The Import Calendar: Where Six Weeks Disappear

Buyers plan around a single lead-time figure and then wonder why stock arrives late. The figure is usually production only. The calendar that matters has six segments, and the last one is the one that gets quoted to a customer.

The six segments

For a typical lamp programme from Asia to a US warehouse, plan on this shape rather than a single number:

Peak season compresses everything

The weeks before a major retail season are when factories are full, vessels are full and receiving appointments are scarce. A programme planned against an off-peak calendar will miss its window by three to five weeks, and that is the difference between selling at full margin and clearing after the season.

Approval delays are self-inflicted

Artwork, packaging and specification approvals sit inside the programme's control. Every day spent deciding on a carton colour is a day added to the front of the calendar, and it costs nothing to fix by deciding earlier.

Plan backwards from the shelf date

Take the date the product must be on the shelf, subtract the segment durations, and put the resulting order date in the calendar as a deadline rather than an intention. Then subtract a contingency of one to two weeks, which will be used.

Domestic replenishment changes the calendar

Stock held in the destination market converts a six-to-twelve week cycle into a two-to-five day cycle. That is the real product a domestic stockist sells, and it is worth pricing as such rather than as a premium on the unit price.

Frequently asked questions

What drives lamp import lead time

Lead time is the sum of supplier production, quality inspection, factory-to-port transit, ocean transit, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery. Each step has its own variability, so the realistic calendar is the stack of all of them, not just the ocean leg.

How far ahead should I plan lamp reorders

Plan reorders around the full pipeline plus a buffer for peak-season port congestion and holiday closures at the factory. A calendar built only on ocean transit will miss the production and clearance steps and arrive late.

Can lead time be shortened

Holding domestic stock, using a faster but costlier freight mode for urgent fills, and booking factory time early all shorten the effective calendar. The trade-off is cost and cash tied up in inventory, so match the method to how urgent the replenishment is.