How do you plan stock for wedding season?

Wedding season can bring two kinds of demand to a small seller. There are individual orders from guests and family, and there are larger enquiries for gifts, favours or hampers. The second kind is lumpy, which is what makes stock planning tricky.

Separate your two demand streams

Keep these apart in your head and in your records:

• Regular and guest orders, which arrive one at a time
• Bulk or gifting enquiries, which arrive as a few big requests

If you mix them, one large order can look like a trend and lead you to overbuy. Or it can drain stock that your regular customers needed.

Use enquiries as your signal

You do not need a forecast. You need a record. Keep a simple sheet with the date, what the person asked for, quantity, needed-by date and whether it became an order. After a few weeks you will see what is being asked for and how often it converts. Our guide on customer service reply templates for bulk order enquiries will help you reply quickly and capture the details.

Do not count a vague "maybe" as a firm order. Count it as interest, and plan only for what is confirmed plus a modest cushion.

Protect yourself with advance commitment

For large orders, ask for a part payment before you buy materials or make stock. A confirmed order with an advance is a very different thing from an enquiry. The reasoning is in when to ask for a part payment on COD and in bulk orders and lot pricing.

Count your lead time honestly

Wedding buyers have a fixed date, and being late is not forgivable. For every item, write the days needed to source or make it, pack it and ship it, plus a buffer. If you make things to order, a clear limit on how many such orders you accept in a week keeps you from over-promising. See what is made to order and what is lead time.

Keep a stock cushion for regular orders

Before you commit to a large order, check what is left for regular customers. Hold a small reserve so you are not telling an ordinary buyer "sold out" because a bulk order took everything. For your best sellers, safety stock, a simple calculation is a useful method.

Worked example

Say a seller of small boxed items has 200 in stock and sells about 25 a week. An enquiry arrives for 120 pieces needed in four weeks. If she accepts, she has 80 left, which covers about three weeks of regular sales, and she must restock in time. If her supplier needs three weeks, that might be fine. If it needs five, she either asks for a delivery that allows restocking or limits the order. The numbers are made up, but the check is real.

Know your minimums

Decide the minimum quantity you will take for a custom or bulk order, and the price at that quantity. See what is MOQ for sellers.

Plan the cash

Stock and packaging for a big order must be paid for before you are paid. See what is working capital for sellers and plan accordingly.

Summary

• Track bulk and regular demand separately
• Log enquiries and what converts
• Take advances on large orders
• Write the lead time and a buffer for each item
• Keep a reserve for regular buyers
• Check cash before you commit

Plan for the demand you can see, and be ready to say no politely to what you cannot deliver on time.