Strategies for Liquidating Unsold Fashion Inventory

53% of retailers face serious consequences from unsold stock. Don't be a statistic! Ever felt the pressure of excess inventory in retail? You're not alone. In fact, Retail Customer Experience reports that 50% of U.S. retailers grapple with excess stock, and 27% wrote off surplus inventory as a loss in 2022. More alarmingly, 53% indicated their business would face serious consequences if the excess stock remains unsold. So, how can you tackle this issue head-on? Here are five strategies: ✅ Proactive Stock Transfers: If you're running multiple stores, regularly review stock levels across different locations. Transfer surplus stock from locations with high inventory counts to those with greater sales potential. Quick, decisive action is possible if you have a centralized retail inventory management platform for all your locations. ✅ Leverage Online Stores and Marketplaces: Expand your reach beyond brick-and-mortar by setting up shop online. This includes selling on your website, social media, and online marketplaces. These platforms provide access to a vast online audience actively seeking products, increasing the chances of selling your excess inventory. ✅ Re-merchandise Products: Sometimes, it's not the product that's stale, but the merchandising strategy behind it. Consider showcasing unique ways to use an item or implement storytelling in your displays to make surplus products more enticing to customers. ✅ Implement Promotions: Sales and promos are classic tactics for getting rid of surplus stock. Research from Google reveals 87% of shoppers say that getting a good deal is an important consideration when deciding which retailer to buy from. Consider discounts, BOGO offers, or gifts with purchase to incentivize customers. ✅ Negotiate Return to Vendor Agreements: RTV contracts allow retailers to return unsold merchandise to the original suppliers. While this could mean paying more per unit and adding complexity to your operations, it's a viable option to address excess inventory. Remember, getting rid of excess stock requires a strong inventory management system and a proactive approach. Cover all your sales channels, add some promotions to the mix, and consider negotiating RTV agreements with your vendors to minimize the risk of surplus stock. Stay proactive, stay strategic, and let's turn that excess inventory into opportunity! Stay updated with e-commerce trends by following Irina Poddubnaia and TrackMage. #advertisingandmarketing #digitalmarketing #ecommerce #retail #supplychain #logistics

Unsold inventory doesn’t just take up shelf space. It drains profit potential, limits restock capacity, and chips away at cash flow Every online store accumulates it. A product that once had promise underperforms Another one was over-ordered Returns come in that can’t go back to the main listing Left untouched, this kind of dead stock quietly becomes one of the most expensive problems in an ecommerce operation There’s a way to reverse that, without running a margin-crushing sale 👉 Inventory Busters. The strategy for making unsold products profitable again This approach blends slow-moving or stagnant products with high-performing SKUs in value-driven bundles that convert, while preserving brand integrity It’s not just about moving stock It’s about attaching lagging items to trust signals that already convert Formats that work: ✔️ Fixed bundles. Combine a hero product with one or more slow-movers and offer the package at a lightly discounted price ✔️ BOGO-style. Use “Buy X, Get Y” formats where the incentive product is pulled from your underperforming inventory Both give customers a reason to act, without relying on traditional discounting tactics that can damage perceived value 🧩 When to use this strategy: * aging SKUs nearing end-of-life or seasonality cutoffs * returns that are resellable but under-indexed on product pages * high-CTR / low-conversion items that generate interest but fail to convert on their own By combining these with top sellers, the bundle becomes a more persuasive offer, and the inventory becomes liquid again Why it works: > it reduces friction > it eliminates hesitation > it reframes the value of a product that might otherwise be ignored When buyers already trust the lead product, the decision to accept the rest becomes easier, even welcome The key is choosing which slow movers to include and which heroes to pair them with #ecommercetips