The reorder problem in yoga wear
Activewear sells unevenly. One color outsells the rest, two or three sizes carry most of the volume and a single style can account for a large share of revenue. When stock is planned as one number per style, the popular cells sell out while the slow ones sit. A reorder plan works at the level where stock actually runs out: style, color and size.
It also has to respect how production works. Custom garments are made in batches with minimums per style per color, and bulk production takes time. A reorder that is placed when the shelf is empty is already late.
Read sell-through by cell
Start with the data. For each style, color and size, record units received, units sold and the weeks on sale. Sell-through, units sold divided by units received, shows which cells are moving. Weekly sales rate shows how fast. Look at both: a cell with high sell-through after a long time may be slower than it looks, and a cell with moderate sell-through in two weeks may be about to run out.
| Field | Meaning | Use in the plan |
|---|---|---|
| Received | Units received into stock | Base for sell-through |
| Sold | Units sold to date | Sell-through and rate |
| Weekly rate, s | Average units sold per week | Demand during lead time |
| On hand | Units in stock now | Weeks of cover |
| On order | Units already ordered, not received | Avoid double ordering |
| Lead time, T | Weeks from order to receipt | Reorder point |
Know your real lead time
The reorder lead time T is longer than the production time alone. It runs from the day you confirm the reorder to the day stock is available to sell. It includes fabric availability and dyeing, bulk production of typically 30-45 days after approval and fabric availability, inspection and packing, transit, customs and warehouse receiving. Sampling is usually not needed for a repeat of an approved style, but a new color needs a lab dip, and a changed fabric needs a new sample.
Write your own T per style from the first order, not from a general figure, and update it after each reorder. The lead time planning note breaks down each step.
Set a reorder point with letters, not guesses
A simple reorder point uses the weekly sales rate s, the lead time in weeks T and a safety stock B for uncertainty:
- Demand during lead time is about s times T.
- The reorder point is s times T plus B.
- When on hand plus on order falls to the reorder point, place the reorder.
Safety stock B covers sales that run faster than expected and lead times that run longer. Hero colors and core sizes deserve more safety stock than slow cells, because running out of them costs more. The point is not precision; it is making the decision before stock runs out rather than after.
Respect minimums per color
A reorder is still a production run. Typical reference ranges are 100-300 pieces per style per color for cut and sew and 300-500 for seamless, confirmed in writing for each program, with sizes usually mixed within the minimum. That shapes the plan in two ways. First, a slow color may never justify a reorder at the minimum, so it is better treated as seasonal and allowed to sell out. Second, the minimum gives room to rebalance sizes: use the size mix within the minimum to follow the sales curve rather than repeating the first order's ratios.
See MOQ explained for how minimums are set and when stock fabric colors can help.
Adjust the size curve
The first order's size curve was an estimate. The reorder should use real sales. If two middle sizes sold out first and the extremes are still on hand, shift the reorder toward the middle. Be careful with stock-outs: a size that sold out early may have had more demand than its sales show, because nobody could buy it once it was gone. Add back an estimate for lost sales in those cells.
Extended sizes need a different reading. They can sell slowly in total but steadily, and customers who find their size tend to come back. A small, consistent depth in those sizes often serves the brand better than cutting them on early numbers. See size charts and grade rules.
Keep color consistent across reorders
A reorder in the same color name that comes back a shade different is a real problem for yoga wear, where customers buy sets and add pieces over time. Colors are dyed in lots, and two lots can differ. To keep reorders consistent:
- Keep the approved lab dip or color standard for each color, and send it with every reorder.
- Reuse the same approved fabric sheet: composition, GSM, finish.
- Ask for a color approval on the new lot before cutting, against the original standard.
- For sets, approve the new top and bottom lots together.
Our note on matching yoga set colors explains how lot-to-lot variation is managed.
Core colors on a rolling plan
Core colors, usually the dark and neutral shades in your hero styles, sell steadily and suit a rolling reorder plan. Some brands agree a forecast with the factory so fabric can be planned ahead, which can shorten the effective lead time. Seasonal colors are better planned as one run with at most one reorder, decided early in the season on sell-through. When a seasonal color sells like a core color for more than one season, promote it, give it a permanent color standard and add it to the rolling plan.
Review the plan on a fixed rhythm
Review sales by cell on a fixed rhythm, weekly for fast styles and monthly for the rest. Compare on hand plus on order with each reorder point. Place reorders that are due, adjust size curves and note any color that should move from core to seasonal or the other way. Then recheck the price ladder with current costs, so reorders still fit the margin.
The desk handles reorders against the approved fabric sheet, color standards and trim card from the first order, and confirms minimums and timing in writing. Read about wholesale yoga programs or send a reorder request with your size and color split.