WayhomartPrivate-label wine racks: three documents
An exclusive structure is not a promise in an email. It lives in three documents: tooling and fixture ownership, the scope of exclusivity, and the inspection standard built on signed samples.
Challenge
The brand needs a wine rack structure that differs from competitors and wants no equivalent supplied to others during the term; the colour box is designed by the brand, but dieline ownership and transferability on a supplier change were undefined.
What we did
Develop the exclusive structure on dedicated fixtures with the load path set by bottle weight distribution and tier spacing confirmed against the standard bottle; define tooling and fixture ownership plus exclusivity scope in the contract; the brand holds the dieline file, the factory cuts it, and transfer conditions are agreed; inspection references signed sample, colour standard and packaging approval.
Result
- Exclusive structure, not supplied to others during the term
- Tooling and fixture ownership and exclusivity scope written into the contract
- Dieline held by the brand, transferable on a supplier change
What this file records
A configuration file, not a client story. Client identities and commercial figures are not published; no number is given where none was measured.
A wine rack has fewer variables than it looks
| Variable | What it decides | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle diameter and length | Tier spacing and cradle opening | Testing with a single standard bottle |
| Tier count and tilt | Access and centre of gravity | Tall unit without a weighted base |
| Load path | How bottle weight reaches the floor | Cradle held by a single weld |
The third is the one people miss: a bottle is a concentrated load, and a cradle welded for shear only will loosen over time. That is solved with fixture location and weld count, not by thickening the wire.
“Exclusive” has to be three things
- Tooling and fixture ownership. Who pays, who owns, whether it can transfer.
- Scope of exclusivity. Same design, or same structure? Too wide and the factory cannot take other work; too narrow and there is no protection.
- Term and renewal. What happens at expiry and on what terms.
A contract saying “guaranteed exclusive” and nothing else will not help in a dispute.
Settle the dieline first
A brand-designed box raises a practical question: who holds the file, and whose name is the tool in.
The usual arrangement: the brand holds the artwork and dieline drawing; the factory cuts the physical tool under an agreement that it can be transferred or retired at the end of the term, with the cost amortisation stated. That way a supplier change does not mean redrawing.
Inspect against signed samples
Private-label disputes usually come from a standard that does not exist. Workable basis:
- Structure and appearance — the signed sample, one copy retained at the factory.
- Colour — the physical colour standard.
- Packaging — the packaging approval sample.
With all three signed, inspection has a reference. See sample versus production.
When not to develop an exclusive structure
- First-order volume cannot amortise dedicated fixtures.
- The brand has not validated the market, so the structure may change.
- A near-equivalent structure already exists, and a new appearance would differentiate enough.
Where to go next
- Exclusivity and tooling policy: frequently asked questions.
- The tooling threshold: when dedicated tooling pays.
- Wine rack range: wine racks.
- Structure sketch and contract framework: contact us.
Related product ranges
Send us your drawing or sample
Tell us the application, target market and annual volume. Our engineering team will review feasibility, tooling and lead time.
