Choose the assortment, record the buying assumptions and review what actually happens. This guide helps a game-store buyer connect shelf space and customer needs with quoted costs, stock records and reorder decisions. The worksheet uses your values; its worked arithmetic illustrates a calculation, not a price list, sales forecast or promised margin.
Test an assortment that fits your customers and shelf
Begin with the reason someone would buy from your game-store counter. A gift buyer may want an easy-to-understand decorative item; a player may ask about dimensions and use at the table; a collector may compare themes, finish and display space. One assortment can serve all three, but the product information should answer each question.
- Measure the usable shelf or counter and reserve space for labels and safe handling.
- Choose a small set of distinct themes and sizes rather than many nearly identical options.
- Record the proposed quantity and physical footprint of each item.
- Request current wholesale eligibility, prices and packing information for that selection.
- Choose a review period and record actual units sold, returned and remaining.
There is no universal starter assortment. A compact counter, a specialist RPG shop and a broad hobby retailer have different constraints. Treat the first order as a documented buying decision, not proof of future demand.
Request a quote for your proposed assortment. Keep the maker-facing question of how to sell into stores separate from your task as a retailer choosing stock.
Use a stock-test worksheet without inventing a margin
Build the worksheet from your quote and your own selling plan. Keep quantities, costs and actual sales in separate columns so an opening order is not mistaken for revenue.
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Item | SKU, variant, ordered units and received sellable units |
| Landed unit cost | Purchase cost plus allocated freight and nonrecoverable charges |
| Sales | Units sold, net sales after discounts and returns |
| Stock | Units remaining, damaged and returned |
Hypothetical arithmetic only: if an item sells for $20 in net sales and its allocated landed cost is $12, gross margin on that sale is ($20 − $12) ÷ $20 = 40%. Markup is ($20 − $12) ÷ $12, about 66.7%. These are different calculations, not 3DCentral prices or expected results.
This simple margin excludes other operating costs unless you explicitly include them. Use consistent treatment of taxes and charges with your own accounting records. With zero net sales, do not report a margin percentage; record that no meaningful percentage can be calculated.
Obtain the actual assortment quote before filling in supplier costs.
Reorder from a stock record, not an impression
Before reordering, reconcile what arrived with what remains. For each SKU, start with received units, subtract sales and write-offs, and account separately for returns and transfers. A display sample should not quietly become available stock in the record.
Compare products over a stated period. An item displayed for one week is not directly comparable with one available for a full season. Record stockouts, changed display positions and promotions so you can interpret the sales rather than treating every difference as customer preference.
- Which variants sold, and which still occupy space?
- Were returns or damage concentrated in one item?
- How much room and purchasing budget remain?
- What are the supplier’s current availability and reorder conditions?
For several locations, keep a store-level record before combining totals. Moving existing stock may solve a shortage at one branch without duplicating it elsewhere. A reorder request still needs supplier confirmation; it is not an automatic replenishment service.
Request a current reorder quote using exact item identifiers and quantities, with your required delivery location and date.
Plan seasonal stock backward from the receiving date
For holiday gifts or a gaming event, begin with the date stock must be in your hands, not the day you hope to place the order. Work backward through receiving, transport, production and any sample or quote approval. Use supplier-confirmed information for each stage rather than a generic countdown.
- Choose the occasion and the actual selling window.
- Review what remains from existing stock before choosing additions.
- Select eligible products and request current quantities, colours and packing details.
- Allow your own time for approval, receiving checks and setting up the display.
- Decide how unsold seasonal stock will be stored or incorporated into a later assortment.
A Christmas collection for a broad hobby shop may differ from gifts for an RPG-focused counter. Keep recipient fit and shelf space in the selection, rather than adding a seasonal label to unrelated products.
Request a seasonal assortment quote with the required receiving date. A proposed schedule is not a delivery guarantee; confirm capacity and dates before promoting a particular arrival to customers.
