A forward buy refers to the purchase of any type of commodity at a certain price deemed lower than the rate at which the market will price it in the near future. This can be applied to bulk amounts of products being purchased and stored until a later date at which it will sell for much higher. Purchasing commodities futures in the forms of such things as energy, would be considered a forward buy. This does not have to apply exclusively to goods for resale, can also apply to commodities for future internal use.