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Defend Your Bottom Line: Mastering Mid-Year Inventory Evaluations

Let's confront the truth:

Dead stock silently erodes your profits.

It's often unseen and unnoticed, yet quietly accumulates in the storage room, warehouse, or "we'll sell it soon" shelf.

By the time you realize how many dollars are tied up in unsold inventory, the opportunity to adjust your course is often lost.

That's why mid-year provides an opportune moment for a thorough inventory review, a chance to optimize your sales strategy before the holiday rush or the next round of unpredictable supply chain shifts.

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The Importance Intensifies in 2025

2025 presents unique challenges in inventory management.

Factors like elevated holding costs, tariff fluctuations, port holdups, evolving consumer preferences, and the leftover "just in case" stock from last year are coaxing businesses into overstock situations while depleting liquidity.

Here's the silver lining: Slow-moving stock doesn't have to inevitably turn into dead inventory. You can take charge by recognizing and acting on it swiftly.

Essential Mid-Year Inventory Evaluation Checklist

1. Conduct a Physical Inventory Audit

Yes, physically.

Verify what is actually on the shelves rather than what's recorded in your system.

Why it matters: If your system indicates you have 25 units but reality shows just 2, your purchasing decisions are already skewed. An audit provides a reality check to avert planning based on inaccurate data.

2. Execute a Sales Velocity Analysis

Identify the products moving swiftly versus those that haven't budged in months.

A sales velocity report sheds light on slow movers—typically items unsold in 90 to 180 days. This becomes your baseline.

Translation: Unsold stock for three to six months isn't "inventory," it’s overhead.

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3. Analyze the Hidden Costs of Excess Inventory

Beyond tying up funds, slow-moving inventory:

  • Consumes valuable warehouse space

  • Inflates insurance and storage expenses

  • Heightens vulnerability to theft, damage, or obsolescence

  • Impairs your ability to stock and promote higher-margin products

Holding onto unsold products incurs costs—even when already “paid for.”

4. Designate Real Dead Stock

Be candid. Identify what's expired, outdated, out-of-season, or simply doesn’t resonate with customers.

If items have endured multiple sales cycles without movement, it's prudent to minimize losses.

Rule of thumb: Items unsold for 6+ months and not seasonal highlight a missed connection with your customer base.

5. Develop Strategic Mid-Year Promotions and Exit Strategies

Rather than offloading everything at once, consider options to:

  • Bundle slow sellers with popular SKUs

  • Launch a limited-time flash sale

  • Offer exclusive VIP or loyalty rewards

  • Repackage or reposition stagnant products

If items continue lingering, consider donation (potential tax advantages), liquidation, or repurposing.

6. Leverage Insights for Improved Forecasting

Each non-selling product narrates a story. Was it an ephemeral trend? Did consumer demand shift? Perhaps suppliers influenced purchasing decisions?

Use these insights to refine procurement decisions and forecasting for the upcoming quarters:

  • Align purchases closer to demand

  • Minimize overstock risks

  • Optimize cash flow

  • Prioritize current best-sellers over uncertain prospects

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Bonus: Inventory Turnover Ratio Monitoring

For number-oriented stakeholders, tracking the frequency of inventory sales and replenishment throughout the year is invigorating.

Low turnover signifies cash trapped in products, while high turnover indicates robust cash flow and reduced waste.

Even a broad view of fast-moving items can enhance reordering and promotion strategies significantly.

Conclusion: Command Your Inventory

Exercise dominion over your inventory. It should not dominate your operations.

Whether managing inventory out of a store, a warehouse, or multiple distribution points, this mid-year juncture is ideal for evaluating successes and addressing inefficiencies.

Waiting until December to remedies issues arising in July is a missed opportunity.

Seek Expert Inventory Evaluation?

Our services extend to helping business owners assess inventory efficacy, uncover financial prospects, and formulate action plans that fortify profitability year-round.

Join us to navigate, strategize, and transform your inventory into a powerhouse.

Contact us today to begin.

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