing: the minimum print run, and whether unused packs are left over;
• material and closure;
• filling and packing into cartons.

Ask whether printing is done by the maker, by a third party you name, or by you. Printing often takes longer than production, so put it in the schedule too.

Line 4: production

This is the price per kilo everyone talks about. Make sure you know what is inside it: which grade, which shape, which inner pack. A grade A price cannot be set beside grade B or C. Kora says grade B and C figures are quoted per order. Ask for a quotation that names grade and shape outright.

Line 5: testing and documents

If you want to show test results to your customers, ask who tests, by which method and who pays. The laboratory report Kora shows covers grade B samples only. For grade A, ask whether a report can be arranged and at what cost. Note the shipping documents the page lists too: COA, phytosanitary certificate, origin, packing list and bill of lading.

Line 6: freight and storage

Freight from the maker to your warehouse or port, unloading and warehouse rent are sometimes outside the maker’s quotation. Ask about the trade terms: who pays up to which point. For a domestic buyer, ask whether deliveries can be split across several drop points.

Line 7: stock that waits

This line is on nobody’s quotation: your cash tied up in stock. Work out how many months the first order will take to sell, not how many you hope. If the MOQ is too large for your selling speed, discuss staged deliveries or a mix of shapes within one order.

How to use the list

Copy these seven lines into one table. Put maker A’s answers in the first column, maker B’s in the second. Write “not answered” where there is no answer, never zero. You may be surprised how often the blank line turns out to be the costly one.

Once the table is full, calculate the cost per sellable pack and only then set the shelf price. That order keeps you from fixing a selling price first and hunting for a maker to fit it.

Start with a short brief

Read the private label briquette page first to see what Kora states and what is marked “set at quotation”. Then send your shape, volume and place of sale through the contact page. We reply within two business days, and if you plan to launch a briquette brand, the lines above are ready to be asked.