How a wholesale season works, from line release to delivery
A fashion wholesale season is a long chain of dependent steps. This guide walks through each stage, who is involved and where things typically go wrong.
KEY TAKEAWAYS Summary by the editors
- A wholesale season runs from range planning and line release through the selling period, order consolidation, production and delivery to in-season trading.
- Most of the commercial decisions are made during a short selling window, so preparation before line release has an outsized effect on results.
- Order consolidation is the point where a brand decides which styles go into production, based on confirmed demand and minimum quantities.
- Delivery windows are commercial commitments: late or incomplete deliveries can lead to cancellations, discounts and damaged relationships.
- Reviewing each season systematically, by account, style and size, is the most reliable way to improve the next one.
From the outside, a fashion season looks like a single moment: new product arrives in stores. Inside a brand, it is a sequence of overlapping phases that can stretch across most of a year, with the next season already being designed while the current one is still being sold. Understanding the sequence, and the hand-offs between teams, helps leaders see where time, margin and goodwill are won or lost.
What happens before the line release?
The season starts with range planning. Merchandising, design and sales agree on the structure of the collection: how many styles per category, price points, colour stories and the role of each product, from statement pieces to commercial core items. Targets are set by market and channel.
Design and product development then create the styles, source materials and produce samples. Costing determines wholesale prices and recommended retail prices for each market. Towards the end of this phase, the commercial team prepares the selling tools: sample sets, line sheets or digital catalogues, product images, order forms and sales targets for each account.
What happens during the selling period?
The line release, when the collection is formally presented to the sales organisation, opens the selling period. This window is usually short and intense. Sales teams, agents and distributors present the range to buyers in permanent showrooms, at trade fairs, in pop-up showrooms in key cities and through visits to stores. Increasingly, buyers also review collections and place orders through digital channels.
- Appointments. Key accounts are booked early, often in a defined order of priority.
- Presentation. Sales teams walk buyers through the story, highlighting key looks, bestsellers and carry-overs.
- Editing. Buyers select styles and colourways that fit their store concept and budget.
- Order writing. Quantities are entered by size, with delivery windows and any agreed terms.
- Follow-up. Draft orders are reviewed, adjusted and confirmed before the order deadline.
How do brands turn orders into production?
After the order deadline, the brand consolidates all orders. This is a critical decision point. Each style and colourway is checked against production minimums set by factories and mills. Styles that fall short may be cancelled, combined or produced with a surcharge, and affected retailers need to be informed quickly so they can choose alternatives.
Confirmed quantities are then turned into purchase orders with suppliers, often with a buffer for re-orders and samples. From this point, the main constraint is the production lead time, which varies widely by product type, material and sourcing region.
| Phase | Main owners | Typical risks |
|---|---|---|
| Range planning | Merchandising, design, sales leadership | Too many styles, unclear roles, unrealistic targets |
| Development and sampling | Design, product development, sourcing | Late samples, costing surprises |
| Selling period | Sales, agents, distributors | Rushed appointments, incomplete orders, data errors |
| Order consolidation | Merchandising, supply chain | Late cancellations of under-ordered styles |
| Production and logistics | Sourcing, supply chain, warehouse | Delays, quality issues, partial shipments |
| In-season trading | Sales, customer service | Missed re-orders, returns, markdown pressure |
Why do delivery windows matter so much?
Each order is linked to a delivery window: a start and an end date between which goods should arrive. For a retailer, the window is tied to floor plans, marketing and the open-to-buy budget. If goods arrive late, the selling time at full price shrinks, and the retailer may cancel or ask for a discount. If they arrive too early, they may not have space or budget for them.
Many brands split collections into several deliveries or drops within a season to keep the shop floor fresh and spread the cash flow for both sides. This adds complexity to planning and logistics, but it gives retailers newness and gives brands more chances to learn and react.
Delivery performance is also judged on completeness. A shipment that arrives on time but without the key sizes or the lead colourway can be almost as damaging as a late one, because the retailer cannot present the product properly. Brands that communicate shortfalls early, and offer substitutions or split shipments, protect the relationship far better than those that simply ship what they have.
How should a brand review a season?
A structured post-season review closes the loop and feeds the next range plan. Useful questions include:
- Which styles and colourways were bought widely but sold through poorly, and why?
- Which accounts grew or declined, and was that driven by the product, the terms or the service?
- Where did the size curve in orders differ from actual consumer demand?
- How many orders were delivered complete and on time, and where were the delays?
- Which re-orders could not be fulfilled because stock was not available?
The answers rarely sit in one system or one department. Bringing sales, merchandising and supply chain together around shared order and delivery data is the most practical way to make each season a little more predictable than the last.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a fashion wholesale season take?
From the start of range planning to the end of in-season trading, a single season often spans most of a year, and seasons overlap. The exact timing depends on the category, the number of deliveries per season and production lead times.
What is a line release?
The line release is the moment a new collection is formally presented to the sales organisation and made available for ordering. It marks the start of the selling period, during which buyers place their pre-orders.
What happens if a style does not get enough orders?
If a style or colourway falls below the minimum quantity a factory requires, the brand may drop it, combine it with other orders or produce it at a higher cost. Retailers who ordered it are usually informed and offered alternatives.
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