Forecast
Category: Planning
Definition (plain English)
A quantified estimate of future demand, sales, or volume for a defined period, product, channel, and assumption set.
Why it matters commercially
Forecasts drive import buying, MOQ decisions, safety stock, cash planning, and whether the business risks stockouts or slow-moving inventory.
Example
A buyer cut the first order from a full container to mixed pallets because the launch forecast could not absorb the MOQ before shelf-life risk increased.
Common mistake
Treating a forecast as fixed demand instead of updating it with sell-through, lead-time changes, promotions, customer commitments, and forecast error.
Use this in CommerceKit
Target Buy Price Calculator
Use tool →Supplier Quotes
Use tool →MOQ & Shelf Life
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