Global wholesaleSet a reorder point for imported ready-stock products
Estimate when to reorder imported stock using sales rate, total replenishment time, safety stock, open orders and valid case quantities.
Measure the time until goods can be sold
Count supplier confirmation, picking or packing, export handling, transport, customs and your own receiving process. Ready stock may remove manufacturing time, but it does not remove the rest of the journey.
Use your actual completed shipments when available and record the route and season. Keep a separate estimate for an untested route. A quote's dispatch date should not be substituted for the date your store can sell the goods.
Calculate a starting trigger
A simple starting formula is average daily sales multiplied by replenishment days, plus safety stock. Use sellable units consistently and adjust for periods when the item was unavailable, because stockouts can hide demand.
Illustration only: two units per day, 30 days of total replenishment and 20 safety units give a trigger of 80 units. Those figures are hypothetical, not an Elosung shipping estimate or a recommended buffer for every retailer.
Check inventory position and pack constraints
Review on-hand sellable stock plus confirmed incoming units minus committed customer orders. Do not count an unconfirmed supplier offer as incoming inventory. Separate damaged goods and items that cannot be sold in the target market.
When the trigger is reached, calculate an order quantity against your target stock level and cash budget, then round to a valid supplier increment. Check MOQ, carton count and refreshed availability before requesting or accepting a quote.
Review the assumptions when conditions change
Seasonal demand, a promotion, a new transport route or a delayed shipment can change the appropriate trigger. Review forecast errors and actual replenishment time after each cycle rather than leaving the initial number untouched.
Track service problems and excess stock together. Raising safety stock can reduce shortage risk but also ties up cash. If the item is experimental or strongly seasonal, a planned final order date may be more useful than automatic replenishment.
Your buying checklist
- Sales rate adjusted for stockout periods
- Complete replenishment time
- A documented safety-stock assumption
- Confirmed incoming and committed units
- Valid order increment and current stock check