On this page
in short
- Diwali falls on 8 November 2026 and Dhanteras on 6 November, so supplier orders need to be placed in the next ten days.
- Plan from last year's item-wise sales, not from memory or from what the salesman recommends.
- Put most of your money into proven fast sellers and keep new items to a small, fixed share.
- Decide now how you will clear what is left after the festival.
Diwali is on 8 November 2026, with Dhanteras on 6 November. For most shops, these few weeks decide the year. The businesses that do well are not the ones that buy the most. They are the ones that have the right items on the shelf on the right day and little left over afterwards.
Here is a plan you can follow from today.
Work Back From the Dates
- 9–13 OctStudy last yearPull item-wise sales for the four weeks before last Diwali.
- 14–20 OctPlace supplier ordersConfirm quantities, rates, delivery dates and return terms in writing.
- 21–31 OctReceive, check and displayCount every delivery against the order and bill before it goes on the shelf.
- 1–5 NovTop up fast sellersReorder only what is selling faster than planned.
- 6–8 NovDhanteras to DiwaliPeak billing days. Stock should be final by now.
- 9–15 NovClear what is leftRun the clearance you planned in October.
Start With Last Year’s Numbers
Memory is unreliable in a busy season. You remember the item that ran out, and forget the three that came back unsold.
Pull the item-wise sales for the four weeks before last Diwali and mark each item:
- Ran out early. You lost sales. Order more this year.
- Sold through steadily. Order about the same.
- Left over. Order less, or drop it.
If this year’s regular months have been running above or below last year’s, adjust the whole plan by the same proportion.
Split Your Budget Three Ways
A simple rule protects your cash: most of the money goes into what you know sells.
An example split of a festive purchase budget
New items are how you find next year’s fast sellers, so do not skip them. Keep them to a fixed share so that a wrong guess cannot hurt you.
Agree Terms Before the Rush
Suppliers are easier to negotiate with in mid-October than in the last week. Settle these now:
- Delivery date, and what happens if it slips.
- Return or exchange of unsold seasonal items.
- Credit period. Festive stock bought on 30 days’ credit and sold in 15 is cash in your hand.
- Scheme and free quantities, in writing on the order.
Check Every Delivery
Festive deliveries arrive in a hurry and are often short or mixed up. Count each one against the purchase order and the bill before it reaches the shelf. A shortage found on the day is a credit note. A shortage found in December is your loss.
Before the first festive customer walks in
- Item-wise orders placed, with delivery dates confirmed.
- Reorder levels raised for your top 20 items for the festive weeks.
- Barcodes or item codes ready for every new item, so billing does not slow down.
- GST rates checked on every item, as many rates changed in September 2025.
- Extra billing counter or mobile billing arranged for peak days.
- Clearance offer for the week after Diwali decided in advance.
Watch the Shelf Daily
From 1 November, look at sales and stock every evening. An item selling twice as fast as planned needs a repeat order today, not after it runs out. An item that has not moved in a week will not suddenly move on Diwali day, so stop buying it.
This is where connected software earns its place. In Saniiro inventory management, every bill reduces stock as it is made, and low-stock alerts tell you what to reorder before the shelf is empty. With Saniiro POS, the counter stays fast on the busiest days while stock and accounts update behind it.