One of CK NAKA’s proudest achievements is winning the nationwide Thai bid for this bag. Starbucks (Thailand) ordered laptop bags in 100% nylon with the Starbucks logo and the circular S emblem screen-printed on the front. The details: a laptop bag, notebook case, and MacBook sleeve that is waterproof, shock-absorbing, and scratch-resistant; zipper pulls stamped with the Starbucks name; a thick, soft interior lining on a generously sized bag — waterproof, dustproof, tightly sewn inside, and built to last. It is a versatile bag with a double-belt shoulder strap padded with two layers of foam to prevent shoulder pain and strap twisting; a velcro closure that holds the bag firmly shut; one front pocket and four interior pockets; and a strap adjustable at the side of the bag. The front of the bag uses leather embossing — a raised embossed Starbucks logo with a laser-cut leather circle — and the Starbucks lettering is screen-printed in white rubber ink, exactly as the customer ordered. The order was for 200,000 units with a production lead time of 120 days after the customer sent the purchase order (PO).
The production process began with the customer asking us to estimate price and lead time. We produced a sample bag and submitted it with a quotation and production schedule within 10 days. We had to compete against every factory in the country: Starbucks opened the bid nationwide, and any factory could submit its bag with a sealed price envelope directly to Starbucks (Thailand). We won the bid on both price and lead time — we are confident we won because we own our own leather-embossing and screen-printing facilities, giving us full control over cost and schedule and the ability to meet all of the customer’s delivery dates. Once the customer confirmed the order, we began by bringing fabric, hardware, raw materials, zipper pulls, leather, and thread into the factory. With materials ready, we cut the fabric to the bag pattern, then sent it to our own embossing shop — the embossing block for the Starbucks logo had already been made at the sampling stage, which keeps production fast; the difficult, slow step is producing the customer’s sample. After embossing the logo and screen-printing the Starbucks logo onto the fabric, we assembled the bags, finishing with the double-belt shoulder strap and the printed front panel sewn onto the finished bag. After sewing, the bags went through quality control (QC) and packing, and our shipping department delivered the order to Starbucks (Thailand). The customer requested 60-day credit terms for billing; when the 60 days were up, we sent a messenger to collect the cheque from the customer.