# Bakeries

> Pre-orders with batch limits, celebration cakes with lead times and deposits, collection slots that match your bake, and wholesale on the same menu.

Canonical: https://storekit.com/online-ordering-system/for-bakeries

**Sold out by ten, pre-sold by eight** Bakery economics are pre-order economics: limited batches, celebration cakes booked weeks out, and a queue that gives up when the shelf looks thin. Direct ordering turns the morning rush into orders you already hold.

## What this kind of operation worries about

- **The batch is the ceiling** - Per-slot capacity and per-item limits mean you sell what you baked, not what you hope to bake. When the cinnamon buns are gone, the storefront says so.
- **Cakes are contracts** - Lead times, deposits and collection slots on celebration orders, captured at order time instead of over four phone calls and a notebook.
- **The regulars buy on rhythm** - Same order, same days. A guest list you own means the Friday sourdough crowd hears from you on Thursday.
- **Wholesale runs on the same menu** - Standing orders for cafés and offices sit alongside the retail menu, with their own pricing, lead times and invoicing.

## Questions

### Can we limit how many of one item are sold?

Yes. Per-item stock counts run alongside per-slot capacity, so forty sourdough loaves is forty, and the item marks itself sold out rather than taking an order you cannot fill.

### How do celebration cake orders work?

Set a lead time on the item - three days, two weeks, whatever the bake needs - and the storefront only offers collection slots that respect it. Take a deposit or the full amount at order, with the customisation notes attached to the order.

### Can wholesale customers order on account?

Yes. Trade customers can be set up with their own pricing and pay by invoice or bank transfer rather than card, on the same menu the retail storefront runs.

## Related

- [Catering](https://storekit.com/products/catering-pickup-delivery-for-office-orders)
- [Takeaway & delivery](https://storekit.com/products/takeaway-system-for-restaurants)
- [Kiosks](https://storekit.com/products/kiosks)
- [Rogue Sarnies: digital from day one, £20K+ saved](https://storekit.com/case-studies/rogue-sarnies)
- [Sprout & Co: 5K sign-ups, record sales in week one](https://storekit.com/case-studies/sprout-and-co)