So you’ve found just the right item for your customer’s new team outfit, and you’re ready to order. But wait a second…is it even available in the size and colors you need? And what do you do if it’s not?

These are questions that might have you reaching for your phone, but stick with us and we’ll show you some tricks you can use on sanmar.com to check the up-to-the-minute inventory in each of our distribution centers, plus what to do if we don’t have it today. All without picking up the phone.

First, make sure you log in at sanmar.com. The tools we’re discussing today are only available to active SanMar customers.

Is the Product I Want Available?

Once you’re logged in, find the product you want. For today’s demonstration we’ll look at the Port and Company^® Fan Favorite Tee — always a popular choice! Choose the color you want and when you’re ready to see the inventory levels for that piece, click the Check Inventory and Pricing button.

The page you see now shows availability for the color you chose on the previous screen. You can change the color here too, on the left side of the page. The grid in the middle shows the amount of inventory for each size and location. Sizes are listed under the columns, and where the product is located is listed down each row. Your primary warehouse (probably the one closest to you) is listed at the top, with other locations below.

To see if what you need is available, find the sizes you want along the top and look down those columns to see what is available in each warehouse. Even if it’s not available at your primary warehouse, there might be more inventory in another one!

To order, simply enter the amounts you’d like to receive based on size and location and click Proceed To Checkout to go on to submit the order.

What If It’s Not In Stock?

But wait. You looked in the right column and there’s not enough inventory for what you need. Don’t give up just yet. Instead, click the Place Backorder button.

You’ll see a new row appear at the bottom of the grid. Enter the amount of that product you’d like in the correct size column. If you’d like to know when that product is expected to be back in stock, click the “ETA” link that appears when you enter a number. A small popup will appear with the time frame we expect to have that product in that color and size available to send.

When you place a backorder, you’re asking us to send that product to you when it’s back in stock. Once that happens, we’ll get it on its way to you via UPS Ground.

The process to submit your order is the same for a backorder as it is for an in-stock item order – click Proceed To Checkout once you’ve entered the numbers you need for a backorder.

For a more general sense of what inventory we have available, we’ve also prepared this Inventory Availability chart for you, listing all our apparel and accessories by brand and product category.

We hope this is a helpful tool for you to use when wondering what products are available through sanmar.com. Keep an eye on the Fabric Blog in the coming weeks to see more tips and tricks you can use to help you run your business.

Was this helpful for you? What else are you wondering if you can do yourself? Let us know and join the conversation on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.