Shorts: wholesale price
A typical US business buyer pays a median of $8.00 per unit at small order quantities, falling to $4.20 at volume, on a typical 30-day lead time. These medians come from published supplier pricing. Treat them as a starting point for a sourcing conversation rather than a binding quote.
Median price by order quantity
| Order size | Median /unit |
|---|---|
| 500–999 units | $8.00 |
| 1,000–4,999 units | $7.00 |
| 5,000–9,999 units | $6.00 |
| 10,000–24,999 units | $5.50 |
| 25,000–99,999 units | $4.80 |
| 100,000+ units | $4.20 |
What moves the price
For shorts, the drivers are size run, fabric weight, blend, print method, color count — the same item can land at either end of the band depending on how those are specified.
For mid-range custom shorts, the biggest price drivers are fabric choice and GSM, construction details like mesh lining or pockets, and decoration method such as screen print, heat transfer, or embroidery. Real supplier routes that fit this ladder are OEM/ODM garment factories and wholesale marketplaces offering FOB or factory-direct bulk pricing; US-facing resellers typically sit above factory-direct landed-equivalent pricing. The quoted ranges above are anchored to bulk/FOB-style offers and wholesale listings for gym/athletic shorts, with lower costs generally requiring simpler fabrics, fewer decoration colors, and larger size-run efficiency.
Paying more than the median?
If you reorder shorts regularly, run a free savings check — enter what you pay and see it against these researched medians, item by item. About three minutes, no card or account.