An acrylic sheet distributor lives on turns, and the SKU list is where that is decided. A distributor in Brisbane opened with forty-two SKUs because that was the factory’s price list. Two years later, six of those SKUs had never sold a full sheet, and the warehouse was paying rent on pallets that had become a colour reference library.
The SKU set an acrylic sheet distributor should hold
Stock exists to make lead time invisible. That means stocking what local fabricators reorder weekly, not what the factory would like to ship in a container.
- Clear: 2, 3, 5 and 10 mm at one sheet size
- Opal or white: 3 and 5 mm
- Black: 3 and 5 mm
- Mirror: 3 mm, one backing type
- One accent colour, chosen by local demand, not by catalogue
Thirteen SKUs cover most of a general market. Each additional colour adds a pallet position and a slow-moving risk.
Storage that does not create scrap
Acrylic warps when it is stored badly. A rack with full-length support, sheets flat and interleaved, out of direct sun, and below 40 degrees Celsius is the whole specification.
Standing sheets on edge is the mistake that shows up three months later as a bowed panel that a customer rejects. Edge damage from a forklift is the second, and corner protection on the rack solves it.
The cut service that doubles margin
Sheet margin is thin and price-comparable. Cutting, drilling and edge polishing are not: a distributor who offers a cut-to-size service sells the same sheet at a materially better blended margin, because the customer is buying a part, not a commodity.
A single saw and a router pay for themselves on a modest volume of display and signage work.
Replenishment rhythm
The rule is simple: reorder when stock covers two thirds of the lead time, not when it runs out. With a six-week sea lead time and two weeks of buffer, reorder at eight weeks of cover.
A distributor who orders on the empty-pallet signal will always be short, because the container takes six weeks longer than the panic does.
Three lines not to stock
First, very thick cast block above 40 mm: it is a project product with a project price. Second, specialty colours in full sheets: cut-to-order serves the same customer without the pallet. Third, low-volume mirror variants, where one backing type and a coating sample will close most enquiries.
Knowing what not to stock is the difference between a warehouse and a museum.
The buying side of the same business is covered in the supplier evaluation guide, and the container mechanics in the wholesale cast acrylic note.
Start with the reorder list rather than the price list. The reorder list is the only market research a distributor needs.
Send your market, monthly throughput and warehouse size to oversales@rpplexiglass.com; we will map a starter SKU list and container plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many acrylic SKUs should a distributor stock?
Twelve to eighteen for a general market: clear in four thicknesses, opal in two, black and white in two each, plus mirror and one or two colours. Beyond that, special orders serve better than stock.
How should acrylic sheet be stored?
Flat, on a rack with full support, out of direct sun, at below 40 degrees Celsius, with interleaving between sheets. Standing sheets on edge invites warping and edge damage.
What margin is normal for a distributor?
Twenty to thirty-five per cent gross on clear sheet, higher on cut-to-size and colour. The blended margin depends more on cut services than on sheet markup.