Diwali stocking guide: order timelines that won't bite you

Every year importers underestimate the Diwali lead time and end up paying express air premiums in October. The fix is simple: plan backwards from the sell-through date.

For sea LCL from China, count on 16–22 days transit plus 7–10 days for customs and inland — so a mid-October shelf date means POs placed by early August at the latest.

Build a buffer for QC re-work and Golden Week factory closures. We publish a dated cut-off calendar each year; ask our team for the current one.