Lara GuevaraSupply Chain expert (Product and Service)

Black Friday Starts In May

13 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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Lara Guevara breaks down the timeline for Black Friday inventory: production takes 45-60 days, ocean freight 25-35 days, customs 2-3 weeks, and warehouse check-in one week. To have stock by October, you need to place purchase orders in May. Work backwards from your warehouse arrival date and start supplier talks now if the deposit deadline is near.

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If you're planning to have inventory ready for Black Friday, your planning window opened already, not in July, now, because production plus shipping plus customs plus warehouse receiving adds up quickly. Let's do the math. You want inventory in your warehouse by October. Receiving and check-in takes about a week. Customs and domestic tracking can take 2 to 3 weeks. Ocean transit from China can take 25 to 35 days. Production takes 45 to 60 days. Working backwards from October, production needs to start by late June, which means purchase orders need to be placed in May. May is only weeks away. Map your Black Friday inventory backwards from your target warehouse date. Mark your purchase order deposit date. If that date is close, start the supplier conversation now.