Wait and see attitude, right now.

I just sent off my lowest advance order to Diamond in living memory. (I mean, obviously way back I must have had lower orders, but those memory cells are no longer living...)

Diamond is my principle distributor, where I get almost all my comics and graphic novels, and from whom I can order games, toys, and cards.

This event is not as significant as it once was.

Nowadays, I have many points of entry, and even a few points where I can jump off or lower my orders. It's not quite the commitment it used to be.

Fortunately.

Still, it seems to be an indicator of something. Lack of confidence in the economy, I guess. Comfort in my inventory mix.

I remember it being a hallmark moment a decade or so ago, when my reorders started to match my advance orders. It gave me much more flexibility in how much I got in the store and when I received it.

Advance orders usually still have the best volume discounts, and usually the best postage rates, and certainly the best fill rates. But again, that no longer seems as important as it once did.
If they run out of one thing, I can just get something else.

Back during the "hot" days, I didn't dare run out, I didn't dare not order huge quantities of material. I remember once that my main sportscard distributor said to me about advance orders-- "Well, unlike me, you can order as little or as much as you want." But I thought that was a nutty statement back then. Sure, I probably didn't have to have absolutely everything the way a distributor would, but it seemed damned important that I have the important stuff in stock.

Back then I couldn't be sure they wouldn't run out; or that the prices wouldn't shoot up overnight.

Now, I have less customers who will freak out if I don't have everything they want every time they come in. It ain't possible, anyway. Too much stuff in the world.

So I guess there are some positives to weak demand, after all ..... There are compensating factors.

I think my diversification efforts are mostly responsible for my current ability to play the field. I still get the occasional, "If you don't order this, it might be gone (or more expensive.)" But now I just shrug and say, "Whatever." I'm not sure I want to get caught up again in that little game.

Thing about advanced orders --especially through Diamond -- is that once I place my order I am more or less committed to that product. . I can't not accept shipment, I can't refuse to pay. On the other hand, if I under-order, it's relatively easy to get on the phone and order more. So the downside of advanced orders, now outweigh the upside. Nobody ever went out of business selling out.

Like I said, this is probably a bad indicator for the economy as a whole. Certainly makes it hard for producers to know how much to produce, and wholesalers how much to warehouse. But, we retailers are the ones who face the day to day brunt of the marketplace. I think there are more escape valves for wholesalers and manufacturers.

This gives me room to maneuver, which is priceless. I can watch and wait.