Updated for 2026.
Stocklot terms are the trade vocabulary used to describe where surplus goods came from, what a lot contains and who pays for each leg of its journey. Reading a quote, manifest or packing list correctly depends on knowing which of those meanings a supplier intends.
This glossary from Fair Trading International, a branded-stocklot wholesaler in Jebel Ali Freezone, defines the words that appear on surplus quotes, manifests and shipping paperwork, and points to the guide on this site wherever one covers a term in depth.
Terms are grouped by the stage of a deal where they usually appear: the supply behind a lot, what sits inside the cartons, and the trade, customs and payment wording on the paperwork. Where another page on this site already owns a term, the entry here is a one-line pointer rather than a second definition. Grade names are the clearest example: this glossary quotes the grade wording published on the products page word for word rather than restating it.
Surplus goods are bought and sold in two vocabularies that overlap only loosely. A US liquidation marketplace's glossary describes lots by the case, pallet or truckload, and by where the goods came from: customer returns, shelf pulls and closeouts. A branded-stocklot wholesaler such as this one describes goods by brand, grade and the contents of each lot.
A buyer who learned the words in one trade and reads a quote from the other can misread it without noticing. Three misreadings are easy to make:
Each of those misreadings moves cost or risk to someone who did not expect to carry it. Incoterms allocate the tasks, costs and risks between seller and buyer. CIF names a port of destination, so a buyer who reads it as delivery to their own warehouse door has misread where the seller's job ends.
A size curve decides how much of a lot sells at full speed. A lot heavy in the end sizes can look like good value per unit and still leave cartons unsold after the popular sizes have gone. A manifest decides what can be checked on arrival. Without one, the buyer is checking against a description and photographs; with one, every short or mismatched line is visible.
These are the pairs worth settling in writing before a deal:
| Often confused | What separates them |
|---|---|
| Closeout vs end-of-season stock | Why goods are being cleared vs when their selling window closed |
| Overrun vs canceled order | Units made beyond the order vs the ordered quantity itself, left without a buyer |
| Size run vs size curve | Which sizes exist vs how many pieces of each |
| Manifested vs unmanifested lot | Sold with an item-by-item list vs sold on a description |
| Trade term vs payment term | Delivery, cost and risk vs when and how the buyer pays |
Most of this is vocabulary, not law. It needs the same word to mean the same thing to both parties before the deal is signed. If you would like to know which of these terms apply to lots on hand now, ask the team which terms appear on current lots and request current availability.
These terms describe why goods became surplus and how they were bundled for sale. The supply side matters because the source of a lot affects its condition and consistency; why brands release surplus in the first place explains the forces behind it.
Goods sold off below the wholesale or retail value they were first offered at, because the line is discontinued, overstocked or seasonal. Closeouts are usually new, but the word describes why the goods are moving, not their condition, so the grade still has to be stated separately.
Goods still unsold when the shop selling period for that season's clothes or products ends. It overlaps with closeout but is narrower: the stock is current-season product whose selling window has ended, rather than a line that has been withdrawn for good.
A collection of different items bought or sold together as one group, usually cheaply. In practice the buyer takes the whole group as offered rather than choosing styles one by one. Job lots suit buyers with flexible resale channels more than buyers filling a fixed store plan.
A manifested lot comes with an itemised manifest listing the merchandise expected in it. An unmanifested lot is sold without that item-by-item list, so the buyer has to judge it from the seller's description, photographs and stated source and condition. Neither word says anything about authenticity or legality on its own.
Dictionaries define an overrun as an amount in excess, a surplus; in printing, it is the copies run beyond the quantity ordered. Applied to a garment or footwear order, it is the quantity a factory made beyond what was ordered. Before buying, ask whether the overrun units carry the same tags and retail packaging as the ordered goods.
Once the supply is understood, these are the words that describe what physically arrives. They are also the easiest to assume rather than check.
The mix of different types inside a lot: styles, colours, categories and sizes. A quote that says "assorted" should be followed by the question "assorted how?", answered by a breakdown or a manifest rather than by a sample photograph alone.
A statement of what each carton or case pack holds: how many units, of which styles, in which sizes. A case pack is a set number of units packed and sold as one case, a format common in apparel, accessories and toys. The breakdown is what lets a buyer plan shelf space and onward distribution before the container is opened.
