Make-To-Order Special Edition Discs and Pre-Orders

Cost Efficiency and Reduced Risk for Manufacturers

Disc golf manufacturers such as Discraft and MVP Disc Sports have adopted the make-to-order production model for certain special edition discs. This approach allows them to start molding the discs after retailers submit orders, ensuring that they produce the exact number of discs they need to fulfill retailer orders. By producing goods based on confirmed orders, manufacturers can avoid the expenses associated with excess inventory such as costs related to storage, inventory maintenance and potential obsolescence, thereby maximizing their profits and minimizing their risk.

Pre-Order Demand

In today’s world of social media and digital marketplaces, customers want access to the hottest items on the market before they’re even in stock. Many retailers are responding to this demand by taking pre-orders so customers don't have to worry that product will sell out when it is released. Pre-ordering also guarantees immediate shipment on release. 

Since retailers can pre-order as many of these special edition discs as they think they need, are pre-orders necessary? Well, if retailers order too much, they will be left with excess stock; if retailers order conservatively to mitigate this risk, they may run out of stock. Even with historical data and control of the market, forecasting demand is guesswork. Since retailers have access to neither, how can retailers accurately predict the demand for any one disc? The fact that Discraft and MVP Disc Sports distribute to an unlimited number of dealers makes forecasting demand even harder and gives reason for retailers to err on the side of caution when ordering stock. So we can conclude that pre-orders would be prudent if you think retailers have not ordered enough discs to satisfy demand. 

Pre-Order Timing

At times the make-to-order production model results in a long delay between ordering and fulfillment.

Discraft just released Paul Ulibarri's Jawbreaker Z FLX Captain's Raptor. These were available for pre-order by retailers on December 11, 2023 with a January 19, 2024 12:01 am Eastern Time scheduled release date so anyone who pre-ordered right away knew they had a 5 week wait. 

With regards to MVP Disc Sports' recently announced special edition discs for Eagle McMahon (the "Rebirth" Axiom Prism Proton Envy) and Simon Lizotte (the Axiom Simon Line Electron Pixel), MVP Disc Sports' order sheet currently states that their fulfillment timeline is 6-8 weeks. Since it takes 1-2 weeks for shipments to be delivered from MVP Disc Sports to us, does pre-ordering now mean that you will be waiting about 2 months for your disc after paying for it? In fact, MVP Disc Sports will determine a release date after all retailers have submitted their pre-orders and after MVP Disc Sports estimates the production time to fulfill retailers' orders. How long is too long to wait for your paid pre-ordered disc that is mass produced?

Pre-Orders Delayed

Online shoppers have more options than ever before - if a product is unavailable when shoppers want it, many simply move on to the next store. Despite this, we have decided to delay our pre-order offerings for MVP Disc Sports' next releases. Since many people are paying off their holiday bills this month, we are not taking pre-orders at this time to avoid holding your payment hostage for an undetermined period of time. If you sign up for stock notification, we will email you after MVP Disc Sports announces the release date and advise when pre-orders will be available. At that time, you will know when your pre-order will ship.