How to Forecast for New Products Without Any Sales History

A playbook for manufacturers and wholesalers launching new SKUs.

Use analog products

Choose comparable SKUs by function/price/channel and transfer seasonality with shrinkage.

Leverage leading indicators

Preorders and RFQs
Web traffic and sample requests
Marketing calendar and channel mix

Constrain with operations

Capacity, minimum batches, lead times and launch windows must bound scenarios.

Iterate via PoV

Run a 4-8 week proof of value with ERP exports; measure service level, capital tie-up, and bias improvements.