THRIFT BUSINESS
How to Manage Unsold Thrift Inventory
Every resale business has items that do not sell. The cost is already spent, so the aim is to recover what you can and free space and cash for stock that will sell.
A fixed plan stops slow stock piling up.
A STAGED PLAN
Move slow stock on in stages.
Spot it early
Date-tag every item so you can see what has been on sale longest.
Refresh it
Restyle, re-photograph or move it to a better position.
Mark it down
Reduce on a schedule; see the markdown section in pricing second-hand clothes.
Bundle it
Combine with related items; see creating clothing bundles.
Change channel
Try a stall, a different platform or trade buyers.
Rework or pass on
Upcycle what you can (upcycling workflow), donate or recycle the rest.
LEARN FROM IT
Unsold stock is information.
Look for patterns.
- Which categories, sizes or colours sell slowest?
- Is sell-through lower in one channel?
- Feed the answers into your next order.
ACCOUNT FOR IT
Count it in your numbers.
Unsold stock still cost money.
- Include it when you calculate monthly profit.
- Plan for some unsold stock in every break-even calculation.
NEXT STEP
Buying closer to demand?
Matching orders to what sells reduces unsold stock. Share your best-selling categories when you enquire.
General guidance for planning purposes. Examples are illustrative; outcomes depend on your own market, stock, prices and costs.