Too much excess stock or capacity ties up capital and can restrict you from investing in things you need.  In this update, we’ll help you re-think your approach to reducing your excess stock so you can grow your business.

What are the costs to your business?

Storage costs

Holding a large volume of excess stock means storing it requires a big space.  Storage warehouses and units are an additional expense to your business, and higher insurance costs on the inventory.

Deterioration and shifts in demand

The longer you keep your stock sitting there ‘gathering dust’, the more likely it is to deteriorate or become obsolete over time.  Certain products will be perishable, so you may struggle to sell them further down the line.  Or perhaps if it’s left too long, the product may become obsolete, like some electronic devices.

Restrictions

When capital is tied up in too much excess inventory, it can hold a business back in terms of investment and growth.

How to reduce your excess stock

Remarket and reposition

When selling online, your shoppers need to be convinced to make a purchase by the images they see.  High-quality images are a set standard and add credibility to your brand and products.  Source a professional photographer and find the best backdrops, angles and lighting to sell your products.  Use catchy headlines and descriptions.  Your headline and description will make or break a sale.  List the best features and pertinent details like shipping.  If the customer has to find or ask for information, they’ll leave their shopping basket and buy elsewhere.

Bundle products

By grouping slow-moving products together with high-demand products, they will move quicker.  Customers who are interested in purchasing the high-demand products will see the bundle as a bargain.  You can also save on postage and packaging – an added bonus!

Expand your potential

Bartercard helps companies put inventory, equipment and employees to good use, converting downtime and spare capacity into new revenue which would not have been available otherwise.

Sell excess or unwanted stock without the need to discount heavily, which can result in reducing the perceived value and risking a potential price war with competitors.

Bartercard can work particularly well for businesses that experience seasonal markets.

An additional sales channel

By selling excess contra or slow-moving inventory through the Bartercard community, members receive Trade Dollars as payment, which can then be spent on goods and services for their business while conserving cash for other expenses.  It’s a win-win.