Lead Time Management: Smarter Wholesale Ordering for Toy & Miniature Retailers
Lead Time (Wholesale Ordering) is the duration between placing an order with a supplier and receiving the goods. It includes production, packing, transit, customs, and handling delays.
In miniature and toy retail, lead time dictates restocking schedules for trending toys, faction boxes, and terrain kits. Longer lead times require more careful forecasting to maintain Amazon stocklist continuity. Amazon FBA products with stable sales velocity must be reordered early to avoid stockouts, which damage ranking. Toy wholesale suppliers communicate lead times to help retailers plan profitable toys wholesale purchases and manage seasonal spikes.
Example in practice:
A retailer knows that restocking Armada fleet boxes from a distributor takes three weeks. They reorder as soon as inventory falls below a four-week buffer.
Why does this matter?
Managing lead time:
- Prevents stockouts
- Stabilises cash flow
- Improves forecasting accuracy
