Brand Building

Custom Sock Reorder Planning by Color and Size Sell-Through

Published: 2026-06-26By ZheSock TeamReading time: 6 min

Sock reorder planning fails when teams look at total style sales and miss what is happening inside each color and size. That is how a style can show 1,800 pairs on hand while black EU 39 to 42 is already sold out and cream EU 43 to 46 has not moved for 70 days. A workable plan starts at variant level, then ties demand to MOQ, knitting capacity, packing time, freight days, and clear quality rules. The goal is simple. Reorder the pairs that keep selling, early enough to arrive before a stockout, without filling the warehouse with slow colors or the wrong size curve.

Table of Contents

1. What data should you track before you place a sock reorder?
2. How do you calculate reorder points by color and size?
3. How should MOQ change the order quantity?
4. Which lead times matter in sock reorder planning?
5. How do color trends and size curves change the reorder mix?
6. What factory and quality details should be locked before the repeat order?

What data should you track before you place a sock reorder?

Track every reorder at color-size SKU level, not just by parent style. For each SKU, keep 8 fields in one sheet or ERP view: units sold in the last 7 days, units sold in the last 28 days, average weekly sales, current sellable stock, inbound stock, units on hold for claims, weeks of cover, and next reorder date. If you sell through retail and wholesale, split the numbers by channel. One large wholesale order can distort the average fast.

For most sock programs, one style splits into 4 to 10 colors and 2 to 4 size bands. That changes the math. A cotton-rich crew sock with 6 colors and 3 size bands creates 18 reorder decisions, not 1. A black EU 39 to 42 SKU selling 72 pairs per week needs a different trigger from a beige EU 43 to 46 SKU selling 11 pairs per week.

Use a short review cycle. Weekly is standard. Every Monday, update the last 4 weeks of sales and compare that with stock on hand plus inbound. Core colors often need 8 to 10 weeks of cover. Fashion colors usually need 4 to 6 weeks. If your total replenishment time is 63 to 91 days, waiting until stock drops to 2 or 3 weeks is already too late.

Track 7-day sales, 28-day sales, on-hand, inbound, and weeks of cover
Flag any SKU holding more than 90 days of stock at the current sales rate
Flag any sea-freight SKU with less than 6 weeks of cover
Split marketplace, DTC, and wholesale when order patterns differ

How do you calculate reorder points by color and size?

Use a reorder point for each color-size SKU. The basic formula is average weekly sales over the last 4 to 8 weeks, multiplied by total lead time in weeks, plus safety stock. Total lead time means every day from PO release to stock ready for sale in your warehouse.

Example: black athletic crew, EU 39 to 42, sells 60 pairs per week. Total lead time is 77 days, or 11 weeks. Lead-time demand is 660 pairs. If sales are steady and you reorder every month, safety stock at 20 percent adds 132 pairs. Your reorder point is 792 pairs. If sellable stock plus inbound drops below 792, place the PO.

Do not use one safety stock rule for every SKU. Stable core colors can often sit at 15 to 20 percent of lead-time demand. Seasonal colors, promo items, or marketplace SKUs with uneven weekly sales often need 25 to 35 percent. If you switch freight from sea to air to avoid a stockout, recalculate the trigger at once. A transit change from 32 days to 9 days can move the reorder point by hundreds of pairs.

Formula: reorder point = weekly sales x lead time in weeks + safety stock
Example lead-time demand: 60 x 11 = 660 pairs
Example safety stock: 660 x 20% = 132 pairs
Example reorder point: 660 + 132 = 792 pairs
Use 4 weeks of sales for fast movers and 8 weeks for slower steady SKUs

This method also shows weak variants quickly. If a mustard EU 43 to 46 SKU sells 6 pairs per week and takes 11 weeks to refill, lead-time demand is only 66 pairs. That may not support a 300-pair color MOQ. In that case, combine it with a larger run, cut the assortment, or accept a longer stock cover.

How should MOQ change the order quantity?

MOQ is where many sock reorder planning decisions go wrong. Factories may quote MOQ by total style, by color, by size run, or by machine setup. Those are different limits. A buyer who needs 180 pairs of one color may still have to buy 300 or 500 if the MOQ applies per color.

For custom socks, repeat-order MOQ often starts around 100 to 300 pairs per color on simpler programs. More complex styles with jacquard logos, special yarns, gift boxes, or custom-dyed shades can move to 500 to 1,000 pairs per color. Repeat runs for cotton-rich casual socks often land around USD 0.60 to 1.20 per pair. Sport socks with terry cushioning, arch support, or more involved packing often land around USD 0.90 to 1.80 per pair. Gauge, yarn content, needle count, and pack-out all change the price.

Sort SKUs into 3 groups. First, core variants that clearly justify factory minimums. Second, marginal variants that work only when grouped with stronger colors. Third, weak variants that should not be reordered. If a slow color needs 180 pairs but the factory minimum is 500, buying it anyway creates 320 pairs of forced stock. At a landed cost of USD 1.05 per pair, that ties up USD 336 in one weak SKU. Small number. Real problem.

Ask if MOQ is set by style, color, size run, or machine setup
Map every SKU need against the actual factory minimum before you send the PO
Drop colors that miss MOQ for 2 review cycles in a row unless they support a key account
Compare landed cost, not ex-works price alone

Which lead times matter in sock reorder planning?

Do not plan from knitting days alone. Count the full clock. For a plain repeat order with no spec changes, a realistic factory timeline can be 3 to 5 days for yarn booking, 1 to 2 days for lab dip or shade check if needed, 20 to 30 days for knitting and linking, 3 to 5 days for washing, boarding, trimming, and packing, plus 2 to 4 days for final inspection and export carton prep. That puts many repeat orders at 29 to 46 production days.

