Lead Times and Reorder Planning for Imported Bed Bases
Switching from a UK stockist to a continental manufacturer usually isn't a price decision — it's a timing one. Here's how to plan around the lead time instead of being caught out by it.
A continental manufacturer’s lead time isn’t a single number you either accept or reject — it’s two blocks of time you can plan around, the same way you’d plan any other stock line with a fixed production cycle.
The two blocks of time: production and transit
From a confirmed order, production takes 3–4 weeks, with roughly a week in transit on top. That’s the full sequence from confirmed order to pallet on your premises. It’s a wider window than next-day stock from a UK wholesaler, but it’s a fixed and predictable one — which is what makes it plannable rather than just slow.
Why prepayment sets the clock, not the purchase order
Production starts once your prepayment has cleared against the proforma invoice, not from the date the purchase order is raised. If there’s a gap between confirming an order and arranging payment, that gap adds directly to your timeline before the 3–4 week production clock even starts. The fastest way to protect your lead time is to have payment ready to move as soon as the proforma invoice arrives — payment is 100% in advance, invoiced in EUR.
Counting backwards from the date you need stock on the floor
If you need stock on the shop floor or ready for a customer delivery by a specific date, count backwards: a week for transit, 3–4 weeks for production, plus however long it takes you to arrange payment once you’ve confirmed the order. For a firm date, that’s most of five to six weeks from enquiry to delivery — worth building into any seasonal or promotional planning rather than treating the lead time as an afterthought once stock is already needed.
Overlapping orders instead of one large one
Rather than placing one large order and waiting for it to arrive before reordering, many buyers place a second order while the first is still in production or transit — effectively running two pallets through the pipeline at once so stock keeps arriving on a rolling basis instead of in a single block followed by a gap. Since pallets can mix sizes by arrangement, this doesn’t mean carrying a full pallet’s worth of a slow-moving size just to keep the pipeline moving.
What we need from you to hold the timeline
To keep an order on schedule: a confirmed purchase order with sizes and quantities, prepayment cleared promptly against the proforma invoice, and — before the first delivery specifically — a GB EORI number, UK VAT registration, and written confirmation of how the pallet will be unloaded. None of these are unusual requirements, but sorting them ahead of a live order is what keeps a 3–4 week production run from quietly becoming five or six.
Before you order
How long does an order take from enquiry to delivery?
You'll have a firm quotation within 24 hours on a working day. From a confirmed order, production takes 3-4 weeks, plus roughly a week in transit.
When does production actually start?
Once your prepayment has cleared against the proforma invoice — not from the date the purchase order is raised. Getting payment moving promptly is what keeps the timeline on track.
Can I place a second order before the first one arrives?
Yes — overlapping orders are a normal way to keep stock flowing rather than waiting for one pallet to arrive before starting the next production run.
Tell us your sizes and postcode
A firm quotation comes back within 24 hours on a working day.