Ask the Collective

How long should physical product samples and batches be retained for quality and compliance purposes?

Members retain samples for varying periods depending on business needs and risk profile. - **7-year retention** — one member keeps all batch samples for this duration - **2-year retention** — another keeps samples for 2 years as standard for both customer and own-brand products, extending to longer periods for slow-moving lines where shelf-life or quality tracking is a concern - **Batch-by-batch archive** — one member retains every batch ever made, suggesting comprehensive record-keeping as an option for traceability and quality assurance No specific regulatory requirement was cited in the discussion. The variation suggests retention policy is driven by individual business risk tolerance, customer service needs, and slow-stock management rather than a fixed compliance baseline.