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Sell-in is the process of presenting a season's line to wholesale and retail buyers and taking pre-season orders. It's how a brand turns its product line into commitments from the stores and partners that will carry it.
Last updated: November 2026 · Part of the product line glossary
Sell-in vs sell-through
The two terms sound alike but measure different things.
| Sell-in | Sell-through | |
|---|---|---|
| Who buys | The retailer, from the brand | The consumer, from the retailer |
| When | Before the season | During the season |
| What it measures | Orders, units and accounts | Share of units sold and rate of sale |
| What it informs | Production volumes and account plans | Replenishment, markdowns and next season's line |
How sell-in works
- The line is final or close to final.
- Sales materials are built: line sheets, samples and a showroom, physical or digital.
- Sales teams meet buyers in showrooms, at trade shows and in market appointments.
- Buyers give feedback and place orders.
- Orders inform production quantities, and styles that don't attract enough orders may be dropped.
What makes sell-in hard
- The line changes after sales materials are made. Line sheets and decks go out of date, and buyers see the wrong price or colorway.
- Samples arrive late. Sales has less time with the products in front of buyers.
- Regional lines differ. Each market needs its own version, and keeping them all current takes time.
- Buyer feedback gets lost. Comments sit in notes and emails and never reach merchandising and design.
Sell-in in VibeIQ
In VibeIQ, sales works from the same product line that merchandising and design built. Digital line sheets and showcases are built from that line, so buyers see the current version, and sales teams can capture buyer feedback against it.
Kizik cut the time to prepare sales samples from four to five days to about 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is sell-in the same as wholesale ordering?
Mostly. Sell-in covers the whole process of presenting the line and getting commitments from buyers. Wholesale orders are the result.
When does sell-in happen?
Several months before the season, around market weeks, trade shows and buyer appointments. The exact timing depends on the category and the retailer's calendar.
Do direct-to-consumer brands have sell-in?
Not to retailers, but many run an internal version, presenting the line to their own ecommerce and store teams to agree depth and placement.
Related terms: digital line sheet, assortment management, line plan, line review
See where the plan becomes your product line.
Bring one category and your current sell-in process. We'll show how sales could present the current line and capture buyer feedback against it.