Does anyone have any insight on what actually happens when SAH goes OOS on an item and posts an expected back in stock date (specifically on items we are expecting to go EOL)?  Most of the time, the date is within a few weeks.  I find it hard to believe that they are able to manufacture new sets and have them back in the warehouse that quick.

From what we have seen in the EU, sets are restocked at weekly, fortnightly or less frequency, seemingly to a preplanned schedule. Each restock may not necessarily be a new production run.

If there is unexpected demand for the item then the restock date pushes further and further back whereas if demand is lower than expected it comes forward. The default window is usually 30 days if no precise date is specified.

Sold Out means there is no next restock in the system within the maximum alloted window (30 days). TooS means that something abnormal has happened - pehaps manual override.

How convincing was that explanation?

I'm really wondering if Sold Out, OOS, etc. really have a specific meaning.  It almost seems as if someone at SAH has to pick a reason each time and manually enter that on the site.  Triple E went from Retiring Soon, to Sold Out, to In Stock, to Sold out again.  DS if I recall, was at one point Sold Out with nothing else noted.  Then it was Sold Out, we are making more (with quick stints of being able to buy).  Now says TooS, we are making more.  There is no consistency. 

I'm really wondering if Sold Out, OOS, etc. really have a specific meaning.  It almost seems as if someone at SAH has to pick a reason each time and manually enter that on the site.  Triple E went from Retiring Soon, to Sold Out, to In Stock, to Sold out again.  DS if I recall, was at one point Sold Out with nothing else noted.  Then it was Sold Out, we are making more (with quick stints of being able to buy).  Now says TooS, we are making more.  There is no consistency. 

That would be the crazy uncle webmaster override feature!

LEGO Warehouse != SaH Fullfillment Center.

They likely have sets produced and in warehouse, but not ready to send out to fulfill orders.

LEGO Warehouse != SaH Fullfillment Center.

They likely have sets produced and in warehouse, but not ready to send out to fulfill orders.

I suppose that's possible, but I'm not sure I believe that.  If they had them produced and in warehouse, why would they not be ready to ship them to customers?

I can only imagine their warehouses are HUGE. Based on when the case-load came in from the factory, and where it was stored in the warehouse, maybe it's buried for a couple weeks at a time in their loading bay by other loads that need to physically move around (sold or just properly backstocked) before they can get access to the sets in question. It happens at my retail location on a much smaller scale... we'll get some shipment in, decide not to process a couple certain skids, then another load comes in the next day and those previous skids get buried behind the new ones... then it's a week or more before we actually uncover the goods from the first shipment. Not the best 'first in, first out' practice, but in busy times (like Double VIP) it can happen. 

Asrs system is biggest and best in the world it picks pieces out of bins lots and lots of bins

Automatic sorting and retrieval system there is a huge one for cars where I work