Sunglasses sell on a calendar, and the time to order is months before the customer walks in. Here is how the year usually maps out for importers.
Northern hemisphere
- Spring/summer season: orders placed late autumn to winter so goods land before the first warm weeks.
- Festival and holiday trade: top-up orders in spring for ready stock.
- Christmas and gifting: stock in place by late autumn; promotional gifting is planned earlier still.
Southern hemisphere and tropics
Peak demand lands in the opposite half of the year — but with no winter lull, resort and coastal markets buy year-round.
How lead time maps to the calendar
- Ready stock: about 7 working days to ship, plus freight and clearance.
- Made to order: allow production plus sea freight plus clearance.
- Air freight: the fix for late orders, at a cost.
The practical rule
Place your core made-to-order volume three to four months before the season opens, keep a ready-stock budget for what you did not predict, and reorder winners as soon as they sell out — not at the end of the season.
Tell us your season and market and we will work the dates backwards with you. Request a quote.