Your brand already sells polycarbonate luggage and wants to add a full-aluminum model. You may be launching your first suitcase under your own name, or expanding from individual cases into matching sets. Each plan calls for a different first order: which model leads the range, how quantities are split, and what branding, packaging and product information you need.
At Aluvox, we can start with an existing aluminum luggage model or discuss changes to the interior, components and exterior. First, we work through the product you want to add and what you want to keep or change. Then we put together the order mix. This guide explains that process for DTC brands, retailers, wholesalers and distributors.
1. Buy ready stock, add your logo, or customize the case?
These are different purchasing routes. Choose the one that matches how much of the product you need to change.
| Purchasing route | What you are buying | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-stock wholesale | Finished products already held in stock. | Available sizes and colors, replenishment, and whether your branding can be added. |
| Existing model with your logo | An existing case for your brand or a corporate project. | Logo method, position and appearance, plus the specifications that stay unchanged. |
| Customization of an existing model | A model with changes to its finish, interior or components. | Available options, sample work, cost and quantity requirements for each change. |
| New case development | A new design when an existing model cannot provide the shape or structure you need. | Development work, tooling, sample revisions and production requirements. |
If an existing model already suits your dimensions, appearance and intended use, keeping its structure lets you focus on the logo, interior colors and packaging. You do not need a new shell just to sell luggage under your own brand.
A different opening system, shell shape or internal layout may require more development. We review those changes against the chosen model before quoting them.
Adding your logo does not make the underlying design exclusive. Exclusive appearance, tooling ownership and territory rights need separate agreement.
2. Choose the aluminum case your product line needs
Your existing range gives us a useful starting point. A brand adding an aluminum model to a PC collection needs a different plan from a distributor introducing a matching carry-on and checked case.
Add full aluminum to an existing PC range
We can discuss retaining recognizable brand details—such as logo placement, interior organization and a compatible color scheme—while giving the aluminum model its own shell, frame, latches and finish.
Be clear about the construction you want. A PC shell with an aluminum frame is a combination structure; it is not a full-aluminum case. Describe the shell, frame and corner pieces separately in your brief and product listing. A metallic appearance alone does not identify the shell material.
If you want the frame-and-latch format with a PC shell, we can discuss that combination. If an aluminum shell is central to the product you want to sell, start with our full-aluminum models.
Add a checked case to an existing carry-on
Decide whether the two sizes will sell separately, as a set, or both. Separate sales allow different quantities, listings and packaging for each size. For a coordinated set, compare colors, interiors, hardware and packing together. Different sizes in one family do not necessarily use all the same components.
Launch your first aluminum luggage range
Tell us who the range is for and which product features matter. For a business-travel collection focused on short trips, we would discuss dimensions, empty weight, interior organization and carrying features. For a store introducing a coordinated range, we would also look at the appearance and configuration across sizes, and how customers will buy the combinations.
Choose a reference from our aluminum luggage range and tell us what you would keep or change. Once the product direction is clear, we can work through quantities.
3. Split your first order by size, model and color
Our regular bulk order starts at 300 pieces total, with mixed sizes and styles. The next decision is how those pieces support the range you plan to sell.
Give the main model—the one leading your photography, advertising or store display—a clear role. Complementary models may add a checked size or complete a set. Trial options may introduce another color or configuration. These roles do not need equal quantities.
If you already sell luggage, use your own sales records: which sizes are reordered, which colors sell consistently, whether buyers prefer singles or sets, and what your dealers request. Separate repeat demand from a one-off promotion.
For a new range without sales history, ask us to quote a primary mix and an alternative. For example, compare a carry-on-led order with one that includes more checked cases. This makes differences in product cost, packaging and inventory quantities easier to assess.
Color availability and any additional minimums depend on the model, finish and components. Mixing sizes and styles does not mean every special color or component is available in any quantity.
4. Count individual cases and retail sets separately
A two-piece set contains two cases, but it is one retail offer. Keep both counts visible in your sales plan and purchase order.
Example: allocating a 300-piece order
Illustrative quantities, not a recommended standard ratio.
200 carry-ons + 100 checked cases
50 carry-ons + 50 checked cases = 100 cases
150 carry-ons + 50 checked cases
If your sales plan calls for a different balance, adjust the order accordingly. You do not have to buy equal numbers of each size simply because you also offer sets. State whether each quoted quantity means individual pieces, retail sets or a complete batch.
Retail sets and shipping arrangements are separate decisions. Nesting a smaller case inside a larger one depends on actual fit, protective packing and the unpacking process. It should not be assumed from the size names alone.
