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A wholesale assortment combines the choice of products with quantities by size. A matrix for each style and colour shows the total commitment and each variant that has to sell. Keep it separate from the measurement chart: the chart defines each size, and the assortment decides how many of each to order.
If your first enquiry has only an approximate quantity, say so. Voyager Sportswear can review feasibility while the allocation takes shape, and a full sales forecast is not needed to start a product discussion.
Build the order matrix
| Style / colour | XS | S | M | L | XL | Total | Basis for allocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training top / navy | Comparable sales or initial estimate | ||||||
| Training top / black | Market or store allocation | ||||||
| Shorts / navy | Separate product demand |
Use your own agreed size range and product identifiers, and keep colours and products separate even when they share a material. Ask how the manufacturer counts the minimum and whether any size restrictions apply, rather than assuming every style and colour row carries the same independent minimum.
Use evidence without overstating it
Useful inputs include comparable sales, stock availability, returns by reason, customer requests, preorders, team allocations and market knowledge. Units sold can understate demand for a size that was out of stock. Discounted sales and returns also carry information and are worth understanding before you discard them.
Check whether the reference product is comparable in fit, price, customer and season. A size curve from a different garment can mislead, although it can still serve as a starting point if its limits are stated. When evidence is limited, label the allocation as an estimate and consider a smaller or more focused first range if feasible. A wider, flatter curve is not automatically safer.
Convert a ratio into quantities
As an illustration, a six-piece prepack of S:M:L:XL at 1:2:2:1 holds one S, two M, two L and one XL. Ten packs give 60 garments: 10 S, 20 M, 20 L and 10 XL. The figures show the arithmetic only and are not a recommended size curve or production minimum.
Compare the resulting quantities with demand at each destination. A fixed prepack can make receiving simpler but leave excess in one size if its ratio differs from sales. A custom allocation may suit better, subject to production and packing feasibility.
Choose where assortment happens
A central warehouse may receive cartons of one variant and allocate stock later, while a store may need an agreed mixed-size pack. A prepack is a defined group of pieces handled as one unit, and it need not be the same as an outer carton.
Record pack contents and identifiers in the packing specification. If an order goes to several markets, reconcile each destination's allocation with the master total and check local label requirements.
Plan replenishment around its limits
Before relying on replenishment, ask about current material availability, minimums and expected repeat-order timing. A size that sells quickly cannot always be replaced at once, and a later fabric batch may need approving again.
Track sales together with stockouts, returns and remaining stock by variant, and review the allocation once there is enough evidence. No fixed number of trading weeks makes a forecast reliable. Keep the size chart version on record so that changes in fit are not mistaken for changes in demand.
With the enquiry, send the provisional matrix, destination split, packing needs and the date you need the goods received. The fit guide defines the sizes being bought, and the reorder guide explains what has to be reconfirmed for the next run.
Questions and answers
How do you turn a size ratio such as 1:2:2:1 into order quantities?
To turn a size ratio into order quantities, multiply the ratio by the number of packs. As an illustration, a six-piece prepack of S:M:L:XL at 1:2:2:1 holds one S, two M, two L and one XL, so ten packs give 60 garments: 10 S, 20 M, 20 L and 10 XL. The example shows the arithmetic, not a recommended size curve or production minimum, so compare the resulting quantities with demand at each destination.
What data should a wholesale size curve be based on?
A wholesale size curve should draw on comparable sales, stock availability, returns by reason, customer requests, preorders, team allocations and market knowledge. Sold units alone can understate demand for an out-of-stock size, and a curve taken from a garment with a different fit, price, customer or season can mislead. When evidence is limited, label the allocation as an estimate and consider a smaller or more focused initial range if feasible.
Should retail sportswear be shipped in size prepacks or single-size cartons?
Whether to use size prepacks or single-size cartons depends on where the assortment is made up. A central warehouse may receive cartons of one variant and allocate stock later, while a store may need an agreed mixed-size pack. A fixed prepack can simplify receiving but leave excess in one size when its ratio differs from sales, so a custom allocation may suit better, subject to production and packing feasibility.