Primary sales are shipments. Secondary sales are truth. Reconcile the two.
Primary sales are shipments. Secondary sales are truth. Enter opening stock, sell-in and sell-through per SKU, and see closing stock, weeks of cover and the SKUs being quietly loaded into the channel.
| SKU | Opening stock | Primary in (sell-in) | Secondary out (sell-through) | Closing | Weeks of cover | Sell-through % | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | 1.44 | 75% | stockout-risk | ||||
| 1,100 | 3.66 | 54.17% | healthy | ||||
| 1,280 | 17.32 | 20% | overstock | ||||
| 590 | 6.23 | 41% | healthy |
Closing = opening + primary in − secondary out. Weeks of cover = closing ÷ weekly secondary.
Flags: 8+ weeks of cover is overstock (next quarter's returns and discounting); 2 weeks or less is stockout risk; sell-through under 40% is slow.
If primary consistently exceeds secondary, the channel is being loaded — and the correction always arrives, usually at quarter-end.
Illustrative figures, not a client outcome.
Start with your top 20 distributors and a weekly three-number report: opening, in, out. It's a relationship and systems question — and it's non-negotiable for serious channel management.
Typically 3–6 weeks depending on lead times and shelf life. Fresh categories run tighter; long-shelf-life durables can run higher.
Version 1.0 · Reviewed 2026-10 · Methodology is fixed and version-controlled; results depend on your inputs.
Suspect the channel is loaded? Prove it, then fix the rhythm.
BLEZZINGS runs this analysis inside a focused engagement — with your data, your market and a plan to act on it.