Around this time of year, many retailers and brand reps are working together to lock in start-of-year orders.
This is an important time of year because the orders you lock in now will determine your cash flow, your warehouse capacity, and your stress levels come December.
There’s definitely a temptation to look at last year’s spreadsheet, add a 10% growth target, and call that a strategy.
But before you commit your budget to big inventory buys, you need to validate your gut feelings with hard numbers. By running these five specific data checks, you can ensure you know what to pull, what to look for, and how to use it to make smarter decisions.
The Goal: Stop reordering vanity winners (high volume, low margin) and double down on the SKU-door combinations that actually make money.
What to Pull: Look at your last 6–12 months of sales data, but don't just look at the totals. You need to slice it by style/SKU and by channel (like premium golf shops vs. off-price chains vs. ecommerce).
What to Look For:
You might find that Style A generated huge revenue but had a massive markdown rate, so it’s risky to repeat at the same volume. Meanwhile, Style B had moderate sales but sold at full price with zero returns. That is your quiet hero. Use this data to build a protected core list of must-buys and flag the high-risk styles for redesign or retirement.
The Goal: Reduce returns and dead stock by aligning your future orders with actual human demand, not just standard pre-packs.
What to Pull: Pull your sell-through reports broken down by size, color, and region.
What to Look For:
Update your standard size curves in your B2B platform. If your data shows that your Southern territory sells 20% more mediums in lightweight fabrics than the Northeast, adjust your buy depth accordingly. This is where a platform like RepSpark shines. It allows you to analyze these specific attributes quickly, so you aren't shipping winter coats to warm climates.
The Goal: Ensure you aren't committing new dollars to categories where old inventory is quietly killing your cash flow.
What to Pull:
How much working capital is locked up in stock that is older than 90 days? Are specific categories (like outerwear or accessories) clogging up your warehouse?
If you are long on jackets, tighten your Q1 buy for that category immediately. Don't just keep buying because "that's what we do in Q1." Use this data to design immediate pack-and-hold strategies or targeted promos to clear the clog before new goods arrive.
The Goal: Don't plan your launch calendar around perfect execution if last year’s operations told a different story.
What to Pull:
Identify the suppliers or third-party logistics lanes that consistently caused delays in 2025. Did a specific factory always ship two weeks late? Did fulfillment errors spike during peak season?
If a supplier is chronically late, add a buffer to your lead times for this year’s buy. Do not plan a major marketing launch for the day goods are supposed to arrive. Adjust your launch timing to reflect reality, or shift volume to more reliable partners to protect your retailer relationships.
The Goal: Align your buy levels with the true health of each account, not just their legacy status.
What to Pull:
What to Look For: Which accounts are growing and profitable? Which ones are shrinking or constantly hitting you with chargebacks? Are there digital channels or specialty boutiques that are turning inventory faster than the big boxes?
Scale up your commitments for your high-performing, high-trust partners. Conversely, if a major account is struggling to pay on time or isn't moving product, it is time to tighten their assortment or reduce their credit limit. Use this data to justify pruning your door list to focus on quality over quantity.
Q1 shouldn't be a guessing game. By running these five data checks, you turn a stressful planning season into a repeatable ritual.
If you are ready to connect your sell-through, inventory, and account data so these checks take hours instead of weeks, set some time with our team to hear how RepSpark can help you see the full picture before you spend a dime.
Why is Q1 a critical time for inventory planning?
Q1 is when brands set their baseline for the year. It involves finalizing budgets, releasing new lines, and committing to production orders. Mistakes made in Q1, like overbuying poor styles or underestimating lead times, often ripple through the rest of the year, causing stockouts or markdowns in Q4.
What is the difference between vanity winners and true profitability?
A vanity winner is a style that generates high revenue volume but relies on heavy discounts or high marketing spend to move, resulting in low profit. True profitability looks at the gross margin and sell-through rate to identify products that contribute to the bottom line without eroding brand value.
How does inventory aging affect open-to-buy (OTB) planning?
Inventory aging refers to how long stock has been sitting in your warehouse. If a significant portion of your capital is tied up in old inventory (90+ days), it reduces your available cash and warehouse space. You must clear this aged stock before committing to new OTB purchases to avoid cash flow crunches.