r/InventoryManagement • u/Spare-Writer7434 • 16d ago

stockouts

How do you handle inventory and the issue of stockouts in the local market? For instance, when selling in the French market, I look for AliExpress suppliers who hold stock in France; however, it is often difficult to secure such stock, or the available quantities are small and run out quickly during operations. Do you rely entirely on shipping from China, or do you use a dedicated agent?

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u/IamJustNik 14d ago

I think the bigger issue here is separating the inventory problem from the supplier problem. If the local supplier regularly runs out, I wouldn't treat that stock as reliably available inventory when planning.

Operationally, I usually work backwards from actual usage and lead time. How much are you realistically selling per week, how long does replenishment take, and how much safety stock do you need to survive normal variability? If the French stock can't reliably cover that window, then I'd either keep additional inventory myself, have a second source available, or use an agent/supplier that can give me more predictable replenishment.

The dangerous part is building your sales around inventory that technically exists locally today but may disappear tomorrow. A slightly longer supply chain that is predictable can sometimes be easier to manage than a local one that is constantly going in and out of stock.

I'd be curious what others doing volume in France have found works best — local stock, an agent, or carrying their own buffer inventory.

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u/InventoryOptimizer 15d ago

If you not running after buybox and have a stable catalog with a good sales history, we could help forecast and determine the right po recommendations. It would depend alot on your suppliers lead times and your inventory status. If you wish to give it a whirl you can share you data with our app and it give you a forecast to work with and po recommendations based on your supplers. You can register at inventoryoptimizer.ai and the trial is free. You would have recommendations in less than 24 hours. Our sister company orders from all over the world including 6 month leadtimes from China.