Delivery window

In fashion, a delivery window is the date range when a set of styles is due to reach the store, such as 15 January to 15 February for a first spring delivery. It tells buyers when the stock will be on the floor and roughly when payment terms will begin.

A delivery window describes when goods reach the store, and a ship window describes when the brand sends them. Many brands and buyers use the two terms interchangeably on orders, so state which one you mean.

Splitting a season into two or three deliveries keeps new product arriving in stores, spreads the retailer's spending, and lets the brand produce in stages. Each delivery usually has its own styles or colors on the line sheet.

Here is an example spring 2027 season sold at market in September and October 2026. It is split into three deliveries, each with its own styles on the line sheet.

The brand prints each delivery window on the line sheet, buyers order styles into the windows that suit their floor plan, and the brand ships each order inside its window.

If a buyer's budget for a month is already spent, moving part of an order to a later delivery is often easier than cutting it. Agree the change in writing so the order's cancel date moves with it.

• Windows that are too wide

  A three-month window gives the buyer no way to plan the floor. Keep each window to a few weeks.

• No window on the line sheet

  Buyers can't commit their budget to a month if they don't know when the goods arrive. Print the window next to each delivery's styles on the line sheet.

• Missing the window quietly

  Late goods can be cancelled or discounted. Tell buyers early when a delivery is at risk.

Each ModaFlow order carries a delivery window: buyers can request the dates when they order, you can edit them on the order, and the window appears on order emails and the Stripe invoice.

To show your delivery windows on a line sheet today, add them to the terms in the free line sheet maker.