Reordering for stores that import

When your supplier is weeks away by sea, every order has to be right the first time. Posto plans around long lead times, counts what's already on the water, and works out what each unit really cost once freight and duty land.

Plan for Lunar New Year 2027 Start 30 days free

Why importing makes reordering harder

With a 60-day lead time, a small mistake lasts two months. Order a week late and you're out of stock for a week, with nothing you can do but wait for the ship.

On top of that, factories close for holidays, deliveries arrive in pieces, and freight and duty bills turn up after the goods. The price on the invoice is rarely what a unit really cost you.

Lunar New Year 2027 is February 6. Orders for February to April stock should go in this November.

What matters most when you import

Posto plans for

Long lead times
Stock already on the water
Freight and duty in every unit

Open orders count as incoming stock, so you won't reorder what's already shipping.

You set

Each supplier's real lead time
How much buffer you want

Start with how long deliveries really take, from order to sellable stock, not the quote. Once 3 orders from a supplier have arrived, Posto switches to the measured average for you. Override it for any product that's slower.

How Posto handles an import order

Order early enough

Posto's reorder point covers the full lead time plus a safety buffer, and projects demand across that whole window, peaks included.

Track it while it travels

Each order gets an expected arrival date from its supplier's lead time, and late orders show as overdue, so you see a delay the day it happens.

Land the true cost

Receive what arrived, add freight, duty, and broker fees whenever the bills come in, and Posto works out a landed cost per unit. If you have Posto update Shopify's cost per item, that's set when stock arrives, so add the fees you already know before you receive.

Split extra costs by value or by units.Partial deliveries stay open until everything arrives.Set a longer lead time on products to cover a factory holiday.

Start with your slowest supplier

The longer the lead time, the more a good reorder point is worth. Set up your overseas supplier first, with its real lead time, and see what Posto recommends.

Get your lead times rightOur guide to asking suppliers for real lead times has the questions to ask and an email you can send today.Start 30 days free

What you get

Email the orderSend the purchase order to your supplier from Posto with a PDF attached. Replies come to your store's inbox.

Landed costFreight, duty, and fees spread across the order, so you know the true cost of each unit.

Supplier rulesMinimums and case packs round every suggested quantity, per supplier.

Late orders flaggedOrders past their expected date show as overdue, so delays don't go unnoticed.

Any Shopify planWorks on every Shopify plan, Basic included. No Plus or POS Pro needed.

Questions from importers

Can Posto handle lead times of several months?+

Yes. Set each supplier's lead time to however long deliveries really take, and the reorder point and order size cover that whole window, including any peaks inside it. Once 3 orders from a supplier have arrived, Posto uses how long they actually took.

Does Posto handle orders in other currencies?+

Each Posto purchase order uses a single currency, your store's by default. If you have Posto update Shopify's cost per item, it never writes a cost from an order in another currency.

What if part of a container arrives late?+

Receive what arrived, and the rest of the order stays open and counts as on order. Once the order is finished, freight and duty are split over what actually arrived.

How do I plan for Lunar New Year?+

Ask each supplier for their closure and restart dates, then set a longer lead time on the products you'll order from them to cover the gap while it applies. A product's own lead time always wins, so Posto sizes those orders to match. Our Lunar New Year guide has the timeline.

Stop guessing your next reorder

Install Posto, bring your suppliers and costs over, and send your first purchase order. 30 days free, everything unlocked, no payment details.

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