wiki/knowledge/ecommerce-strategy/doudlah-farms-inventory-management.md · 726 words · 2026-04-05
Doudlah Farms Inventory Management & Risk
Overview
As of April 2026, Doudlah Farms is running at ~$5k/day in sales with strong upward momentum. Inventory management has become a critical operational concern — particularly for yellow popcorn, which faces a near-term stockout risk. This article documents the current inventory picture, top-selling SKUs, known risks, and contingency strategies discussed in the [1] April 2026 strategy call.
Top-Selling SKUs
The following four products drive the majority of Amazon and website revenue and should be prioritized for inventory continuity:
| Rank |
Product |
Notes |
| 1 |
White Popcorn (Doudlah Farms) |
Highest volume; ample stock |
| 2 |
Yellow Popcorn (Doudlah Farms) |
Critical inventory risk (see below) |
| 3 |
Black Beans, 5 lb |
Booming; ~1,200 units in FBA |
| 4 |
Cornmeal |
Consistent performer; ~24k lbs on hand + 24k reserved |
Black beans in 25 lb bags rank fifth. Rye flour (1.5 lb bags) is an emerging performer showing promising growth.
Yellow Popcorn: Critical Inventory Risk
Current Situation
- On-hand inventory: ~120,000 lbs (after cleaning shrinkage from ~140k lbs across three semi loads)
- Next crop availability: January–February 2027 at the earliest — approximately 8–9 months away
- Sales velocity: ~800 units/month × 6 lbs = ~4,800 lbs/month for Doudlah Farms brand alone
- Old World yellow popcorn adds additional draw on the same inventory pool
At current velocity, Doudlah Farms brand alone would consume ~38,400 lbs over 8 months, leaving meaningful buffer — but Old World demand and any sales acceleration could erode that margin quickly.
Risk Factors
- Yellow popcorn is the #2 seller and a key revenue driver
- The 2025 crop is fully committed; no additional ROC/Demeter-certified yellow popcorn can be sourced externally
- A stockout would damage Amazon ranking, Subscribe & Save retention, and overall momentum
Contingency Strategy
Protect Doudlah Farms ROC stock by sourcing non-ROC organic yellow popcorn for the Old World brand.
- Old World is labeled as organic only (not ROC or Demeter), making it eligible for third-party organic sourcing
- Substituting non-ROC organic corn into Old World preserves the full ROC/Demeter inventory for the premium Doudlah Farms brand
- This mirrors the existing Old World strategy used for popcorn generally
Action owner: Monitor monthly velocity against remaining inventory; trigger sourcing search if projected runway drops below 3 months.
Cornmeal Inventory
- On hand: 24,000 lbs (12 pallets × ~2,000 lbs)
- Reserved: Additional 24,000 lbs held to cover year-end demand
- Sales velocity: ~500 units/month × 5 lbs = ~2,500 lbs/month (~1.25 tons/month)
- Runway: ~9–10 months on current stock; additional reserve extends through year-end
- The 1.5 lb yellow cornmeal bag is an unexpected strong performer (~$5k/month) and should be monitored for restocking needs
Bean Inventory
| Product |
Approx. On-Hand |
Notes |
| Pinto Beans |
~127,000 lbs |
High inventory; commodity perception limits premium pricing |
| Black Beans |
Large quantity |
One semi-load is non-ROC (sourced externally) |
| Cranberry Beans |
Not yet cleaned |
Pending cleaner run |
| Small Reds |
Not yet cleaned |
Pending cleaner run |
| Navy, Kidney, others |
Smaller quantities |
Selling organically; minimal marketing effort |
Non-ROC Bean Inventory
One semi-load of black beans is non-ROC certified and cannot be sold under the Doudlah Farms or Bean Vivo ROC supply agreements. Options discussed:
- New lower-priced brand (e.g., "FarmRite") — sell non-ROC beans under a distinct sub-brand, similar to the Old World popcorn model. See [2].
- Bulk/B2B offload — price competitively to move volume through B2B or institutional channels.
Rye Flour
- SKU: 1.5 lb bags
- Performance: ~167 units/month, ~$2,300/month — growing meaningfully
- Status: Early-stage but promising; no inventory concerns flagged
Inventory Monitoring Cadence
Mark Doudlah to email a warehouse inventory report to Mark Hope on a regular basis to enable proactive reorder and risk flagging. This is especially critical for yellow popcorn given the 8–9 month gap to next crop.
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