For years the default lamp programme was import-direct, container by container, with the savings spent on freight risk. In 2026 more buyers keep a US-stocked buffer, and the reason is less about delivery time than about not being exposed to a rate change mid-programme.
Why stock moved from nice-to-have to hedge
A lamp programme sized around a single container arrival is one policy headline away from a reprice or a delay. Holding stock in the US turns a volatile landed cost into a known one, at the expense of capital tied up in inventory.
What the shift costs and saves
US stock costs more per unit and more in carrying cost, but it removes the two failures that actually hurt: the empty shelf during a delay and the forced reprice mid-season. For a range with steady sellers, the math favours a buffer.
- Identify the 20% of SKUs that are 80% of volume
- Stock those in the US; import the long tail direct
- Re-price the buffer quarterly, not per container
The assortment consequence
A US-stocked programme rewards a tighter, deeper assortment over a wide shallow one. Fewer SKUs held deeper beats many SKUs held thin, because the stock that matters is the stock that sells every week.
A wide assortment with no US depth is a programme that stocks out of the wrong things.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stock everything in the US?
Rarely. Stock the steady sellers that sell every week; import the long tail direct. The buffer is for the volume, not the catalogue.
Does US stock remove tariff exposure?
It does not remove the duty, but it removes the timing exposure — you are not repricing mid-programme because a container is stuck or a rate moved.
Sourcing lamps for your business?
We stock the Anrotix range in Fontana, California — complete with LED bulbs and accessories — and supply from 10 units, mixed across SKUs.
Request wholesale pricingRelated product: Anrotix US dealers and stockists — where regional stock and wholesale terms are listed
Recruiting regional partners worldwide — help@anrotix.cn