Festive demand planning, says Vaibhav Kukreja, Program Manager at Blinkit, is moving from a forecast-and-stock approach to a dynamic, data-led model, drawing on historical demand, promotions and real-time sales velocity to build multiple scenarios.
Availability now hinges on speed and precision
The key shift is toward continuously rebalancing inventory based on actual demand rather than one fixed forecast.
Planning backwards from the customer promise
Delivery certainty has made the last mile a critical input into upstream planning. In quick commerce, availability at the customer-facing location directly influences conversion, so planning increasingly works backwards from the customer promise, giving visibility into where and when inventory will be needed.
Allocating inventory across competing channels
Omnichannel growth has made allocation significantly more dynamic, with the same SKU competing across dark stores, marketplaces and traditional retail. With better visibility, businesses can move inventory toward channels where demand is actually materialising, rather than relying on an initial plan.
Synchronising production with shelf life and cold chain
For temperature-sensitive FMCG and confectionery, production timing increasingly needs to sync with shelf life and cold-chain capacity. Better demand visibility and end-to-end cold-chain tracking, Kukreja notes, help products reach export markets with maximum usable shelf life.
