1/23/2025

How to Handle Expired Products Using Shopify Inventory Solutions

Managing expired products can be a daunting task for online retailers, particularly for those selling perishable goods like food and cosmetics. If you're running a Shopify store, you're in luck! There are multiple tools and strategies that you can implement to effectively handle expired inventory. Below, we’ll explore various methods & best practices to keep your inventory fresh, avoid unnecessary losses, & maintain customer satisfaction.

Understanding Expired Inventory

Before diving into solutions, let’s quickly recap what expired inventory is. Simply put, it refers to products that have surpassed their shelf life or are no longer sellable for various reasons. Managing such products not only affects your bottom line, but it can also hurt your brand reputation. Dead stock takes up valuable warehouse space & can lead to increased storage costs.

Common Causes of Expired Inventory

  • Poor Demand Forecasting: The inability to predict how much stock to keep can lead to over-purchasing.
  • Infrequent Stock Checks: Not regularly checking inventory can result in expired items being missed.
  • Ineffective Stock Management Systems: Using outdated or inadequate inventory systems might not alert you about expiration dates.

Shopify Inventory Solutions for Expired Items

Shopify offers a myriad of inventory management tools to help you mitigate issues surrounding expired stock — ensuring that your store runs as smoothly as possible. Here’s how you can leverage these tools effectively:

1. Use Inventory Management Apps

There are several applications available in the Shopify App Store designed specifically for tracking expiration dates:
  • Freshly: Freshly helps you manage batch inventory, auto-assign batch numbers, and set expiration dates. It even enables you to discount items nearing their expiration to quickly clear out old stock.
  • Expiration Dates: This app lets you manage expiration dates efficiently, notifying you of products that need to be discounted or removed. You can automatically alert customers when items are near their best-by dates, giving them confidence in their purchase.

2. Implement Best Practices for Stock Rotation

Adopt the First Expired, First Out (FEFO) approach to ensure that older inventory is sold before newer stock. This proactive approach helps prevent waste and loss from expired items. In combination with using the FIFO method, consider setting up automated reminders in Shopify, so you’ll get notified when it's time for a stock check.

3. Regular Inventory Audits

Set a fixed schedule for conducting inventory counts. Regular audits help you keep track of what’s on the shelves, enabling better management of expiration dates. Utilize the built-in stock reports within Shopify, which can give you insights into what items are selling fast, and which ones are just sitting there collecting dust.

4. Create Custom Alerts for Expired & Expiring Products

Using Shopify's built-in inventory management tools, you can set up custom alerts for items that are nearing expiration. This helps ensure you’re never caught off guard. Don’t forget to document these items comprehensively and keep track of any pertinent information.

5. Train Your Team

Sometimes, the human factor can make all the difference! Ensure your staff is trained to understand the importance of managing inventory effectively. Provide them with tools & information necessary to handle expired products responsibly. You could even set up a standard operating procedure for handling these items, detailing steps for removal, discounting, or disposal.

Automating Expired Product Management

The use of automation can significantly reduce the burden of manually managing inventory. With platforms like Arsturn, you can implement conversational AI chatbots on your Shopify store to engage with customers before they even have a chance to think about expired products. Here’s how you could effectively utilize this technology:

Engage Customers Through Chatbots

With a custom AI chatbot, you can automate FAQs regarding expiration dates, stock information, & suggested discounts on soon-to-expire goods. By having a chatbot field questions at any hour, you're ensuring that potential customers have all the necessary info, which fosters trust & boosts sales. Plus, integrating tools like Arsturn provides valuable insights into your customers' interests & inquiries, allowing you to better tailor your inventory management strategy.

Setting Up Discount Automation

In times of high inventory turnover, having a system handle discounts based on stock levels can be immensely helpful. Set automatic discounts for products nearing their expiration date, ensuring that customers are incentivized to purchase those items before they expire. This way, you can minimize losses and help customers get quality products at a reduced price.

Remove & Dispose of Expired Products

When it comes to products that are officially expired and have no hope of selling, you need to follow a proper disposal method:
  • Document: Keep records of all expired inventory.
  • Remove from Listings: Ensure that expired products are removed from your online store to avoid confusion.
  • Dispose Responsibly: Depending on your local regulations, consider donating food items that are still safe for consumption, or recycle packaging materials. Proper disposal reflects positively on your brand.

Using Shopify’s Product Management

Utilize Shopify’s diverse tools for bulk editing your product listings, making it easier to remove multiple expired products simultaneously. Going through large inventories can be tedious, but with bulk editing features, removing expired inventory becomes a breeze!

Conclusion

Managing expired products may seem like an uphill battle, but with the right strategies & Shopify tools in your toolbox, you can easily keep your inventory fresh, satisfy your customers, & maintain a lean operational flow. From implementing inventory management apps to automating your interactions through chatbots like those offered by Arsturn, you can save time & resources while improving customer experiences. Remember, the key to successful inventory management relies heavily on staying proactive & being quick to adapt to changes in your stock.
Explore the many ways to optimize your store's inventory management today—because nobody likes stale stock!


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