Deadstock or Slow-Moving Stocks are referred to as stocks that are not moved or laid for a long term in the warehouse and over the period of time, those stocks will become obsolete and useless.
“According to the studies the well-run companies are also have anywhere from 20-30% of inventory as dead stock. These dead stocks can affect in the business profitability in long term”.
#Reasons for dead stock:
1. Low Demand in the market – When demand is less in the market & stocks are more in Warehouse, the stocks will become slow-moving or dead stock.
2. Inaccurate Forecasting of demand & supply – while purchasing the products from the vendor, know the sales trend of the product in stores. If anything is ordered excess that may become obsolete in the warehouse
3. Communication between Warehouse team & Sales team – if the company doesn’t have livestock reports with the sales team, that may cause underutilization of the items in the warehouse.
4. Lacking Inventory Management systems – inventory systems are very much crucial in a company to know the stock in hand, procurement of stocks & sales trends in the market. These 3 aspects will give a clear knowledge of the company inventory costing. These 3 things may go out of reach when there is no inventory management in an organization.
#Impact on business by dead stock:
1. Cost of Warehouse & Space utilization: if the cost of the warehouse is increasing that means the working capital /return on investment Cash held up in non-selling inventory is what we call non-working capital. The investment should be working to bring profits that can be re-invested to buy a fast-moving stock that will generate even more profit.
2. Offers on old products – This will reduce the company’s profit by giving offers on the product. These costs are often hidden costs for the company.
3. Opportunity Cost or Carry cost – the company is spending money on a dead inventory item & the held-up money that can’t be used to procure an item that will sell and gain profit. This will indeed make a loss to the company by reducing the sales by not procuring the fast-moving products.
4. Lost sales cost of inventory – when there is high demand for products & low inventory levels in a company that will directly affect the Gross profit of the company as the products can’t be sold when there is high demand in the market.
#Liquidating the dead stock:
1. Bundle it with other products. Combine and sell it with related products at a discount
2. Purchase Return – Returning the stocks to the vendor will circulate them to others who can use them.
3. Promotions & discounts on Products- apply discounts on outdated products, combo offers with fast-moving products & higher loyalty points can be given to slow-moving products.
4. Organised the stock in a warehouse where staff can easily find the slow-moving product easily. So, the items can be disposed of after a certain time of doing purchase & also, adopting the inventory management system in the organization can help to make of it.
