Library · Stock / inventory · How to run this
Cut ads before you stock out
Pacing to a settled CAC with five days of cover is an inventory job, not a creative job. Days of cover = units on hand ÷ sell-through per day. Below two weeks, cut ad spend on that SKU before you test new ads.
Pair: Ads into empty on Stock.
How to read it
Type on-hand for the SKU you are advertising, current units per day, and daily ad spend on that offer. The calculator shows days of cover and how much of the next two weeks of spend would hit empty. If cover is thin, cut. The PO clock is a different job — do not pretend inbound units are shippable today.
What not to do
Do not average the catalog so a dead hero looks fine. Do not count on-order. Do not “make CAC” into empty shelves.
Amazon Sponsored Products auto-pause is a zero-stock switch — not this throttle. See Amazon ads stop at zero.
Procedure
- Take on-hand for the SKU you are advertising.
- Take current velocity.
- Put daily ad spend.
- If cover is thin, cut spend before you optimize creative.
Failure modes
- Pacing to CAC while cover is five days.
- Using on-order units as on-hand.
- Averaging SKUs so the hero SKU still stockouts.
Worked example
None on this page yet. When one lands it will be a real case: what broke, the number, and what changed. Not a composite.
Glossary
- Cover
- Units on hand ÷ sell-through per day. Below two weeks, pacing is an inventory job.
Work with us — We run this job on your accounts. Services
FAQ
- Can I use on-order units as cover?
- No. On-order is not on-hand. Cover is what you can ship today.
- The brand average looks fine. Why cut?
- Averaging SKUs hides the hero that is empty. Type the SKU you are advertising.
- CAC is still good. Should I keep spend?
- Not into empty. A beautiful CAC on a stockout is refund and chargeback fuel.