Add a safety stock buffer so reorder points cover bursts of sales
A safety stock percentage adds a buffer on top of lead-time demand, so a SKU that sells in bursts crosses its reorder point before the shelf empties. This article shows where to set it, what it changes in the reorder point calculation, and where the buffer shows up in units.
Restoc is not open yet, so anything on this page about what it does is what it is being built to do.
When you need a buffer
Restoc works out a reorder point per SKU from its sales velocity over your chosen window and the lead time you give it. That covers an average week well. It covers a burst badly: a SKU that sells nothing for ten days and then forty units in two will empty before an average-based reorder point is reached.
A safety stock percentage is the fix. You set one percentage for the store, Restoc adds that much on top of lead-time demand inside the reorder point calculation, and every SKU crosses its reorder point sooner by the size of its own buffer.
Use this article if a SKU hit zero while its status still read healthy, or if you are back to doing reorder maths by hand on the items that move in spikes.
Set the buffer
- Check the SKU has a lead time
The buffer sits on top of lead-time demand, so lead time has to be right first. Lead time is entered per SKU in your reorder rules as a whole number of days, anywhere from 1 to 365. Anything outside that is refused with a clear message rather than saved quietly.
- Pick the velocity window
Restoc reads sales velocity over 7, 14 or 30 days, set for the store. A 7-day window reacts to a burst fastest; a 30-day window smooths it out. On Pro you can override the window on an individual SKU.
- Enter the safety stock percentage
The percentage is store-wide: one number, applied to every tracked SKU. Save it, and the reorder point function recomputes each SKU's reorder point with the buffer included.
- Read the safety stock column on the dashboard
The dashboard SKU table shows safety stock in units alongside current stock, days of inventory remaining and reorder status. Units are the check that matters: a percentage can look sensible and still come to two units on a slow SKU.
- Confirm it in the weekly report and the CSV
The weekly reorder report lists every SKU below its reorder point with a suggested order quantity, carries the same safety stock column, and exports to CSV for the order you send your supplier.
- Make sure the alert reaches you
Alerts fire when a SKU crosses its reorder point, so a larger buffer means an earlier alert. Starter sends them by email. Growth and Pro add a Slack incoming webhook.
If the numbers still look wrong
Work through it in this order.
- Reorder point still too low. Check the lead time on that SKU. Lead time multiplies velocity, so a 2-day entry on a 3-week supplier is the usual cause.
- Buffer looks too small on a spiky SKU. Try a shorter velocity window. A 30-day window averages a burst away; 7 days keeps more of it.
- No safety stock at all. The SKU has no sales recorded inside the window, so there is no velocity to multiply. The reorder point stays defined and non-negative, and the buffer appears once sales land.
- Reorder points too high across the board. The percentage is store-wide, so raising it lifts every SKU at once. Lower it and compare the units column before and after.
A bigger buffer ties up more cash on the shelf; a smaller one leaves less room for a spike. That trade-off is yours to make, and the units column is the place to judge it.
If a figure still does not match what you expect, email support@restocapp.com with the SKU and what you entered for lead time and window, and the team will go through the calculation with you.
Questions
Can I set a different safety stock percentage per SKU?
No. The safety stock percentage is store-wide today, one number applied to every tracked SKU. What you can vary per SKU is lead time, and on Pro the sales velocity window.
What does the percentage apply to?
It is added on top of lead-time demand in the reorder point calculation, so the buffer each SKU holds depends on its own sales velocity and lead time. The resulting figure in units is shown in the safety stock column.
Where can I see the buffer in units?
In the safety stock column on the dashboard SKU table, in the weekly reorder report, and in the CSV export of that report.
Does raising the buffer trigger a wave of alerts?
Raising it lifts reorder points, so SKUs already close to the line may cross. Alert delivery is idempotent: one alert per SKU per crossing, with no duplicate emails or Slack messages if the background job runs again.
What percentage should I start with?
Start small and read the units column rather than the percentage. Raise it for the SKUs you cannot afford to be out of, and judge it against the cash the extra units tie up. Restoc shows you the number; the call is yours.
Do I need to set the buffer before my first reorder point works?
No. A lead time and a velocity window are enough for Restoc to compute a reorder point and start watching that SKU. The safety stock percentage is a refinement you add on top.
Does safety stock change the suggested order quantity?
The weekly reorder report lists SKUs below their reorder point with a suggested order quantity, and that reorder point is the one the buffer has been applied to, so the report follows the same figures you see on the dashboard.