How a style's quantity is spread across its sizes, written as a ratio. In a 1:2:2:1 curve across four sizes, the two middle sizes carry twice as many pieces as the smallest and largest. Real demand can be skewed towards smaller or larger sizes, so a buyer compares a lot's curve with their own sales, not with a textbook bell shape.
All the sizes a style is made in, such as S to XL for a garment or 36 to 40 for a shoe. A full size run means every one of those sizes is available; a range where some sizes have sold out is said to have broken sizes. A size run says which sizes exist, while the size curve says how many of each.
Seen one of these words on a quote and not sure how it was meant? Email [email protected] with the term and the line it appears on, and ask how it applies to that lot.
The last group lives on the commercial paperwork. Several of these terms are easy to confuse, because they use the word "zone" or "entry" in different legal senses.
In UAE VAT law, a designated zone is a specific fenced geographic area named in the List of Designated Zones under Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, meeting the conditions of Article 51(1) of the VAT Executive Regulation. Only then is it treated as outside the UAE for VAT. A free zone qualifies only when it is on that list and meets those conditions; the Federal Tax Authority tells businesses to check its published list and confirm with their free zone authority.
Under the GCC customs union, which began on 1 January 2003, customs duty on goods from outside the union is collected at the first point of entry. The common customs tariff is 5% on foreign goods imported from outside the union, with listed exemptions. Goods whose duty is proven paid at that first entry are not re-assessed later, and goods imported from free zones are subject to duty when they exit those zones.
The International Chamber of Commerce's standard trade terms, which set out who carries each task, cost and risk in delivering goods. Incoterms 2020, in force since 1 January 2020, has 11 rules. Four of them (FAS, FOB, CFR and CIF) are for sea and inland-waterway transport only; the other seven work for any mode. They do not set the price, the method or timing of payment, or when ownership passes.
Sending goods that were imported into one country on to another country for sale. The hub page on consolidation and re-export through Jebel Ali shows how that works from the freezone.
What is a job lot in wholesale clothing?
A job lot is a group of different garments sold together as one unit, usually at a low price. The buyer takes the whole group as offered rather than picking out the styles they want. That makes job lots a good fit for market traders and online sellers with flexible ranges, and a poor fit for a store that needs specific styles in specific sizes.
What does "unmanifested" mean on a stock lot?
It means the lot is sold with no item-by-item manifest. The seller describes the lot by category, source, condition and photographs instead of listing every unit. The word refers only to that missing list, not to invoices or shipping documents. Before buying an unmanifested lot, ask what the description is based on and whether a sample or inspection is possible, because there is no line list to check against.
How is a closeout different from end-of-season stock?
End-of-season stock is current product whose selling window in shops has closed. A closeout is broader: anything cleared at a markdown because the line is discontinued, overstocked or seasonal. All end-of-season clearance can be called a closeout, but not every closeout is seasonal. Neither term tells you the condition, so always ask for the grade as well.
What is a size curve, and why does it matter when buying a lot?
A size curve is the ratio of units across sizes, such as one small, two medium, two large and one extra-large. It matters because a lot only sells as fast as its sizes match your customers. A lot weighted towards sizes your market rarely buys can leave stock on hand long after the popular sizes have sold, so compare the curve with your own sales history before you agree terms.
Is a garment overrun the same as a canceled order?
No. An overrun is the extra quantity a factory made beyond what was ordered. A canceled order is the ordered quantity itself: a production run made for a buyer who then canceled. Both can produce new, unsold goods. Ask which one a lot came from, because it tells you whether you are buying the surplus units of a run or the whole run.
What is a designated zone in the UAE, and how do you check whether a free zone is one?
A designated zone is a fenced area named in the UAE's official list for VAT purposes that also meets set security, customs-control and goods-handling conditions. Only then is it treated as outside the UAE for VAT. A free zone qualifies only if it is on that list and meets those conditions. The Federal Tax Authority advises checking its published List of Designated Zones and confirming with the relevant free zone authority.
Are Incoterms the same as payment terms?
No. Incoterms decide who arranges and pays for each stage of delivery and where risk passes from seller to buyer. They do not set the price, how payment is made or when it is due. A quote can be "FOB" and paid by letter of credit, or "CIF" and paid by bank transfer. Agree the trade term and the payment term as two separate lines.
Ready to talk through a specific lot? Call the team on +971549964682 to discuss what is available and which terms the quote will use.