Why loomlink
See the full cost and the real risk of every apparel factory, before you commit.
Agents, directories and AI sourcing tools can find you factories. loomlink shows you what each one will actually cost landed in Canada or the US, what could go wrong, and why it’s ranked where it is, so the decision is one you can defend.
Why most factory decisions go wrong
Weeks 1–3
The search starts on Google.
Cold emails, unchecked certificates, and the fastest reply wins.
Weeks 4–6
The FOB quote hides the real cost.
Freight, duty and commission surface later, at customs, when nothing can be renegotiated.
Weeks 8–14
The factory goes quiet.
With no backup factory, goods land late and go to markdown.
Net result
The brand absorbs the loss, blames the factory and starts again next season.
What loomlink does differently
Landed cost, not FOB.
Every factory is ranked on what your order will cost delivered: FOB, freight, insurance, duty by country of origin and commission, into Canada or the US. The cheapest quote is often not the cheapest factory.
Risk, stress-tested before you commit.
We read six risk areas for every brief: commodity prices, compliance and tariffs, energy, geopolitics, logistics and port congestion, and weather. We stress-test the shortlist against tariff, commodity and closure shocks. If duty or freight changes mid-order, we show you what it costs or saves, and nothing moves until you approve.
In-person audits, before any listing.
Our team will audit every factory on-site before it’s listed: pay records, working conditions, building and fire safety and, where a factory dyes or washes, a running treatment plant. A certificate earns a factory a visit, not a place. See our audit standard.
Rankings nobody can buy.
Factories can’t pay for placement. When you run production through us, our commission is set only by order size, is the same for every factory and country, and is disclosed before you order.
Six questions to ask any sourcing option
Ask them of your agent, a factory directory, an AI sourcing tool, or your own spreadsheet. Here are our answers.
| Ask any option | loomlink’s answer |
|---|---|
| What will this order cost landed in Canada or the US, not just FOB? | Every factory is ranked on full landed cost: FOB, freight, insurance, duty by country of origin and commission. |
| Who pays you, and can a factory pay to rank higher? | Factories can’t pay for placement. Our commission is set by order size, is the same for every factory, and is disclosed up front. |
| Has someone from your team been inside this factory? | Every factory will be audited on-site by our team before it’s listed. |
| What happens to my cost if duty or freight changes mid-order? | We model the change, show you the cost or saving, and nothing changes until you approve. |
| If this factory fails, what’s my backup? | Every shortlist is ranked, with alternates, often in a second country. |
| Can you show me why you picked it? | Every recommendation comes with a written record of the decision. |
Already have an agent or factories you trust? Keep them. Run their quotes through loomlink to check landed cost, compliance and record before you commit.
Same hoodie, three factories
3,000 organic-cotton hoodies, GOTS certified, to Toronto in 90 days.
Example run · 3,000 GOTS hoodiesRanked by landed cost
| Factory | FOB | Freight and fees | Duty | Landed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BD-14Bangladesh | $8.20 | $2.64 | 0% | $10.84 |
| VN-07Vietnam | $8.90 | $2.40 | 0% | $11.30 |
| BD-22Bangladesh | $8.70 | $2.92 | 0% | $11.62 |
BD-22 quotes below VN-07 but lands above it.
Illustrative example run. Figures are modelled, not quotes.
It has already happened
Four documented cases, and what loomlink can and can’t do about each.
Where we are today
loomlink is in early access. Our team will audit the first 50 factories for our June 2027 launch: 25 in Bangladesh, 15 in Vietnam and 10 in China. We start where our relationships are deepest, in Bangladesh. We don’t make garments or move freight. We help you decide, and if you want help past the shortlist, we quote that work up front.
Bring us your next brief.
loomlink is onboarding buyers directly during early access. When we launch in June 2027, every new account gets one free sourcing run.