Work backwards from the selling date
Most buying mistakes in fitness come from counting forward. A retailer decides in December that January looks strong and starts asking for quotes. By then it is too late. The right way is to start from the date the goods must be on your shelf and subtract each step: transport, production, sampling and the decision itself.
The steps are in the same order every season. A written offer takes 2 working days, samples take 7–14 days, production takes about 25–45 days, and rail or sea transport to Poland takes about 25–45 days. From order to warehouse, plan on 8–12 weeks. Add time for inspection, labelling and your own delivery to customers.
The January peak
January is the strongest month for home fitness: dumbbells, kettlebells, mats, bands, benches, racks and walking pads. For stock to be in an EU warehouse in December, the factory order needs to be placed by mid-September. That leaves room for a sample round in July and August.
Practical dates for a January range:
- June–July: choose products, request offers, order samples.
- August: approve samples, agree packaging, labels and any private label artwork.
- By mid-September: place the production order and pay the deposit.
- October–November: production, pre-shipment inspection, loading.
- November–December: transport, customs, receiving and labelling in the EU.
Heavy goods such as plates and racks spend longer on the water and are often shipped in full containers, so they sit at the start of this schedule.
The September peak
A second, smaller peak follows the summer holidays, when people return to gyms and clubs. Studios restart their classes, schools restart their sport lessons, and shops see demand for mats, bags, bottles and accessories. Order for this period in spring, so that goods arrive in July or August. Reorders of fast-moving accessories can use faster routes, but do not plan an entire season around air freight, because the cost per piece rises sharply for anything bulky.
Summer and outdoor goods
Swimming, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, skates, scooters and rackets sell from spring, but the orders are placed much earlier. Retail orders for these categories fall between November and February. Factories close for several weeks around the factory holidays in late January–February, and space on ships tightens beforehand. If you want paddleboards in April, you should have approved samples by December.
Inflatable products also need shelf planning. Boards and kayaks take space in a warehouse even when packed, and they must be inspected and test-inflated on arrival. Allow a week for that before they go out to customers. See our SUP and kayak range and swimming range for what the factories offer.
Clubs, schools and academies
Sports clubs and schools buy before the season, not during it. Footballs, training balls, cones, bibs and bags for an autumn season are typically ordered in summer, and anything with a crest or logo needs extra time for artwork and a pre-production sample. If you supply clubs, start the conversation in May or June. See our page for clubs and schools.
Promotional and corporate wellness orders
Christmas gifts for corporate buyers are ordered between August and October. Items such as yoga mats, bottles, shakers, resistance band sets and sports bags with a company logo work well in this window. Printed goods need an approved proof, a sample and production time, so a September order for December delivery is already tight. Our promo page explains the process.
A sample calendar
| Selling window | Typical products | Order from factory | Goods in EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| January fitness peak | Weights, mats, bands, benches, racks, walking pads | By mid-September | December |
| September return | Mats, bags, bottles, accessories, club balls | March–May | July–August |
| Spring and summer | Swimming, SUP, kayaks, skates, rackets | November–February | March–April |
| Christmas promo | Branded mats, bottles, bag and band sets | August–September | October–November |
The dates are a guide. Your own timeline depends on product, order size, whether you add a logo, and transport mode.
Cash flow across the season
An early order ties up money for months. A deposit of 30–50 % is paid at order, the balance before shipment, and you sell the goods only after they arrive. For a January range that means paying in September and October for goods that turn into revenue from December. Build this into your plan, and be realistic about how much you can sell. A smaller first order of proven products, repeated in spring, is safer than one large order of everything.
Deciding how much to order
Use last year’s sales if you have them. If not, start from your customer count and the share you expect to buy each category. Fast movers such as bands, mats and light dumbbells can be ordered in larger quantities because they are easy to sell through. Slow, bulky products such as racks, benches and treadmills are better ordered in smaller lots or per project. Cartons also shape the decision: ordering a few pieces more to fill a carton or a pallet is often cheaper than paying freight on a half-full one.
What delays an order
- Late sample approval. This is the most common cause, and it costs weeks.
- Changes to packaging or labels after production has started.
- Compliance gaps found late, for example a missing test report or a missing EU address on the label.
- Factory holidays and the rush of orders that comes before them.
- Waiting for a payment deposit to clear.
Most of these can be avoided by settling the specification and the labels before you place the order. For a view of the whole sequence, read the how it works page.
If you are already late
Missing the date does not always mean losing the season. Options include ordering a smaller first batch by air, buying part of the range locally to cover the gap, or moving the launch of a private label product to the next peak and selling catalogue items in the meantime. Tell us your date and we will say honestly which route fits. Send a request with the product list and the date you need the goods.
