Glossary
B2B Furniture Sourcing Glossary.
The acronyms, trade terms, and compliance shorthand that appear on every PO, B/L, and audit report. Bookmark it — share it with your team before the next factory call.
8 terms
Logistics & Freight
CBM
Cubic Meters
Volume measure used to price ocean and air freight. One 40HQ container holds ~76 CBM. Packable sofas reduce CBM per unit by ~70%.
FOB
Free On Board
Seller delivers goods to the agreed port and clears them for export. Buyer takes risk and cost from there. Most common Incoterm for first-time PackableSofa orders.
CIF
Cost, Insurance, and Freight
Seller pays freight to destination port plus marine insurance. Risk transfers when goods cross the ship's rail at origin.
DDP
Delivered Duty Paid
Seller handles everything to buyer's door including duties and last-mile. Highest seller commitment — usually quoted only after a working relationship.
FCL
Full Container Load
Buyer pays for and fills an entire 20-ft or 40-ft container. Standard mode for orders ≥ 200 units.
LCL
Less than Container Load
Cargo combined with other shippers' goods. Higher cost per CBM but viable for samples and pilot runs.
40HQ
40-Foot High-Cube Container
Standard ocean container, 76 CBM capacity. Packable holds ~280 sofa units vs ~70 traditional.
HS-9401
Harmonized System Code 9401
Customs classification covering seats convertible into beds, including packable sofas. Required on every B/L.
7 terms
Trading Terms
MOQ
Minimum Order Quantity
Smallest order we accept per SKU. Stock packable starts at 50, custom OEM at 100+, full ODM at 300+.
T/T
Telegraphic Transfer
Bank wire payment. PackableSofa standard: 30% T/T deposit, 70% against B/L copy.
L/C
Letter of Credit
Bank guarantees payment to seller against shipping documents. Available for orders above $50K USD.
OA
Open Account
Buyer pays after receiving goods (typically 60–90 days). Extended after 3 successful POs on T/T terms.
Incoterms 2020
International Commercial Terms
ICC rules defining seller/buyer responsibilities and risk transfer. We quote per Incoterm — buyer picks per market.
Pro-forma
Pro-forma Invoice
Preliminary invoice with full PO details. Used to release deposit and lock production slot.
B/L
Bill of Lading
Shipping receipt and title document. Buyer needs original B/L (or telex release) to clear customs.
7 terms
Compliance
CARB Phase 2
California Air Resources Board
Mandatory formaldehyde-emission standard for any wood-based composite shipped to the US. Without it, customs holds the container.
CertiPUR-US
Polyurethane Foam Certification
Foam tested for low VOC, no heavy metals, no PBDEs. Pairs with CARB for US market eligibility.
OEKO-TEX 100
Textile Safety Standard
Upholstery fabric tested for 100+ harmful chemicals. Required by most EU retailers for soft-furnishing private-label.
REACH
EU Chemical Compliance
Restricts SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) in any product entering the EU. Tested annually per current SVHC list.
BSCI
Business Social Compliance
Working conditions, wages, occupational safety. amfori-issued. Required by major EU/UK retail buyers.
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council
Chain-of-custody traceability for hardwood. Lets the buyer market the product as sustainably sourced.
ISO 9001
Quality Management Systems
Independent annual audit of our internal QA. Buyers rely on this for SKU-to-SKU consistency.
8 terms
Manufacturing
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
Buyer provides full spec + brand; we build to spec. The buyer owns the design IP.
ODM
Original Design Manufacturer
Buyer provides positioning brief; we design and engineer. We share design IP per agreement.
OBM
Original Brand Manufacturer
We supply finished branded SKU; buyer is a reseller. Most common with distributors.
SPO
Special Project Order
One-off project (hospitality fit-out, retail rollout) outside standard product line.
BOM
Bill of Materials
Itemised list of every component, supplier, and cost. Issued with each OEM quote.
AQL
Acceptable Quality Limit
Statistical sample-inspection standard. PackableSofa default: AQL 2.5 (~95% lot acceptance).
PSI
Pre-Shipment Inspection
Third-party (SGS / BV / Intertek) inspects random samples before container loads. Buyer pays inspection firm directly.
CNC
Computer Numerical Control
Automated cutting on wood frames and foam. Holds ±0.5 mm tolerance — eliminates frame variance.
6 terms
Materials & Testing
Wyzenbeek
Fabric Abrasion Test (ASTM D4157)
Double-rub count fabric survives before showing wear. 50K = retail standard, 100K = heavy-duty / contract.
Martindale
EU Abrasion Test (ISO 12947)
European equivalent of Wyzenbeek. 20K = retail, 40K+ = commercial use.
Foam Density
kg/m³
Higher = more durable. 28 kg/m³ economy, 35+ kg/m³ standard, 45+ kg/m³ premium / hospitality.
ILD
Indentation Load Deflection
Foam firmness measure. Higher ILD = firmer seat. Standard 28–32 ILD for couch cushions.
Rebound
Resilience Test
Percentage of energy returned when foam is compressed and released. >50% = high-resilience.
Wood Moisture
% Water in Hardwood
Furniture frame standard: 8–12%. Outside this range, joints warp or split.
5 terms
Packable-Specific
Vacuum Compression
Air Removal Process
Industrial vacuum chamber evacuates 95% of air from a finished sofa, reducing volume by ~10:1. Trademarked process names exist — ours is generic mechanical vacuum.
Decompression
Cushion Recovery
Once unpacked, cushions absorb air and reach 95–98% of stated dimensions within 24 hours.
Compression Ratio
Volume Saving
PackableSofa standard: 10:1 (one packed sofa occupies the volume of 0.1 traditional units).
Edge Protector
Foam Corner Pad
Pre-formed foam corners inside the carton to prevent rubbing damage during ocean transit.
Double-Wall Carton
Reinforced Box
5-ply corrugated carton, 1,200 lb burst strength. Standard for packable to survive stacking 8-high in container.
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