Your seasonal inventory calendar for the year ahead

Planning · 5 minute read

Seasonal products sell fast and then they are gone. Stock arrives late, shelves go empty, or you are left with boxes of Halloween candy in November. A simple calendar fixes most of this. Here is a year-ahead guide for a Canadian store, café or restaurant.

How to use a calendar

Work backwards from each event. As a rule of thumb, plan your order four to six weeks before the busy period starts, and get products on display two to three weeks ahead. Suppliers can run short on popular seasonal lines close to the date, so earlier is safer. Keep notes on what you sold last year, since your own numbers beat any general guide.

Winter: January to March

New Year (January): healthy snacks, beverages and entertaining supplies.
Lunar New Year (January or February): if your customers celebrate, stock related sweets, snacks and pantry items.
Valentine's Day (February 14): chocolate, candy and gift-style treats. Order in January.
Easter (March or April): chocolate, candy, baking ingredients and brunch items. The date moves each year, so check it early.

Spring and summer: April to August

Victoria Day weekend (May): the start of the barbecue and cottage season. Think cold drinks, snacks, ice and disposables.
Canada Day (July 1): cold drinks, snacks, and party supplies. Order in early June.
Summer heat: beverages, frozen treats and water move quickly, so keep coolers full and reorder often.
Back to school (late August): lunchbox snacks, drinks and grab-and-go items, plus stationery if you carry it.

Fall: September to November

Thanksgiving (October): pantry staples and baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices.
Halloween (October 31): the biggest candy week of the year. Order confectionery in September and avoid buying more than you can sell, since leftovers pile up fast.
Diwali (October or November): sweets, dry fruit and gifting items where it fits your customers. The date moves each year.

Holidays: December

Christmas and New Year's: baking, entertaining, snacks, beverages and gift items. Order in early November, and plan for supplier and carrier slowdowns in the last weeks of the year.

Other dates worth marking

Religious and cultural holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Ramadan and Eid, move every year. If they matter to your neighbourhood, put the dates in your calendar once the year's schedule is published and order the relevant foods in time.

Avoid leftover stock

Buy seasonal items in smaller amounts than you think you need and reorder if they sell out, rather than guessing high. Put leftovers on a markdown right after the event rather than holding them for a year, because cash back now is worth more than a perfect margin later.

Plan ahead with us. Apply for a business account and order your seasonal stock alongside your regular products.