Size Depth Is Inventory, Not Merchandising
Size range is usually discussed as a merchandising decision.
Financially, it is an inventory commitment.
A five-color apparel style across six sizes is not one product. It is thirty inventory positions.
Footwear compounds the issue further because size curves can be deeper and customer expectations for availability are unforgiving.
The brand needs to know not only how many units it is buying, but where the risk lives inside the matrix.
A strong opening plan uses DTC history, returns, fit feedback, geography and retailer customer data to build the first curve. The retailer's actual sell-through then becomes the evidence for the next buy.
The goal is not perfect forecasting.
It is to prevent a healthy top-line style from hiding stockouts in the best sizes and excess inventory in the worst.
Next step: Review weeks of supply by size and color, not just by style.
Pressure-test it before the buyer does. A Channel Checkride Retail Readiness Review looks at your economics, assortment, and launch plan through the buyer's chair and the operator's chair. Request a Retail Readiness Review.
Related: The Retailer Is Buying an Assortment, Not Your Product Line