Inventory glossary

What is Units per case?

Units per case is the number of individual units packed inside one case or carton from a supplier.

Suppliers often sell in fixed case quantities, not single units. Knowing units per case tells you the smallest amount you can order and helps you convert a sales forecast into a real order quantity.

When you plan a reorder, you divide the quantity you need by units per case to see how many cases to buy. If the answer is not a whole number, you round up, which usually means ordering more stock than your bare minimum need.

Formula

Cases to order = Quantity needed / Units per case (rounded up)

Example

A candle supplier packs 12 candles per case. You need 50 candles to cover the next month. 50 / 12 = 4.17, so you round up and order 5 cases, which is 60 candles.

Common mistakes

  • Ordering raw unit quantities without checking the case pack size first, then getting an order rejected or adjusted by the supplier.
  • Forgetting that units per case can differ by variant, like size or color, within the same product.
  • Rounding down instead of up, which leaves you short of the quantity you actually needed.

Units per case and SteadyShelf

SteadyShelf uses units per case to round suggested order quantities up to full case packs when it drafts a purchase order.

SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.

Related terms

Case pack · Reorder quantity · Minimum order quantity · Pack size · Inner pack

Full inventory glossary

FAQ

What happens if my needed quantity is not a multiple of units per case?

You round up to the next full case. For example, needing 70 units at 20 units per case means ordering 4 cases, or 80 units, since you cannot order a partial case.

Is units per case the same as case pack?

They are closely related. Units per case is the specific number, like 24, while case pack is the general term for the packaging unit the supplier ships in.

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