Demand is up for the holiday season but the supply chain continues to be challenged. Many publishers and booksellers will be depending on wholesalers more. As Ingram faces that demand, coupled with their own labor shortage and supply chain issues, they’re offering some suggestions to help stores optimize their ordering for the season.

Order earlier

In general, order early to ensure you have what you need. If you’re doing more just-in-time ordering as you go, order early ahead of cut offs. For example, for a Monday morning cut off time, if you order Sunday afternoon or evening you’ll be moving your PO’s up in the order for fulfillment. This is especially important for stores on the west coast.  Many stores are used to placing orders minutes before the cut off. Getting ahead of this just a little can make a big difference.

Check Your Credit

Stores that are in good standing will find that Ingram has already increased their credit lines for the season but paying down your account a little as you go will ensure that orders aren't delayed for credit review as you get close to your credit line. Check now to make sure your credit limit is substantial enough for the season.

Change Your Minimum Settings

Small stores may benefit from changing their setting slightly to optimize how minimums are met. Your Ingram rep can talk you through that process. If you’re not sure who your Ingram rep is, ABA’s membership team [4] can help. 

Know Who To Call

During the busy holiday season, it’s important to know who to turn to if things don’t go as planned. Ingram wants to ensure you know who and where to resolve your challenges in a timely manner. For questions regarding credit limits and payments, call or email your credit rep. For help with an order, first check ipage. And for tips and tools on how to self-serve and get help with other questions, check Ingram’s Customer Care [5]landing page [5]. And if you call Ingram customer service, there is now a call-back option; return calls are usually made within a few hours.