Dead stock is not defined by one slow week. It is inventory that has stopped serving its planned role and has no clear recovery or exit decision. A monthly review keeps the problem visible before storage space and cash are tied up for another quarter.
Create an aging view
Group sellable units by the date they were received or last replenished. Add units sold during the same period and the date of the last sale. Review variations separately when one option is moving and another is not.
Flag inventory with no sale, unusually high weeks of supply or a role that has expired. The flag begins a review; it does not automatically justify a discount.
Check whether the product is discoverable
Confirm the item is in the correct category, has an accurate label and is placed where staff and customers expect it. Compare liquid formats with the e-liquids category when reviewing placement. Correct data or merchandising problems before concluding there is no demand.
Ask staff whether shoppers requested a different variation, format or price position. Record evidence instead of relying on a general impression.
Choose a recovery action
Possible actions include moving the display, training staff on verified attributes, transferring units between locations, reducing future depth or pairing the item with a relevant category presentation. Any promotion must follow applicable rules and store policy.
Assign one action and a review date. Multiple changes at once make it hard to learn what worked.
Exit with a documented rule
If the item still does not meet the threshold, choose an approved exit route and stop automatic reordering. Capture the reason so the same buying pattern is not repeated under a new product name.
Feed the result back into opening quantities, test limits and supplier scorecards.
Thirty-day review matrix
| Finding | First controlled action | Evidence at next review |
|---|---|---|
| No sale and item is hard to find | Correct category, label or placement. | Views, staff observations and units sold after the change. |
| One variation sells; others do not | Separate variation-level replenishment and presentation. | Weeks of supply and requests for each variation. |
| Demand exists at another location | Run one documented transfer. | Transfer date, receiving location and resulting sell-through. |
| No evidence of fit after the test | Stop automatic reorder and apply the approved exit rule. | Final quantity, disposition and buyer learning. |
Measure one intervention at a time when practical. Changing price, placement, staff guidance and location together may move inventory, but it will not tell the buyer which decision should be repeated.
Action checklist
- Review age, last sale and weeks of supply by variation.
- Verify category, label and shelf placement.
- Record customer requests and staff observations.
- Assign one recovery action with a review date.
- Stop automatic replenishment during the test.
- Document the final maintain, reduce, transfer or exit decision.
Use the plan with your next wholesale order
Compare the review with current stock guidance before planning replacement inventory.