The DTC product launch checklist
Everything that has to be true before a new product goes live, grouped by the team that owns it. Work top to bottom, or download the CSV and assign owners and due dates in your own calendar.
Product & inventory
Nothing else on this list matters if the units are not landing.
- Final production sample approved and signed off
- Landed inventory ETA confirmed in writing with the supplier
- Launch quantity and safety stock agreed
- Barcodes, SKUs, and variants created in the store and 3PL
- Packaging, inserts, and any gift-with-purchase in stock
- Backorder or waitlist behaviour decided if you sell out
Pricing & offer
Decide the promotional posture before marketing starts talking.
- Retail price and margin approved
- Launch offer decided (or an explicit decision to launch at full price)
- SKU excluded from the next scheduled sitewide sale
- Bundle and subscription pricing configured
- Discount codes created and test-ordered
Creative & content
The longest-lead workstream — start it first.
- Product photography on white and in lifestyle context
- Short-form video for paid and organic social
- UGC or creator assets briefed and delivered
- PDP copy, size or usage guidance, and FAQs written
- Landing page or collection page built and reviewed
- Alt text and image compression checked
Channels
Every channel needs a scheduled slot, not a vague intention.
- Waitlist or coming-soon page live at least four weeks out
- Launch email sequence written, built, and QA-ed
- SMS announcement scheduled to consented subscribers
- Paid social creative uploaded, audiences and budget set
- Organic social calendar filled for launch week
- Affiliates, partners, and press briefed with assets
Site & operations
The unglamorous checks that cause most launch-day incidents.
- Checkout tested end-to-end on mobile and desktop
- Shipping rates and delivery estimates correct for the new SKU
- Inventory sync between store, ERP, and 3PL verified
- Analytics and conversion events firing on the new PDP
- Support team briefed with macros and objection handling
- Returns and warranty policy updated if the product differs
Launch day & after
Sequence the day so you can read what actually worked.
- Waitlist send first, then full list, then paid — staggered by hours
- Someone owns monitoring the site and support inbox all day
- Day-one read: units, revenue, conversion rate, traffic source split
- Week-one review: sell-through, AOV impact, PDP conversion
- 30-day decision: scale, reposition, bundle, or discontinue
- Results recorded in the calendar entry for next time
For the week-by-week version of this with dates attached, see the 12-week product launch calendar, and plan the sends around it with the email marketing calendar guide.
Turn this into your team's plan
DTC Calendar turns these moments into one shared promotional and product-launch calendar across brand, agency, and paid teams — with owners, statuses, reminders, and competitor tracking. Sign up free and import the 1970 calendar in one click.
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