LBQ (Launch Buy Quantity)
LBQ (Launch Buy Quantity) is the number of units you should have on hand to carry a new product through its launch phase — from first sale until the second production batch is checked in and sellable. Not the MOQ, not a guess: the quantity the launch’s velocity actually requires.
What is LBQ?
LBQ (Launch Buy Quantity) is the number of units you should have on hand to carry a new product through its launch phase — from first sale until the second production batch is checked in and sellable. Not the MOQ, not a guess: the quantity the launch’s velocity actually requires.
Amazon rewards new listings that sell continuously; intermittent availability during the ranking window wastes the launch entirely. LBQ exists to make the first order big enough that momentum never breaks, while staying disciplined enough that over-ordering does not strand capital in stock that a yet-unproven product may not clear.
The launch window is a one-time asset
New listings benefit from an initial period of algorithmic goodwill: early sales strength signals relevance, and rankings move quickly with relatively modest volume. That window is short, and it is consumed by selling — so every day of stockout during launch burns the most valuable attention your product will ever receive.
An LBQ that covers the first batch plus a full restock cycle keeps the listing live through the entire honeymoon. When the second batch lands on schedule, the product transitions from launch into normal trading without a gap — and the rank earned during launch carries forward instead of decaying in a dark month.
How to build the number
Estimate target daily velocity: the sales per day needed to hold page one for your primary keywords, cross-checked against what comparable products actually convert in your category. Multiply by restock lead time — the full manufacturing, freight, customs, and receiving cycle for the second batch, not the first. Add the units you intend to move through launch promotions and giveaways. Add safety stock for forecast error.
The discipline is in the lead time. Most launch stockouts happen because sellers size the first order against the FIRST batch’s delivery time, not the second’s. LBQ must bridge the far gap, or the gap does the punishing.
In practice
A seller launches a French press targeting 15 units a day. The factory needs 40 days for the next batch. They plan 100 units through launch promotions and hold 150 units of safety stock. LBQ: (15 × 40) + 100 + 150 = 850 units. They launch, hit page one, and the second batch is on the shelf by day 35 — momentum intact, no dark days.
How Harpy Media helps
Launch planning is one of our favourite problems: velocity targets built from category data, lead times modelled end to end including the receiving tail, and an LBQ sized so the ranking window never gets interrupted. We would rather carry a little extra stock than waste a launch.
LBQ FAQ
What is the difference between LBQ and MOQ?
MOQ is the factory’s minimum order quantity — the smallest order they will accept. LBQ is the quantity your launch needs on the marketplace. When the MOQ is below your LBQ, order the LBQ. When it is above, the launch economics need a second look.
Should the launch buy quantity include promotional units?
Yes. Launch promotions, coupons, and giveaways consume real inventory and are part of the plan — not a surprise against it. Count them in the LBQ, then hold safety stock on top for forecast error.
What happens if I under-order the launch?
You stock out inside the ranking window, the listing goes dark during the period where algorithmic attention is highest, and the rank resets. Recovering it typically costs more in advertising than the extra inventory would have cost to hold — which is why LBQ models exist.
Related terms
LSPL (Large Scale Product Launch)MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number)BTR (Born to Run)Want these numbers watched for you, every week?
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