If you change the card wrap, barcode, size sticker, or carton mark, add approval time. New paper packing can add 5 to 10 days if artwork is not final. Custom-dyed yarn can add another 7 to 15 days, depending on shade, yarn type, and dye house load. That is why a repeat order with minor admin changes often slips from 35 days to 50 days before anyone reacts.

Then add transport. Express air is often 5 to 10 days door to door. Standard air often runs 10 to 18 days. Sea freight is commonly 25 to 40 days, then customs and final delivery can add 3 to 10 more days. A sea-freight reorder can easily total 63 to 91 days from PO to warehouse receipt. That is 9 to 13 weeks.

Plain repeat order: often 29 to 46 production days
Repeat order with packaging or yarn changes: often 40 to 60 production days
Sea-freight program: often 63 to 91 days from PO to warehouse
Air-freight program: often 40 to 65 days from PO to warehouse

Build the reorder trigger from total lead time, then review it every quarter. Freight mode changes. Holiday shutdowns matter. Packaging approvals also move the date.

How do color trends and size curves change the reorder mix?

Equal depth across colors is usually bad planning. Black, white, navy, and grey often carry the program. Fashion colors may sell hard for 4 to 8 weeks, then slow down. Treat them differently. A common split is 60 to 75 percent of open-to-buy for core colors and 25 to 40 percent for trend colors, but the final ratio should come from recent sell-through, not last season's line plan.

Size curves also need resets. Many brands launch with an even split such as 33 percent, 33 percent, and 33 percent across 3 size bands. After 60 to 90 days, the real mix is usually uneven. One common result in unisex crew socks is closer to 20 percent small, 55 percent medium, and 25 percent large. If you keep reordering the launch curve, you create dead stock in one size and repeat stockouts in another.

Use a hard review rule. Look at the last 8 to 12 weeks by variant. If a color-size SKU sold less than 30 percent of opening stock in that period and cannot hit MOQ without pushing stock cover above 16 weeks, cut the next reorder quantity or stop it. If a core SKU sold more than 70 percent of opening stock in the same period and stock cover is below 8 weeks, raise the buy before the next PO cycle closes.

Core shades usually carry 8 to 10 weeks of cover
Trend shades usually carry 4 to 6 weeks of cover
Reset size curves after 60 to 90 days of live sales
Stop using launch assumptions once real sell-through is available

What factory and quality details should be locked before the repeat order?

Repeat orders run better when the technical file is fixed before the PO goes out. Confirm gauge, needle count, yarn composition, pair weight, size tolerance, cuff construction, toe seam method, logo method, approved shade, packaging spec, and carton count. A 168-needle dress sock, a 156-needle casual crew, and a 144-needle sport sock do not fit or cost the same. Put the exact construction on the repeat-order sheet.

Be specific. Example spec points can include 75 percent combed cotton, 22 percent polyester, and 3 percent elastane, with 156 needles for a regular crew, or 144 needles with a terry foot for a sport style. Sock programs do not usually manage fabric weight like a cut-and-sew GSM target, but pair weight is still useful. A pair weight of 58 to 72 grams for a cushioned crew versus 32 to 45 grams for a lighter casual crew helps catch construction drift before shipment.

Set the inspection rule in writing. Many importers use AQL 2.5 for major defects and AQL 4.0 for minor defects on finished goods. Inspection should check size measurement, color match to the approved sample, pairing, loose threads, logo position, barcode scan, carton count, and packing accuracy. Confirm whether the program needs OEKO-TEX, BSCI, Sedex, ISO 9001, GOTS, or GRS paperwork, and match the claim to the exact fiber and order scope.

Lock gauge, needle count, yarn blend, pair weight, and size tolerance
Check measurement, shade, logo position, trimming, barcode, and carton pack
Use a written AQL standard such as 2.5 major and 4.0 minor
Include approved sample date and revision number on the repeat-order file

One missing detail can cause a remake or a claim. That is why the repeat-order summary sheet matters. It keeps the same sock, not a close version.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I review sock sell-through for reorders?

Review core styles every week. If total lead time is 63 to 91 days, monthly is too slow. Use a weekly report by color and size. For fast movers, calculate demand from the last 4 weeks. For slower steady SKUs, use the last 8 weeks.

What safety stock level is realistic for socks?

Start with 15 to 20 percent of lead-time demand for stable core socks. Use 25 to 35 percent for seasonal colors, promo items, or volatile marketplace SKUs. Example: if lead-time demand is 500 pairs, 20 percent safety stock equals 100 pairs.

Should I reorder slow colors to keep the full range?

Usually no. If a color shows weak sell-through for 8 to 12 weeks and cannot reach MOQ without pushing stock cover past 16 weeks, cut it or stop reordering it. Keep it only if it supports a key retail set, a major account, or a brand requirement worth the carrying cost.

Does a lower MOQ always reduce reorder risk?

No. It cuts forced inventory, but it can raise unit cost and freight cost per pair. Example: a 100-pair refill may avoid dead stock, but if unit cost moves from USD 0.78 to USD 0.96 and the shipment goes by air, landed cost can end up worse than a larger sea-freight order.

What is the biggest mistake in sock reorder planning?

Planning at style level instead of color-size level. A style can show 2,000 pairs in stock while the best-selling black medium is already gone. The next big mistake is using knitting time only and ignoring packaging approval, trucking, freight, customs, and warehouse intake when setting the reorder point.

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