You ordered confidently in spring — half the range went to clearance by August.
The hidden risk
Dead stock doesn't happen because a style is bad — it happens because the style's life cycle didn't match the season. Suppliers chase seasonal trends and forget to ask whether the design has cross-season appeal.
How to judge
For every seasonal piece, ask: will the customer still want this in 4 months? Will she find a 6-month newer alternative?
What the supplier must provide
Honest input on whether a style has cross-season potential or is locked to its season.
How DONGFAN handles it
DONGFAN flags seasonal vs cross-season when we develop a sample, so range planning can allocate reorderable SKUs early — instead of having the season surprise you at stocktake.
Buyer checklist
- Tag each SKU as seasonal vs cross-season
- Cap seasonal SKUs in a range
- Audit clearance % at end of season
- Track cross-season reorder velocity
- Set a reorderability threshold per SKU
- Treat dead stock as a planning failure