Avoid Profit Erosion: Conduct Your Crucial Mid-Year Inventory Audit

Time to face an uncomfortable truth: Dead stock is your hidden margin assassin.

Out of sight doesn't mean out of mind.

Unnoticed inventory mishaps lurking in your warehouse or behind-the-scenes shelves can gradually chip away at your profits, often going unnoticed until it’s too late to mitigate the damage.

By the time the financial damage is evident, the opportunity to pivot has slipped through your fingers.

This is why conducting a mid-year inventory audit is pivotal. It's the perfect juncture for reassessing your stock, optimizing operations, and refining sales strategies before the holiday rush and unpredictable supply chain hitches set in.

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The 2025 Landscape: A Different Ballgame

Let's be candid: 2025 has posed unique inventory challenges.

The rising holding costs, geopolitical trade uncertainties, logistical backlogs, fluctuating consumer demands, and remnant "just in case" stockpiling have put many businesses in a liquidity bind unlike any other year.

However, there's good news:
Slow-moving stock doesn’t have to become dormant capital.
Catch it early and take action.

Steps for a Mid-Year Inventory Audit

  • 1. Conduct a Physical Stock Take

    Go beyond the digital record. Ascertain what’s truly on the shelves, not just what's "supposed" to be there.

    Why this matters: If discrepancies exist between system records and actual stock levels, your purchasing and inventory decisions may be misguided. A physical audit provides an accurate basis for future planning.

  • 2. Analyze Sales Velocity

  • Identify which products are high performers and which ones languish unsold for weeks or months.
    Note: Products unsold for 90 to 180 days should be scrutinized. Inventory aged without movement transforms into costly overhead.

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  • 3. Uncover the True Cost of Holding Stock

  • Beyond halting cash flow, inactive stock occupies precious warehousing space, increases insurance and storage expenses, and risks depreciation or theft.

    The longer unsold items remain on shelves, the higher your costs—even if the products were "paid for."

  • 4. Pinpoint Real Dead Stock

  • Time for honesty. Whether stagnant, expired, outdated, or unappealed, inventory that survives multiple sales cycles without interest needs clear out. Rule: Inventory untouched for six months, non-seasonal in nature, should be purged.

  • 5. Strategize Mid-Year Promotions

  • No need for a drastic fire-sale. Consider strategic approaches:

    • Bundle underperforming products with bestsellers
    • Implement limited flash discounts
    • Introduce VIP-only deals or loyalty perks
    • Revamp or reposition lackluster items

    If items remain unmoved, explore donating (a savvy tax deduction), liquidating, or creatively repurposing inventory to recover lost margin.

  • 6. Utilize Learnings for Smarter Forecasting

  • Every unsold item offers insights. Has it surpassed its trend lifecycle? Have market demands evolved? Did suppliers oversell you?

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    • Customize your procurement more closely to actual demand
    • Reduce excess stock risks
    • Enhance cash flow
    • Focus on what sells now versus what might sell "someday"

Extra: Keep Track of Your Inventory Turnover

For data enthusiasts, examine how frequently your inventory cycles within the year. Low turnover signals capital trapped in stock. Meanwhile, higher turnover indicates improved liquidity, profitability, and efficiency.

Even basic turnover metrics help optimize reordering and promotional strategies.

Final Thought: Command Your Inventory, Don't Let It Command You

Effective inventory management keeps you in control. Whether operating a retail outlet, home-based business, or multiple storage facilities, seize this opportunity to identify and address what's working, and resolve underperformers that could undermine your success.

Come December, don’t find yourself grappling with an inventory dilemma transpired over the summer months.

Need Expert Guidance on Your Inventory Strategy?

At Veritas Planning Advisors, we assist owners in auditing inventory management, spotting fiscal opportunities, and developing proactive strategies that safeguard profits throughout the year.

Let’s optimize your inventory's potential today.

Contact our firm for a consultation.

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