Two weeks before packing, one brand has gone quiet
The March box has six items. Four brands have confirmed quantities and delivery dates. One confirmed the quantity but not the date. One, the hero product you already teased on Instagram, has not replied since sending samples. Somewhere in the inbox is a thread where they said 'should be fine for March'.
Meanwhile the April box is being negotiated, and a brand has offered a discounted overrun of a product that would suit May. Each conversation lives in its own email thread, with the agreed figures in the body of a message from three weeks ago.
Commitments live in email, not in a plan
Brand partners are not ordinary suppliers. Some items are bought at a unit price, some are provided at a discount for exposure, some come with marketing material that must go in the box. The agreements are informal, and each has its own terms.
- Quantities are agreed before the subscriber count for that month is known.
- Delivery dates are stated loosely and change without anyone updating the plan.
- Inserts, discount codes and brand cards come separately from the product.
- Goods received are counted on the day but not compared with what was agreed.
- Invoices arrive later and do not always match the price in the email.
So the question 'is March covered?' can only be answered by rereading threads.
What loose sourcing costs
A short delivery found on packing week forces a last-minute substitute, often bought at retail price, or a delayed dispatch with apologetic emails. An overrun means paying for stock you now have to store or sell. An invoice at a different price to the one agreed goes unnoticed when nobody has the original figure to hand.
It also strains the brand relationships. Chasing the same brand twice because nobody knew someone else already had, or forgetting to send their promised social post, makes you harder to work with.
The sourcing tracker we build
- Each box month has a sourcing plan: every item, the brand, agreed quantity, unit cost or terms, promised delivery date and any inserts or codes that come with it.
- Agreements can be added from an email with a forward, where the tracker extracts the figures for a person to confirm rather than assuming them.
- Missing confirmations and approaching delivery dates trigger reminders, drafted to the brand contact for you to send.
- Goods received are booked against the plan, showing shortfalls or overruns straight away.
- The required quantity updates as your subscriber count for that month firms up, so you can see whether the agreed quantity still covers it.
- Invoices are matched to the agreed terms, and differences are flagged before they are paid, for example in Xero or QuickBooks.
| Status | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Agreed, date confirmed | Quantity and delivery date in writing | Nothing until delivery |
| Agreed, no date | Quantity only | Reminder drafted to the brand |
| Delivered short | Received less than agreed | Decide on top-up or substitute |
| Quantity at risk | Subscriber count now above agreed quantity | Ask for more or plan a variant |
| Invoice differs | Price differs from agreed terms | Queried before payment |
It also keeps a record of what each brand asked for in return, such as a social post or a feature in your spoiler email, so those promises are kept.
A month planned with the tracker
Six weeks before packing, the March plan shows four items green, one amber for a missing date, and one red because the brand has not confirmed quantity. The reminders are drafted. When the goods arrive, the receiving count is entered on a phone and the plan updates. By packing week you know exactly what is in the building.
When the invoice arrives, it is matched to the agreed terms, and the mismatch on one line is caught before it is paid.
Is your sourcing run from the inbox?
- Agreed quantities and prices are only in email threads.
- You have discovered short deliveries during packing week.
- You have bought substitutes at retail price at the last minute.
- Promised social posts for brands have been forgotten.
- Invoices are paid without checking the agreed price.