How to place a small test order with a supplier

Decide why you are testing

A test order is usually for a new product, a new supplier, or a product you are unsure will sell. The goal is to learn something, not to restock efficiently. Keep the quantity small enough that a bad outcome costs you little.

Pick a quantity that still tells you something

Too small and you learn nothing because the item sells out in a day and you cannot read real demand. A reasonable test order is enough stock to last a few weeks at a guessed sales rate, even if that means ignoring the supplier's normal case pack or minimum. If the supplier insists on a minimum order quantity, that minimum becomes your test size whether you like it or not.

Separate the test from your reorder math

Do not fold a test order into your standard reorder point or order quantity formula. Those formulas assume you already know the daily sales rate. For a new item you do not, so the test order is really a guess you are willing to lose money on if it is wrong.

Track what happens after it arrives

Once the test stock is in, watch how fast it sells and watch for quality complaints or returns. Decide on a simple rule in advance, for example "if it sells out in under 20 days, reorder at double the quantity" or "if it sits for 60 days, drop the product."

Step by step

1. Pick a supplier and product you are unsure about and decide why you are testing it.
2. Ask the supplier for their minimum order quantity and case pack size, since this may set your floor.
3. Choose a test quantity above that minimum only if you want more data, otherwise order the minimum.
4. Place the order manually with the supplier, by email or their ordering process, outside your normal reorder flow.
5. Receive the stock into your store and note the date and quantity.
6. Track daily sales for at least two to three weeks once it is live.
7. Decide upfront what sales rate will trigger a real reorder and what will trigger dropping the product.

Worked example

Say you want to test a new supplier for a phone case design. Their minimum order is 50 units and you guess you might sell 2 a day based on a similar product. Fifty units at 2 a day is 25 days of stock, which is enough time to judge quality and demand. You place the order, receive all 50 units, and after 20 days you have sold 48 of them, a rate of 2.4 a day. That tells you demand is real and slightly ahead of your guess, so you move to a normal reorder using that sales rate rather than the minimum order quantity.

How SteadyShelf helps

SteadyShelf forecasts from sales history, so a brand new product with no sales data will not get a meaningful suggested quantity until it has sold for a while. Place test orders manually outside the app, then once you have a few weeks of real sales, SteadyShelf will pick up that history and start suggesting reorder quantities and dates for it.

$29/month flat, unlimited products and suppliers, 30-day free trial. Run the numbers now with the free reorder point calculator.

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

Related guides

• How to plan an open to buy budget
• How to plan around tariff changes
• How to plan inventory around paid ads spend increases
• How to organize variants for easier reordering

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