PRICING AND INVENTORY
How to Plan Seasonal Stock for a Clothing Resale Business
Demand for second-hand clothing moves with the weather, festivals, weddings and the school or college year. Stock that arrives after the peak sells slowly and ties up cash.
Seasonal planning means deciding what to have on sale, and when, far enough ahead to source, sort and list it.
MAP YOUR YEAR
Know your own seasons.
Weather
When your customers switch between light fabrics, rainwear and layers. This differs between regions.
Occasions
Festivals, weddings and events your customers dress for. Ask them rather than assume.
Calendar moments
College terms, holidays and paydays can change when people shop.
Your own records
Monthly sales by category show your real peaks; see sell-through by category.
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE
Work back from the on-sale date.
A hypothetical plan for stock that should be on sale by a chosen date. Lead times vary by supplier, route and season; ask your supplier and transporter for realistic ones.
Starting the enquiry six weeks before the on-sale date leaves a little room for delays.
Hypothetical example only.
| Stage | Start |
|---|---|
| Enquiry and quotation | 6 weeks |
| Payment and dispatch | 5 weeks |
| Transport and delivery | 4 weeks |
| Sorting and inspection | 2 weeks |
| Photos, listing and display | 1 week |
| On sale | 0 |
OFF-SEASON STOCK
Store it or sell it?
Items that arrive out of season, for example in a mixed bale, have to wait or move.
- Store clean, dry and labelled by season; see planning bale storage.
- Hold only what you expect to sell next season, and count it as cash tied up.
- Sell the rest now through bundles or trade buyers if storage is short.
END OF SEASON
Clear before the next.
Decide the clearance plan before the season starts.
- Mark down on a schedule as the season ends; see managing unsold inventory.
- Record what was left over, and order less of it next year; see planning repeat orders.
- Check the plan against your cash flow forecast, since seasonal orders often need cash weeks before sales.
NEXT STEP
Planning for next season?
Enquire early with your categories, quantity and target on-sale date, and ask for realistic lead times before you commit.
Hypothetical figures for illustration only. Lead times, demand and seasons vary by location and supplier; plan with your own information.