# Planster - Demand Forecasting for E-commerce Brands

> Planster is demand forecasting and inventory planning software for growing e-commerce and CPG brands. We help companies transition from spreadsheet chaos to automated forecasting that prevents stockouts and reduces excess inventory.

## About Planster

Planster replaces inventory spreadsheets with demand forecasting that actually works. Our platform helps brands know what to order and when to order it—so they can stop bleeding cash on unnecessary inventory.

Planster was founded by Steve Clark, a demand planning practitioner who built forecasting systems for 30+ e-commerce brands before creating Planster. Steve previously led inventory planning at Kodiak Cakes.

### Core Value Proposition

- Stop bleeding cash on unnecessary inventory
- Replace spreadsheet chaos with automated forecasting
- Know what to order and when to order it
- Prevent stockouts while reducing carrying costs

### Target Customers

- Mid-market CPG brands ($5M-$100M revenue)
- E-commerce brands struggling with inventory planning
- Companies using spreadsheets for demand forecasting
- Brands selling across multiple channels (D2C, Amazon, retail, wholesale)

### Key Differentiators

- 150+ WMS, 3PL, and sales-channel integrations via Trackstar (Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, ShipBob, ShipHero, Flexport, and more), plus native accounting integrations (Zoho and Luminous live; QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and Sage rolling out)
- Statistical models calibrated to each customer's demand patterns
- Automatic seasonality detection at the SKU level
- Real-time purchase order recommendations
- Flat $1,000/month pricing with unlimited users and SKUs

## Buyer's Guide

- [Best Inventory Planning Software for CPG Brands (2026)](https://www.planster.io/best-inventory-planning-software-for-cpg-brands): An honest, sourced guide to 10 inventory planning tools — Planster, Inventory Planner, Cogsy, Prediko, Flieber, Netstock, Atomic Supply, Moselle, Settle, and native Shopify Admin — with what each is genuinely best at, real pricing, honest limitations (including Planster's own), a six-criteria evaluation framework, and a pick-by-profile guide. Published by Planster with disclosure.

## Migration Guides

- [Shopify Stocky Is Shutting Down: An Honest Guide to What Replaces It](https://www.planster.io/blog/shopify-stocky-replacement-guide): Stocky stops working after August 31, 2026. Shopify Admin absorbed the operational half (purchase orders, transfers, receiving, adjustments) but not the planning half (demand forecasting, reorder points, safety stock). Covers the export steps, the supplier-data gap, how to tell which half of Stocky you actually used, and options at every price tier — including when Shopify Admin alone is the correct answer and no purchase is needed.

## Comparisons

Honest, sourced comparisons of Planster vs the tools CPG brands evaluate. Each names where the alternative is genuinely the better fit:

- [Planster vs Excel](https://www.planster.io/compare/excel): Automated, always-current planning vs spreadsheets that go stale and break.
- [Planster vs Shopify Admin](https://www.planster.io/compare/shopify-admin): Shopify Admin absorbed Stocky's purchase orders, transfers, and receiving — but not demand forecasting, reorder points, or safety stock. Where native Shopify inventory stops and a planning layer starts.
- [Planster vs Inventory Planner](https://www.planster.io/compare/inventory-planner): Flat pricing, scenario planning, a pipeline, and an agent vs a mature, revenue-priced forecasting platform.
- [Planster vs Flieber](https://www.planster.io/compare/flieber): What happens after the forecast — scenarios, a pipeline, and a proactive agent.
- [Planster vs Atomic Supply](https://www.planster.io/compare/atomic-supply): A pre-commit capital gate and a retail-deal pipeline, with transparent pricing.
- [Planster vs Moselle](https://www.planster.io/compare/moselle): Flat pricing with no AI usage meter, plus PO-drafting the others don't have yet.
- [Planster vs Settle](https://www.planster.io/compare/settle): Purpose-built demand planning vs an AP/financing platform that added planning.
- [Planster vs Prediko](https://www.planster.io/compare/prediko): Multichannel planning for $10-50M brands vs a Shopify-only app.
- [Planster vs Cogsy](https://www.planster.io/compare/cogsy): Consequence previews and multichannel scale vs a Shopify-DTC forecasting tool.

## Founder

- [Steve Clark, Founder](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenclark19/): Demand planning practitioner, former inventory planning lead at Kodiak Cakes, built forecasting systems for 30+ e-commerce brands before founding Planster

## Key Pages

- [Homepage](https://www.planster.io): Overview of Planster's demand forecasting platform
- [Product Overview](https://www.planster.io/product): Full feature breakdown and how the platform works
- [Pricing](https://www.planster.io/pricing): Flat $1,000/month, unlimited users and SKUs
- [Integrations](https://www.planster.io/integrations): 150+ WMS, 3PL, and e-commerce platform connections via Trackstar
- [Comparisons](https://www.planster.io/compare): How Planster compares to Excel, Inventory Planner, Cogsy, Prediko, and more — each with an honest "when the other tool is the better fit" section
- [About Us](https://www.planster.io/about): Company story and team background
- [Contact/Demo](https://www.planster.io/contact): Start a free trial or book a walkthrough
- [FAQ](https://www.planster.io/faq): Common demand planning questions answered
- [Help Center](https://help.planster.io): Support documentation and guides

## FAQ - Common Demand Planning Questions We Answer

The FAQ page (https://www.planster.io/faq) answers these common questions:

1. How can I create a 12 to 18 month rolling forecast for sales?
2. How do I create a predictive purchase ordering plan?
3. What's the ideal amount of inventory to hold on a given item?
4. How do I plan for seasonality in my SKUs?
5. How can I track forecast accuracy at the channel level?
6. How do I create a forecast accuracy report based on sales numbers and historical forecasts?
7. What kind of statistical model should I use for my sales data?
8. How do I build a model that helps me track my retail demand separately?
9. What's the best way to integrate my data to make purchase order recommendations?
10. How can I lower inventory carrying costs without risking stockouts?

## Problems We Solve

### Inventory Planning Chaos
Brands struggling with spreadsheet-based planning face formula errors, version conflicts, and hours of manual work each week. Planster automates data integration and forecast generation.

### Stockouts
Running out of inventory costs sales and damages customer relationships. Planster's forecasting and reorder point calculations prevent stockouts before they happen.

### Excess Inventory
Holding too much inventory ties up cash and increases carrying costs (typically 20-35% of inventory value annually). Planster optimizes inventory levels for each SKU.

### Multi-Channel Complexity
Selling across D2C, Amazon, wholesale, and retail requires tracking demand separately by channel. Planster consolidates all channels into a single forecasting system.

### Seasonal Planning
Building inventory ahead of seasonal peaks requires accurate forecasting and proper lead time planning. Planster automatically detects seasonality and alerts when to place larger orders.

## Contact Information

- Website: https://www.planster.io
- Demo Request: https://www.planster.io/contact
- Help Center: https://help.planster.io

## Optional

- [Blog](https://www.planster.io/blog): Articles on demand planning, inventory strategy, and e-commerce operations

## Sitemap

Full sitemap available at: https://www.planster.io/sitemap.xml