How to Plan Your Reorders

A reorder is two decisions: when to place it and how much to buy. Get both roughly right and stock arrives just as you need it, in a quantity that keeps you selling without tying up cash or racking up storage fees. Get them wrong and you swing between stockouts and overstock, the two failures inventory management exists to avoid.

Time your reorder from your lead time and sales pace, using the reorder point from the stockouts guide. The rule is simple: place the order early enough that new stock arrives before the current stock runs out, with your safety buffer intact. When supply or demand is unpredictable, err on the early side, because being a little early costs some storage while being late costs sales and rank.

Order enough to last comfortably until your next reorder, guided by your forecast, without overbuying. It's a balance. Larger orders often earn better per-unit pricing and lower shipping per unit, but they tie up more cash and cost more to store. Smaller, more frequent orders keep you flexible and free up cash but cost more per unit. Where you land depends on your cash, your storage costs, and how confident you are in the forecast.

Reordering works best as a regular habit, not a scramble when shelves look bare. Review your stock, sales pace, and upcoming reorder points on a schedule, and place orders calmly and early. Sellers who reorder on a routine stay in stock and keep their cash working. Those who react to near-empty shelves live in a cycle of rushed, expensive restocks and stockouts.