top of page
Search

🔥 Holiday Gear-Up Series, Part 5: Plan for Supplier Closures & Stock Shortages (Before They Wreck Your December)

There are two kinds of venues in December:

1️⃣ The ones who get ahead, plan their stock, confirm deliveries, and breeze through Christmas.

2️⃣ The ones who discover on December 22nd that their main supplier closed three days ago.

Take a wild guess which one loses thousands in missed sales, scrambles for backup stock, and ends up sending chefs to Coles at 6am…

If you want to survive December–January with minimal drama, you MUST plan your suppliers early — not during peak week.

Here’s how to do it right.


chef yelling at supplier.
Dont get caught out this Holiday period.

🎯 Why Supplier Planning Is Critical During the Holiday Rush


December–January brings:

  • Supplier closures

  • Reduced delivery days

  • Public holiday offsets

  • Increased minimum orders

  • Early cut-off times

  • Driver shortages

  • Stock shortages

  • Heat-related spoilage

  • Limited bakery & butchery production

  • Substitute products that ruin recipes

And all of this hits you exactly when you’re doing your highest volume of the year.

If you don’t plan ahead?

👉 You WILL run out of something important.👉 You WILL pay too much for last-minute stock.👉 You WILL stress your team.👉 You WILL lose sales.

This blog is your insurance policy.


📦 The 7 Steps to Bulletproof Supplier


Planning


1. Request All Supplier Closure Calendars NOW

Every major supplier has a holiday calendar that shows:

  • Last delivery before Christmas

  • First delivery after New Year

  • Cut-off times

  • Reduced routes

  • Product shortages

  • Extra fees

If you don't have these by December 1st, you’re already behind.


2. Map Your Venue’s Trading Dates Against Supplier Closures


Print your own December–January trading calendar.

Then layer on:

  • All supplier closures

  • All delivery days

  • All cut-off times

  • Public holidays

  • Early closures

  • Days you’re closed

This immediately shows you:

✔ Where you risk running out

✔ When you need to bulk order

✔ Where fridges/freezers need extra space

✔ Which days need adjusted prep levels

This stops 95% of holiday stock problems.


3. Confirm Backup Suppliers (Before You Need Them)


Never wait until you’re out of stock to find a backup.

You need a Plan B for:

  • Bread & bakery

  • Dairy

  • Produce

  • Butchery

  • Packaging

  • Beverages

  • Chemicals

If your main supplier closes → your backup keeps you alive.


4. Identify All High-Risk Items


These are items that:

⚠️ Spoil quickly

⚠️ Sell fast

⚠️ Go into multiple dishes

⚠️ Are seasonal

⚠️ Are specialty products

⚠️ Have limited stock around Christmas

Examples:

  • Berries

  • Avocados

  • Brioche & pastries

  • Ice cream

  • Seafood

  • Specialty cuts

  • Fresh herbs

  • Christmas proteins

Plan backups or stock extras.


5. Increase Storage Capacity (Even Temporarily)


December might require:

  • Temporary coolroom shelving

  • Additional containers

  • Stacking tubs

  • New labelling systems

  • Reorganised storage areas

  • Designated Christmas overflow sections

A tidy coolroom = less spoilage and faster service.


6. Adjust Par Levels for Peak Weeks


Your usual weekly par levels WILL NOT hold up.

You need:

  • Christmas week par levels

  • NYE par levels

  • First-week-of-January tourist par levels

Venues that do this avoid:

✔ Running out

✔ Wasting product

✔ Endless emergency orders


7. Brief Your Team on Stock Expectations


Your staff should know:

  • Which items are vulnerable

  • When stock will be tight

  • Which suppliers are closed

  • Which products have substitutes

  • When the venue is closed

  • How to label & rotate stock for long weekends

Clear communication saves thousands in wastage.


💡 Want a Done-For-You Supplier Strategy?


This is included in my Operations Consulting support.

I’ll help you:

✔ Review all supplier calendars

✔ Build a full December–January supply map

✔ Create backup supplier lists

✔ Set par levels for peak periods

✔ Adjust your ordering schedule

✔ Prepare for closures & shortages

✔ Build a Xmas–NY stock plan your whole team can follow

This alone saves most venues thousands.



🎉 BLACK FRIDAY BONUS — Ends 30/11/25

Book a FREE 15-minute discovery call before 30/11 and get:


🔥 20% OFF your Holiday Supplier & Stock Strategy Package


This is your insurance policy against December chaos.


Comments

bottom of page