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Easter Sunday falls on 28 March 2027. UK Mothering Sunday is 7 March 2027. For a retail programme, that means shelves are set in early February and the goods have to be in the warehouse before that. Work backwards through a Chinese New Year that falls on 6 February 2027, and the order window closes much earlier than most buyers expect.
That is the structural problem with Easter. The shelf date is fixed by the retail calendar; the production date is fixed by a holiday that moves every year. In 2027 the two sit unusually close together, and the gap between a comfortable order and a rushed one is only a few weeks.
November 2026 — range decision. Finalise the SKU list, colour direction and packaging format across your Easter decorations. Run the sample round now, because sampling time depends on the product: a stock ceramic item moves quickly, a new mould or a hand-painted finish does not. Agree target FOB, MOQ and the carton spec in the same conversation, so the quote you approve is the quote that ships.
December 2026 — place the order. Approve samples, artwork and packaging dielines. Issue the PO before mid-December to secure capacity ahead of Chinese New Year. Factories plan their January line time in December; a PO that arrives in January competes with every other late buyer for the same few weeks.
January 2027 — production and inspection. Bulk production runs through January, with pre-shipment inspection before packing. Book freight early: space tightens and rates rise in the pre-CNY rush, and a booking made in the first week of January is worth more than a discount negotiated in the last week.
Late January to 6 February 2027 — ex-factory. Goods should leave the factory before it closes for Chinese New Year. Sea freight from Ningbo typically takes 30–40 days to Northern Europe, 18–25 days to the US West Coast and 30–35 days to the US East Coast. A container leaving in the last week of January reaches Europe around late February or early March — in time for retail set-up, but with no room for a second shipment.
After 6 February 2027 — the expensive window. Factories restart in mid-to-late February. Sea freight booked then arrives after Easter. Air and express still work, but the freight cost usually removes the margin from low-value decor. That option is for replenishment, not for the main order.
Mothering Sunday on 7 March sits three weeks before Easter, and UK retail sets the gifting fixture in early February. Goods need to be in the country by late January, which pushes ex-factory into December — before the main Easter production window even starts.
Buyers running both dates should split the order rather than treat it as one shipment. Send the Mothering Sunday range first: smaller quantity, tighter deadline, higher value per unit — typically candle holders, photo frames and small gifting pieces rather than volume decor. Then run the Easter volume in January. Trying to ship both together usually means the earlier date is late and the later date carries the cost.
A supplier who quotes in January is quoting on leftover capacity. A supplier who quotes in November is quoting on a plan. The questions that separate the two are straightforward:
For a category with a moving date, the answers matter more than the unit price. A saving of a few cents that costs a week of production time is not a saving.
Easter ranges cross several regulatory boxes at once, especially when ceramics, party table pieces, textiles and gift packaging ship together:
Ask for the documents with the sample, not with the shipping documents. A certificate that arrives after production is a problem, not a formality.
What is the last safe order date for Easter 2027? For sea freight, place the PO by early December 2026 and aim for ex-factory before Chinese New Year on 6 February 2027. For air freight, mid-February is the practical limit, at a higher landed cost.
What is the typical MOQ? Around 500 pieces per SKU for most Easter decor, with mixed colours and mixed SKUs accepted. Lower quantities are possible when the item is combined with other categories in the same order.
Can Easter be mixed with other categories? Yes. Easter and other seasonal ranges, party table, candle holders and photo frames are commonly consolidated into one container, which spreads freight across the whole range instead of one season.
When should samples be approved? By early December 2026. That leaves time for one revision before the January production slot, without pushing the ex-factory date into the post-CNY window.
Which certificates should be ready before production? REACH and Prop 65 declarations, GPSR responsible-person details, packaging EPR registration and, where relevant, food-contact and FSC documentation. Confirm them at sample stage.
If you are building an Easter 2027 range, send the SKU list and target price. We will come back with a costed shortlist, a production calendar and a container plan that fits the dates above. Get in touch.