If cases will sell individually, agree on individual cartons and labels. If they ship nested, plan how your warehouse will separate and repack them. Our aluminum luggage set guide covers set planning in more detail.
5. Use components and interiors to differentiate the range
You can retain a recognizable shell design while comparing wheels, interiors, hardware finishes and packaging. The useful changes are the ones that support the product’s intended use.
Compare wheels and handles on the complete case
For a wheel option, compare pushing, turning and rolling sound on the same case, with the same packed load and floor surface. Evaluate the handle as part of that case too. A component brand or photograph alone cannot show how the finished suitcase will perform.
Design the interior around what it needs to hold
For clothing organization, we can discuss divider panels, straps and separate storage bags. For files or a laptop, we need to consider access, usable space and how the item will be secured and protected—not simply add another pocket.
Send the item dimensions or a preferred layout. We can then assess usable space and access on the selected case. Review each size separately rather than assuming the carry-on layout can simply be enlarged.
Review hardware, logo and packaging together
For a corporate gift or a presentation-focused collection, review logo size and placement alongside hardware color, lining and packaging. Seeing these details together on a sample makes it easier to judge the overall result.
Whether a lock change requires tooling depends on the model and installation structure. A wheel change also needs a mounting check on the specific case.
Ask for the base configuration and upgrades to be quoted separately. For example, compare a wheel change while keeping the rest of the case unchanged. That gives you a clearer view of the added cost and the difference you can evaluate on the sample.
6. Understand the 50-piece logo and 300-piece bulk options
| Project | Starting quantity | What to send us |
|---|---|---|
| Logo on an existing model | From 50 pieces | Selected model, logo artwork, position and desired result. |
| Regular bulk order | 300 pieces total; mixed sizes and styles | Quantity mix, colors, interior, components and packaging requirements. |
| New model or special development | Confirmed for the project | Proposed shape, functions, changes and intended quantity. |
These minimums apply to different scopes of work; they are not two quantity tiers for the same customization package.
If you need your logo on an existing model, discuss the 50-piece option with us. If the project combines styles or changes interiors, colors and components, send the full brief so we can confirm the applicable order requirements.
The regular 300-piece minimum is for the total order, not 300 pieces of every style. New shapes, tooling and special components are assessed for the project. See our custom luggage MOQ guide for more on the order requirements.
Sample charges and timing depend on the work required. Plan separately for sample approval, production, factory dispatch and delivery to your warehouse. A completed production run is not the same as stock ready for sale at your destination.
7. Agree on costs, packaging and spare parts before ordering
Compare quotes for the same configuration
Make sure each quote identifies the model, size, components and interior, along with what is included for packaging, transport and spare parts. Cases with the same nominal size can have different specifications.
Separate the product price from logo work, sample or development charges and special packaging. For shipping, use actual carton dimensions, weights and the proposed shipping method. Our luggage export packing guide explains the packing details to agree on.
Prepare listing information from the approved sample
At sample approval, align the material description, external dimensions, empty weight, interior photographs, configuration and set contents with the final product. If the configuration changes, update the photographs and specifications together.
Give each size its own specifications and SKU information. Do not copy the carry-on’s weight, dimensions or interior details onto the checked-case listing.
Arrange spare parts with the order
We discuss spare parts with your brand or purchasing team while arranging the order, so your team can plan its own customer service. Agree on the part types, quantities, costs and shipping arrangements for the project.
Identify the model, size and installation version that each spare part fits. If a component changes on a repeat order, check compatibility with the spare parts you already hold. Similar-looking parts are not necessarily interchangeable.
8. Send us a short product and order brief
You do not need to select every component before contacting us. The following details give us enough context to discuss suitable models and the changes your range needs.
| Information | What to include |
|---|---|
| Product you want to add | For example, a full-aluminum model alongside your PC range, a checked size, or your first branded suitcase. |
| Sales channels | Your DTC website, retail stores, dealer network or a corporate project. |
| Reference model | A model or reference image, with the features you want to keep and change. |
| Size and quantity mix | Quantities by size, model and color, and whether you will sell singles, sets or both. |
| Budget and delivery | What your budget needs to cover, the destination and the required arrival date. |
| Branding and order support | Logo, packaging, listing information and spare-part requirements. |
If you are still comparing options, tell us which ones: carry-on only or carry-on plus checked case; logo only or a revised interior. We can discuss the differences before you finalize the order mix.
Send us your reference model, sales channel and estimated quantity. We will discuss suitable models and the changes you need, then work through the quote and sample requirements. Discuss your wholesale luggage order with Aluvox.
