A hospitality textile distributor should reorder each core SKU when stock on hand plus stock already on order falls to the expected sales during the full lead time, plus safety stock. For repeat programmes from India, full lead time is often around four months door to door. So the decision to reorder is made long before a shelf looks empty.
Which SKUs deserve a standing restock plan?
Not every line needs the same treatment. Split the range by how often it sells and how easily a customer can accept a substitute.
| Group | Typical items | How to restock |
|---|---|---|
| Core | White bath and hand towels, white percale sheets, pillow covers | Fixed spec, regular reorders, highest safety stock |
| Secondary | Bath mats, bathrobes, pool towels, duvet covers | Reorder alongside core lines, lower safety stock |
| Made to order | Custom colours, logo work, unusual sizes | Order against a customer commitment, hold no speculative stock |
Keep the core group short. Every extra GSM or size splits your volume, makes minimums harder to reach and adds another line that can run out. Hotel customers also care less about variety than about getting the same 500 GSM towel next year that they bought this year.
How do you calculate the reorder point?
Three numbers do most of the work: average weekly sales, full lead time in weeks, and the weeks of safety stock you choose to hold.
Reorder point = (weekly sales × lead time) + safety stock
Here is a worked example for one bath towel SKU. The figures are illustrative, so replace them with your own.
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Average weekly sales | 400 pieces |
| Full lead time | 16 weeks |
| Sales during lead time | 6,400 pieces |
| Safety stock, 4 weeks | 1,600 pieces |
| Reorder point | 8,000 pieces |
Compare the reorder point with stock on hand plus stock already on order. If you check stock on hand alone, you will order again while the last shipment is still at sea.
Full lead time means the whole chain: placing the order, production and inspection, booking, sea freight, customs clearance and delivery to your warehouse. Production of a standard programme is typically 45 to 60 days. The rest depends on your route, so use your own recent shipment dates rather than a quoted transit time. Our guide to MOQ, lead time and sampling breaks down each stage.
How much safety stock should you hold?
Safety stock covers two different risks: customers buying more than forecast, and shipments arriving late. Base it on your own record for each SKU.
Hold more on core whites, on lines with one or two very large customers, and ahead of hotel refit or opening periods. Hold less on slow lines, where the cost of stock sitting in the warehouse outweighs the cost of an occasional gap. Review the figure at least twice a year, because a level set for last year's sales quietly becomes wrong.
How do you build a container around a restock?
Start with the core SKUs that have reached their reorder point, then fill the remaining space with secondary lines that will reach theirs soon. That way, the container is built from real demand and not from whatever makes up the volume.
Ask for carton dimensions, carton weights and a packing plan for your actual mix before you confirm the order. How many pieces fit depends on GSM, size and packing, so a figure quoted for one towel won't hold for another. Heavy terry and lighter bed linen also use space and weight differently, which is one reason they often combine well.
Mixed containers can also help you reach minimums on smaller lines. As a guide, first-order minimums for standard towels and bedding are around 500 pieces per SKU, and repeat towel programmes can start from 200. Custom shades and branded trims need more. Your freight and logistics plan should show the cost per piece delivered, because a cheaper container that leaves you with six months of slow stock is rarely cheaper.
How do you keep repeat orders consistent?
Your customers notice when a new delivery doesn't match the towels already in their linen rooms. Lock down these points before the first repeat order:
- A signed spec sheet covering GSM with tolerance, size, yarn, construction, hem, labels and packing
- A retained master sample, and a shade card for anything other than white
- A weight check on every lot, against an agreed tolerance such as ±5% GSM
- Current certificates requested for each programme, because customers will ask and validity dates change
- Separate storage and picking by lot, so one hotel doesn't receive two visibly different shades in a single delivery
Treat any change of yarn, finish or production unit as a new sample approval, even if the spec sheet looks the same.
What should go on the restock calendar?
Plan backwards from the periods that matter to your customers. Reserve production early for lines needed before the peak season in your market, and allow for the slowdown around Indian holidays such as Diwali. Sharing a rolling forecast with your supplier, even an approximate one, makes it much easier to hold production time and yarn for your core lines.
A simple monthly routine is enough for most distributors:
- Update sales, stock on hand and stock on order for each SKU.
- Flag every SKU at or close to its reorder point.
- Build the next order or container from the flagged lines.
- Check the forecast against known hotel openings, refits and large contracts.
- Record actual lead times, so the next calculation uses real figures.
If you distribute to hotels, laundries or care operators, our distributor programmes page sets out how we support repeat supply. Send us your core SKU list and destination port, and we will help you map a realistic restock calendar.
Frequently asked
- How often should a textile distributor reorder?
- There is no fixed interval. Check every core SKU monthly and reorder when stock on hand plus stock on order reaches its reorder point. Many distributors end up placing regular container orders, with the mix changing each time.
- How much safety stock should a distributor hold for hotel towels?
- It depends on how variable your sales and shipment dates are. Many businesses start with around four weeks of sales on core lines, then adjust using their own stock-outs and late arrivals.
- Can towels and bed linen ship in one container?
- Yes, mixed containers are common. Confirm the carton plan for your exact mix before you finalise the order, and keep each product's packing and documents clearly identified.
- How do I keep the same quality across repeat orders?
- Use a signed spec sheet, a retained master sample, a shade card for colours and a weight check on every lot. Any change in yarn, finish or production unit should go through sample approval again.