Seasonal Production and Seasonal Demand. Camera demand is seasonal, with about 20 percent of consumer demand coming in each of the first three quarters of each calendar year and 40 percent coming during the fourth-quarter holiday season. Retailers place orders for digital cameras roughly 90 days in advance of expected sales, so as to have ample numbers on hand to satisfy camera buyer demand in the upcoming quarter. Thus, during Quarter 1 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in Quarter
2; during Quarter 2 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 3, during Quarter 3 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in the peak holiday season fourth quarter; and in Quarter 4 they order the number of cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 1 of the following year.
The company assembles cameras within 30 days of the receipt of a retailer's order and ships them the day they are assembled; cameras assembled and shipped in one quarter are available for sales by camera retailers the following quarter. No camera models are assembled in advance, warehoused in company facilities, and then used to fill incoming