Reverse-engineer your delivery date
Start with the date the goods must be in your warehouse. Subtract transit time (sea or air), bulk production (4-6 weeks), and sampling/approval (2-4 weeks).
Most holiday programs should be locked and sampled by late summer to ensure a clean path through production and shipping.
Compress the approval loop
The fastest way to save time is to approve samples quickly. Having a clear brief and a decisive review team saves more weeks than factory acceleration ever can.
Consider air-freighting the final bulk order if the sampling phase ran longer than expected.
- Lock designs 4-5 months before the launch
- Plan for 2 weeks of sampling and 1 week of approval
- Allow 4-6 weeks for bulk production and QC
- Factor in 4-5 weeks for sea freight or 1 week for air