Methodology · March 11, 2025

Seasonality in the data: when orders are placed in your category

Every category breathes to its own rhythm. We show how to read the season out of import data and translate it into a sales calendar.

The rhythm is written down

When you spread a category's shipments across the months, a pattern emerges: construction materials rise in spring, beverages before the holidays, furniture before autumn. But generalizing is dangerous: your niche may run differently, and that is exactly what you should verify from the data rather than assume.

Even more precise is the buyer-specific rhythm: the shipment dates of a specific importer show their ordering window better than any market study.

Ordering window vs. delivery time

If the goods arrive in the US in April, the order was placed in January-February and the supplier was chosen in December. So the right moment for sales work is two to four months before the arrival peak: calculating backwards is the whole art.

In our reports we show the category's arrival curve and the recommended contact window together.

Could your product sell in the USA?The first consultation is free: we show the real import numbers for your category and a few sample buyers.

A practical technique

Before an important approach, look at the target buyer's shipment dates over the past year: if their pattern is two big waves a year, time yourself ahead of the wave. A letter in the right week is worth more than a perfect letter in the wrong month.

Let's talk about your export plan

The first consultation is free: together we'll see who in the US already buys your product and how to reach them.