Inventory Planner
How-To Guide

Plan for Seasonal Demand

Seasonal planning is about preparing inventory before demand spikes. Alfred connects your historical sales data to forward-looking demand projections and purchasing decisions. This workflow walks through the full cycle: analyze past trends, project future demand, and execute a purchase plan.

Full seasonal planning workflow

Recommended
1

Start in Product Planner → Sales History tab. Set the date range to the same period last year (e.g., Nov 1 - Dec 31 last year for holiday planning).

2

Identify which products drove the most revenue during that period. Note the top sellers and their daily velocity.

3

Go to Inventory Forecasting. Set the velocity window to 'Last 30 days' for current run rate, then set 'Est. Growth' to model the seasonal uplift (e.g., 50% for holiday rush).

4

Set the forecast period to cover your peak season plus lead time (e.g., 90 days if your season is 60 days away and lead time is 30 days).

5

Review the 'Stockout Lost Sales' column — this shows the revenue impact if you don't restock before the season hits.

6

Go to Purchase Order Planner. Create a 'Meet Forecasted Demand' plan with the growth-adjusted velocity. Set coverage to span your entire peak season.

7

Review the recommended quantities, save the plan, and generate POs.

8

As the season progresses, monitor sales velocity in Product Planner and adjust the next purchase cycle if actuals diverge meaningfully from your projection.

Pro Tips

  • 💡Start seasonal planning 2-3 months before the peak, accounting for supplier lead times.
  • 💡Create two Purchase Plans — one 'conservative' with current velocity and one 'aggressive' with growth-adjusted velocity. Compare the total costs to decide your inventory investment.
  • 💡Save multiple plans side by side so you can compare scenarios (conservative vs. aggressive) before committing to a buy.
  • 💡After the season, review Product Performance to see which products outperformed and which underperformed vs. expectations. Use this data to refine next year's plan.
  • 💡Set up Inventory Alerts for key seasonal products so you're notified if stock runs low during the peak.