Summer sales are booming, but ecommerce brands are still leaving millions on the table because of preventable inventory mistakes like stockouts. Even your best sellers can’t generate revenue if they’re not on the shelf. Notify-me lists, abandon carts, and missed sales start piling up. Customers leave frustrated, and the damage to brand trust is real.

For apparel and DTC brands, summer collections raise the stakes. Missteps such as delayed reorders or poor SKU forecasting don’t just hurt sales. They force brands into heavy markdowns to clear excess stock. The numbers speak for themselves. Shopify estimates that U.S. and Canadian retailers lose $350 billion every year to stockouts alone.

The good news is that these are rarely supply chain failures. They are planning failures, and they are entirely preventable. Here are three costly summer inventory mistakes and how to fix them before your season slips away.

1. Missed Sales from Underbuying

Stockouts aren’t always caused by unexpected demand. More often, they come from poor forecasting, supplier delays, or retail shrinkage. When you underbuy, every marketing dollar is at risk because customers can’t purchase what isn’t available.

A recent Coresight Research survey found that 36% of U.S. retailers cite underbuying as a major challenge. For apparel brands, that means best-sellers sell out as soon as shipments arrive, leaving frustrated customers and missed revenue. A global retail study estimates that businesses lose up to 4% of annual sales to stockouts alone.

How to fix it:

• Use AI-powered inventory systems that track and forecast demand in real time.
• Plan reorders early and stay ahead of supplier lead times.
• Secure flexible capital to prevent stockouts, especially during peak summer weeks.

Having cash on hand is not just helpful. It’s a competitive advantage. With the right capital, you can place reorders when others can’t and keep momentum going. Clearco gives you fast, non-dilutive inventory funding so you can double down on what’s selling now, not weeks later.

2. Tied-Up Cash From Overbuying 

Overbuying is just as dangerous as underbuying. Out of fear of stockouts, many ecommerce brands overestimate demand and order more inventory than they can realistically sell. When products fail to move, deadstock builds up sitting on warehouse shelves, tying up cash, and forcing mid-season markdowns that erode profit margins.

Deadstock often comes from chasing short-lived trends or misjudging seasonal demand. These slow-moving products take up valuable storage space that could be used for fast-selling reorders, ultimately preventing brands from recouping the costs tied up in unsold goods.

A U.S. retailer survey found that 43% of respondents cited overbuying as their biggest inventory challenge. For DTC apparel brands, this leads to lower margins, higher storage costs, and frozen capital that stalls growth.

How to fix it:

• Identify slow-moving products early and bundle them with bestsellers or run targeted promotions to free up space.
• Use data-driven demand planning rather than relying on fear or instinct.
• Partner with a capital provider to unlock cash flow and reinvest in high-performing SKUs and campaigns instead of leaving money tied up in stale inventory.

Overbuying doesn’t just clutter your warehouse, it slows your ability to scale. Smart brands don't overextend, they stay lean, liquid, and ready to reinvest.

3. Higher COGS From Missed Reorder Windows

Delaying reorders doesn’t just mean getting inventory late. It often means paying more to get it. When purchase orders are pushed back due to indecision, cash flow problems, or poor forecasting, the result is rush production fees, expensive expedited shipping, and less time to sell through seasonal inventory like summer collections.

Brands that wait for post-launch performance before reordering often find themselves stuck, while competitors who planned ahead are already capturing demand. In the fashion industry, suppliers typically need 4-6 weeks of lead time, and during short summer seasons, that window closes fast. Add in shipping delays, and your opportunity to sell through products before demand drops can disappear entirely.

How to fix it:

• Submit reorders early and build timelines around supplier lead times.
• Plan for lead time demand, ensuring you have enough inventory during the wait for replenishment.
• Use flexible funding to secure reorders without cutting into next season’s budget or margins.

Brands that plan reorders strategically and secure funding in advance stay stocked, avoid overbuying, and sidestep the costly scramble of last-minute orders.

Avoid Inventory Mistakes That Kill Margins

To stay ahead this summer, smart inventory planning is essential. Winning brands find the balance between underbuying and overbuying, keep stock levels steady during peak demand, and plan for lead time needs well before problems arise.

A U.S. retailer survey found that half of respondents said inventory missteps like overbuying, misallocating stock, or picking the wrong products prevent them from selling at full price. At the same time, 66% of shoppers begin their research online, which means stockouts do more than hurt sales. They also send loyal customers straight to competitors.

These mistakes are avoidable. With accurate forecasting and the right funding strategy, brands can place timely reorders, move quickly during seasonal spikes, and protect their margins. The brands staying stocked this summer, despite delays and long production queues, are the ones securing funding early and planning ahead. Clearco helps ecommerce brands free up cash, fund reorders when it matters most, and stay fully stocked all season long.

What the Best Brands Do Differently

The top 1% of ecommerce brands don’t let inventory mistakes kill margins or their momentum. They make capital and inventory planning a competitive edge, not a constraint.

1. Reorder early: Use funding to move faster than competitors
2. Balance buy sizes: Invest in what’s working, not guessing
3. Free up cash: Avoid getting boxed in by stock or slow POs. 

Want to Operate Like the Top 1%? Let Clearco help you fund reorders, free up frozen cash, and never miss another high-margin sales window.