Audit a wholesale seed range by catalogue reference

A wholesale seed assortment becomes easier to audit when every product is compared at the level needed for a purchasing decision. Catalogue groups provide the broad structure, species pages establish botanical identity, and individual variety references reveal where the range is complete, duplicated or missing. This approach also separates visible catalogue coverage from availability and commercial terms that still require confirmation.

Start with the catalogue structure

Begin with the main seed groups and then work down to the relevant category. The catalogue includes vegetables, flowers, herbs, microgreens and sprouts, with further groupings for categories such as annual, biennial and perennial flowers. These groups help define the boundaries of the assortment, but they are not substitutes for checking individual species and varieties. A gap should be recorded only after the relevant branch of the catalogue has been examined.

Create one record for each catalogue reference

Use a separate row or entry for every variety that the retailer currently sells or wants to assess. Record the catalogue group, botanical species, variety name, catalogue reference or SKU, and the retailer's current status. Keep the botanical name as the primary identity check because common names can refer to different plants. The catalogue, for example, lists mint under separate references for Mentha spicata, Mentha longifolia, Mentha piperita and Mentha pulegium rather than treating them as one interchangeable product.

Separate coverage from assortment gaps

Define a gap using evidence from the catalogue and the retailer's range. A true catalogue gap exists when a required species or variety cannot be found after searching the relevant category and its species records. A commercial gap exists when a catalogue reference is present but cannot be ordered under the desired quantity, unit or commercial conditions; this must be marked as an enquiry issue rather than a missing product. This distinction prevents catalogue breadth from being mistaken for confirmed availability.

Compare species before comparing descriptions

Begin each comparison with the botanical species, then review the variety description, colour or stated characteristics where provided. This is especially important in broad groups. The leaf vegetable category contains references from Beta, Brassica, Cichorium, Spinacia and other distinct genera, so a shared leaf-vegetable label is not enough to establish equivalent coverage. Likewise, the pepper catalogue separates Capsicum baccatum from Capsicum chinense; cultivar name, colour and SKU are needed to identify the individual reference accurately.

Track variety depth as well as species coverage

A range can include the correct species while still lacking useful variety depth. Record how many catalogue varieties are represented in each species and compare that number with the retailer's desired range. The flower catalogue shows several levels of variety detail, from one to many references under individual species. Depth should be assessed against the retailer's assortment goals, not against a universal benchmark, because the appropriate number of references depends on the range being planned.

Review the mix across seed categories

Check assortment coverage by category rather than reviewing only the largest groups. Use separate views for vegetables, flowers, herbs, microgreens and sprouts, then identify missing species within each. The catalog includes substantial choice in some areas, while the microgreen and sprout group is organized around a smaller set of species and varieties. This cross-category view helps reveal whether the overall range reflects different customer needs without making assumptions about which categories should dominate.

Use customer needs to set the audit criteria

Translate the retailer's target assortment into explicit checks before reviewing catalogue coverage. For each segment, note the crop groups, species and varieties expected to be relevant. A microgreen-focused customer may require references under Amaranthus, Beta, Brassica, Eruca, Rumex, Foeniculum and Tropaeolum, while a vegetable retailer may assess leafy greens, peppers and other crop groups separately. The catalogue heading alone does not establish suitability for direct consumption, sprouting or any other particular use, so relevant questions should remain open until clarified.

Document uncertainty instead of filling it in

Add a status field for every reviewed reference: covered, gap, unclear, or enquiry required. Use the unclear or enquiry-required status when a description does not establish a named clone, a food-use statement, heat level, sweetness, Scoville value, germination result or another product attribute. Do not infer those details from the species or category. This preserves the distinction between what the catalogue records and what the retailer still needs the supplier to verify.

Prepare a focused follow-up list

Convert unresolved gaps into a structured request for the supplier. For every item, include the desired species, variety name where known, catalogue reference or SKU, required quantity, unit and any unresolved product question. Keep weight-based quantities separate from seed-count quantities, because they are different pricing bases. Availability, pack sizes, final prices and supply conditions should be confirmed in the quotation rather than assumed from a catalogue listing.

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