Sourcing for the Holidays

A Guide to Prepping for Fall and Winter Festivities

The fall and winter holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for hotels and resorts. Guests are traveling to celebrate, event spaces are booked to capacity, and food and beverage demand surges across every outlet.

While the holidays present a major opportunity for revenue growth, they also come with heightened pressure on procurement teams. Securing the right products at the right time is no small feat when supply chains are stretched and seasonal SKUs are in high demand.

That’s why successful operators approach holiday sourcing with the same level of precision and planning they dedicate to guest service. From forecasting demand with data-driven tools to locking in seasonal essentials well before the rush, the strategies you use now will determine how seamlessly you can deliver during peak weeks. Flexibility, foresight, and the power of group purchasing are the key levers that can turn holiday procurement from a challenge into a competitive advantage.

Use Your Resources to Forecast Demand

Holidays bring surges in occupancy, event bookings, and food and beverage consumption. Relying on last year’s numbers isn’t enough. Factor in current booking pace, market trends, and industry business forecasts. Dynamic forecasts can allow you to scale purchasing up or down while reducing waste.

Tracking these numbers is especially important when it comes to monitoring your procurement needs. A data analytics platform like MPower can help you identify key suppliers and products. Once you know which products you order most, you can make sure those items are priority in planning for busy weekends.

Order Seasonal Essentials as Soon as Possible

Autumn and winter bring supply chain constraints, especially for festive Fall and Winter items like:

• Turkeys and specialty meats
• Holiday baking items
• Seasonal décor

Come September through December, these items are all in higher demand. Secure contracts early with distributors to guarantee availability and mitigate the risk of stockouts or inflated spot pricing.

Build Contingency Plans

Supply chain disruptions, severe weather, or unexpected demand spikes are more common during the holidays. You can prevent issues by securing secondary suppliers for high-priority SKUs and maintaining buffer inventory where practical. Flexibility ensures continuity even under pressure.

If you already focus on cross-utilizing SKUs in your holiday menus, this could be a good opportunity to increase adaptability. For example, root vegetables, winter squashes, or specialty cheeses can anchor multiple dishes across different outlets and service styles. If a signature protein or specialty ingredient runs short, versatile items already in inventory can be repositioned into seasonal sides, hors d’oeuvres, or festive specials.

By designing contingency plans with SKU flexibility at the core, operators minimize disruption while still delivering a seamless guest experience.

Leverage the Power of Group Purchasing

When you tap into your group purchasing agreements, you can capture better pricing and ensure preferred access to high-demand SKUs. Seasonal items often get squeezed on availability but leveraging volume commitments across the network ensures you don’t get left behind during peak weeks. Foodbuy Hospitality works with a wide range of food, beverage, supplies, equipment, and services partners across the country. Reach out to us now to learn about signing up as a Member.