Receiving
Labeled inbound received, photographed and slotted within one business day.
An Apparel Launch Calendar Your Warehouse Can Run
Drops, restocks, collections, store orders and the holidays, on one calendar the people packing your orders can see.
Why the Warehouse Needs Your Calendar
A brand at volume runs several launches a season, and each one lands on the same warehouse floor. When the warehouse finds out on launch day, it is too late to schedule labor, receive stock or build bundles. When it sees the calendar weeks ahead, launch day is routine.
Drops
Limited releases where most orders arrive in the first hours.Restocks
Best sellers coming back, often with pent-up demand.Seasonal collections
Larger launches with many new styles to receive at once.Wholesale ship windows
Purchase orders with start and cancel dates.Promotions and peak
Sales events, Black Friday and the holidays.
What goes on it:
What the Warehouse Needs, and When
| Event | Tell the warehouse | Stock arrives | Also send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop | Date, expected orders, styles and sizes, at least a week ahead | A week before release | Bundles, inserts, packaging |
| Restock | Date and expected volume | Before the restock goes live | Whether a waitlist will be emailed |
| Seasonal collection | Style list and quantities, weeks ahead | Staggered by style if possible | New SKUs and barcodes for mapping |
| Wholesale PO | As soon as the order is confirmed | Before the ship window opens | Routing guide and pack-out rules |
| Promotion or peak | Weekly volume forecast and promo dates | Well before the first promo | Gift sets and holiday cutoffs |
OC3PL receives labeled inbound, checks it against your ASN and slots it within one business day. Bundles and kits take most builds 24 to 48 hours. Work back from the launch date with those numbers.
Keep Launches From Colliding
The common failure is two big events in one week: a collection launch the same week as a large wholesale pack-out, or a drop on top of a promotion. Each alone is fine. Together they compete for labor and space.
- Put every event, including store orders, on one shared calendar.
- Space big releases so the warehouse is not receiving a collection while shipping a drop.
- Plan exchanges after a drop. Returns from a big release arrive in the weeks after, so do not schedule the next launch into that wave without warning.
- Mark carrier holiday cutoffs on the calendar before you publish delivery promises.
A Sample Quarter
How a streetwear or surf brand doing a few thousand orders a month might lay out twelve weeks.
| Weeks | Event | Warehouse focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Receive the seasonal collection | Receiving and slotting new styles |
| 3 | Collection launch | Higher daily order volume |
| 4 to 5 | Returns and exchanges from launch | Fast inspection and restock |
| 6 | Limited drop | Bundles built ahead, drop-day labor |
| 8 | Wholesale ship window opens | Pack-out, labels, pallets |
| 10 | Restock of the launch best sellers | Receiving and slotting |
| 12 | Promotion | Higher volume, gift with purchase |
Use it as a shape, not a template. Your own calendar should come from your sales history.
Share It With Someone Who Is in the Building
A calendar is only useful if the person reading it can act on it. At OC3PL your account manager works on site, in the building where your stock is received and packed, so a change to the calendar reaches the floor the same day.
When dates move, and they will, call. All client requests are acknowledged within two hours, and support is never outsourced. We’re here, we got you.
For the detail on each event type, see apparel drop fulfillment, restocks and apparel peak season.
Questions to Answer for Every Launch
Before any launch goes on the calendar, answer these. Send the answers to your account manager with the date.
- What is launching: styles, colors and sizes, with SKUs and barcodes?
- How many orders do you expect, and how fast after release?
- When does inventory arrive, and is there an ASN?
- Are there bundles, gifts with purchase or special inserts?
- Is there packaging that is new or different?
- Will a waitlist or email blast send a spike at a set time?
- What ship time are you promising customers?
- Who on your team is the contact on launch day?
Eight questions, one email. It takes a few minutes and saves the scramble that happens when the warehouse learns about a launch from the order queue.
Keep a short note after each launch: actual orders against forecast, what went well, what to change. Next season’s calendar will be better for it.
What OC3PL Works To
The numbers to plan around.
Kitting
Most builds completed within 24 to 48 hours.
Shipping
Orders imported by 12 PM PST ship the same day.
Returns
Returns are processed and logged within 48 hours of receipt, and many are handled the same day. Each item is inspected and restocked, discarded or donated by the rules you set.
Common Questions
As early as you have it. For a drop, send the date, expected orders and product mix at least a week ahead. For a seasonal collection or peak, send it weeks ahead.
Early enough to be received, checked and slotted before release. At OC3PL labeled inbound is slotted within one business day, but a week of margin protects you from freight delays.
Most kitting builds are completed within 24 to 48 hours, depending on volume. Very large or complex runs take longer.
Tell your account manager as early as possible so labor and space can be planned, or move one of them.
Yes. Store pack-outs use the same floor, labor and inventory as your direct orders.
The date, styles and SKUs, expected orders, inbound timing with an ASN, any bundles or inserts, packaging changes, planned email spikes, your promised ship time and a launch-day contact.
Related Reading
More detail, in OC3PL’s own guides.
High-Volume Apparel Fulfillment at OC3PL
The overview: what we handle, how a garment moves through the building, and every apparel guide.
Scaling a Product Drop: Handling 20x Volume Spikes
Planning a product drop? Learn how to handle 20x sales volume without operational failure, featuring lessons from the "Firefly" success story.
Launch Week Anxiety? How to Avoid E-Commerce Chaos
Launching your e-commerce brand? Learn how to prevent inventory issues, fulfillment bottlenecks, and shipping chaos with the right 3PL strategy.
Apparel Drop & Launch Fulfillment
Fulfillment for limited apparel drops and restocks: forecast-based labor, pre-built bundles, size-sorted picking and same-day shipping from Anaheim.
Apparel Peak Season Fulfillment: BFCM to Returns
Planning apparel fulfillment for Black Friday, the holidays and January returns: forecasts, inventory timing, gift sets, cutoffs and returns capacity.
Planning a Streetwear Drop: A Countdown
A countdown for planning a streetwear drop, from production to launch day: inventory timing, size curves, packaging, forecasts and returns.
Holiday Fulfillment for Retail Brands: Preparing for Q4
Learn how retail brands can plan Q4 holiday fulfillment, manage peak demand, and ensure smooth, timely deliveries.
Share Your Calendar With Us
Send us your monthly order volume, SKU count and where you sell. You will get a line-item quote, and a person on site you can call.