What is the difference between catalog booking and ready stock in wholesale?

Understanding this distinction prevents delivery surprises and helps you plan your inventory timeline correctly:

Ready stock: The catalog or product is physically in the supplier's warehouse — can be dispatched the same day or next day. What you see on the website or WhatsApp is available immediately.

Catalog booking (indent/advance order): The design exists but the pieces have not yet been made or assembled. You book the catalog in advance, and the supplier produces/assembles it before dispatching. Delivery takes 7–30 days depending on the production involved.

How to identify which you are ordering:

• Ask explicitly: "Is this ready stock or booking?"
• Check dispatch timeline — "same day" or "within 24 hours" = ready stock
• "Delivery in 10–15 days" = catalog booking
• Very low price for a freshly designed catalog = often a booking deal (price locked before production cost rises)