A South American lace wholesaler’s firsthand experience: Ocean Star’s free hot-melt yarn samples reduced my customer development costs by 30%

A South American lace wholesaler’s firsthand experience: Ocean Star’s free hot-melt yarn samples reduced my customer development costs by 30%

Having navigated the South American lace market for years, what’s the biggest headache for wholesalers like us? It’s not finding potential customers, but rather the bottomless pit of “hidden costs” in customer development. To impress a clothing brand buyer, we have to commission custom-made lace samples of different materials, with dyes, labor, and logistics adding up to tens of dollars per sample. Even after finally sending them out, they might be rejected due to uneven yarn dyeing or poor abrasion resistance, wasting all our initial investment. Not to mention, meeting customers’ specific color requirements requires repeated communication with suppliers, and the longer the cycle drags on, the more likely the customer is to be snatched away by competitors.

Things only started changing last year when I came across Ocean Star’s PA11 hot-melt yarn. Especially their free sample service, which directly eliminated the most “money-burning” part of customer development. Combined with the yarn’s inherent quality, my customer development costs decreased by a full 30% in just six months.

Free Samples: Cutting the “Trial and Error Costs” of Customer Development, Encouraging More Acceptance and Negotiation

In my fifth year doing lace wholesale in São Paulo, Brazil, I used to spend at least 2,000 reais (about $380 USD) per month on samples. For example, early last year, a client who made maternity wear wanted light apricot-colored stretch lace. I contacted my previous supplier to customize a sample, and the dyeing and yarn costs alone amounted to 120 reais. However, the client said the color was “too yellowish and didn’t meet the requirements for maternity wear,” so the sample was immediately discarded—this happened two or three times every month.

Later, I met Ocean Star at an industry trade show. Their sales representative told me, “For South American lace wholesalers, we offer free samples of PA11 heat-fused yarn, ranging from 70D/24F sewing yarn to 150D/48F lace weaving yarn. Just tell us the customer’s specifications, and we can send samples, and even pre-dye them to the customer’s desired color.” Initially, I was skeptical, but I applied for three different sizes of light apricot samples. To my surprise, I received them within a week—the yarn packaging was printed with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and ISO 9001 certifications, and included a dyeing test report, which I could show directly to the customer. The maternity wear customer, after seeing the samples, immediately placed a small trial order because “the mother-and-baby grade certification and color stability were more reassuring than the previous samples.”

Now I apply for at least 5 free samples every month, and I no longer hesitate about whether the client will want them or whether the samples will be approved—the cost of trial and error is almost zero. Faced with client needs, I dare to accept and negotiate. Even high-end lingerie brands that I previously wouldn’t touch now proactively provide samples.

The inherent strength of PA11 hot-melt yarn: From dyeing to durability, every step reduces costs.

Free samples are just the beginning. What truly makes Ocean Star indispensable is the “hidden cost” savings that PA11 hot-melt yarn itself provides. South American clients have very clear requirements for lace: accurate color, soft feel, and wash and wear resistance. Previously, when using PET yarn, these points were always prone to problems. Now, switching to PA11 hot-melt yarn, I’ve almost never encountered these issues.

For example, in the dyeing process, previously, dyeing dark purple with PET yarn required repeated adjustments to the dye ratio, taking 3 days and generating a large amount of wastewater. The processing fee charged by the dyeing factory was 40% higher than for ordinary colors. However, PA11 hot-melt yarn has exceptional dyeability. Ocean Star’s technicians say it produces “at least 50% less carbon dioxide emissions than PET.” In practice, dyeing the same deep purple can be completed in just one day, directly reducing processing costs by 25%.

Last month, I made lace samples for an Argentinian wedding dress brand. They required that the lace “remain colorfast and undeformed after 20 washes.” I used Ocean Star’s PA11 DTY 70D/72F yarn for the samples, and the client reported that “the lace remained crisp and didn’t pill after washing”—unlike other yarns, which would deform after just 10 washes, incurring hundreds of dollars more in rework costs.

More importantly, this durability has created a “word-of-mouth effect.” My existing clients now actively recommend new clients to me because “lace made with Ocean Star yarn has a low return rate, reducing our customer retention costs.” For example, a Chilean swimwear brand, after partnering with me last year, not only increased their orders this year but also introduced me to swimwear clients in two neighboring countries—this is much cheaper than me personally attending trade shows and sending emails to develop clients.

More than just yarn: Ocean Star’s “South American fit” service helped me avoid many pitfalls. Anyone who operates in the South American market knows that besides the product itself, details like customs clearance, delivery time, and customization requirements also involve significant costs. What surprised me most about Ocean Star was that they didn’t just sell yarn; they also helped me solve these “South American-specific problems.”

For example, customs clearance. Brazil’s INMETRO certification is very strict. Previously, using yarn from other suppliers, due to the lack of corresponding certification documents, containers were held up at the port for 15 days, incurring $800 in demurrage fees alone. Now, Ocean Star prepares the bio-based certification and environmental testing reports for my PA11 yarn in advance. For three shipments in the second half of last year, customs clearance took less than three days, saving me a considerable amount in demurrage fees and late payment charges.

There are also customization needs. South American customers prefer “niche specifications.” For example, last month a customer wanted 40D/36F semi-matte yarn for ultra-thin lace. The previous supplier said it would take two months to produce, but Ocean Star said they had an existing customization production line and could deliver in 15 days. Ultimately, I received the goods 25 days faster than my competitors, and the customer immediately placed their entire quarterly order with me—you know, in the South American market, being “one step ahead” often means “one more order.”

In conclusion: For South American lace wholesalers, choosing the right yarn is choosing the right cost solution.

After so many years in wholesale, I’ve come to understand more and more that customer development costs aren’t saved by cutting corners, but rather earned by choosing the right supplier. Previously, I always thought about “controlling the number of samples” and “lowering the unit price of yarn,” but the result was that substandard samples and product problems led to lost customers and financial losses.

Now, with Ocean Star’s free PA11 hot melt yarn samples, I no longer need to spend money on trial and error; with the dyeability and durability of PA11 yarn, I no longer have headaches about rework and returns; and with their customs clearance and customization services adapted to South America, I no longer need to go through detours in the process. In six months, my customer development costs have decreased by 30%, but the number of customers has increased by 20%—this is probably the meaning of “choosing the right partner.”