Warehouses store a wide variety of items from raw materials to finished goods and all stages in between. If business is booming, you may think that there is a healthy flow through your warehouse from goods in to goods out, but as fashions change some stock can end up getting left on the shelf until it becomes dead-stock.

Warehousing items you no longer need costs you money in rental, in business rates and in utilities to heat and light the area. Just like de-cluttering your home, de-cluttering your warehouse should be a regular event that will free up shelf space for more profitable lines.

Check your calendar

How frequently you should schedule your clear out will depend on what sort of seasonal pattern your line of business has. You want to choose a quiet time when there is naturally less stock on your shelves and, ideally, just before you need to stock up for a busy time.

You should also bear in mind the shelf life of your products. Materials like metal sheets and or screws don’t have an expiry date but other categories such as fashion or foodstuffs do and you should be checking for excess items on a far more regular basis.

Rubbish

As you start your systematic clear out of your warehouse you will no doubt amass a pile of rubbish. Broken or damaged items that you couldn’t give away, old pieces of equipment, excess packaging and similar. The easy way to deal with your rubbish is to call a specialist in skip hire in Oxford and talk to them about your requirements. From small to large they are sure to be able to provide you with a skip of just the right size to deal with whatever you have to dispose of. Having the skip delivered before you start is a good idea because then you can throw away your rubbish as you go.

Sale or return (if you can)

Another reason to have more frequent clear outs is that some suppliers will allow you to return excess stock – but only within a certain length of time. You may only be able to exchange it for credit with them and there may be restocking fees but it is better to recoup what you can rather than wait until it is too late and the stock ends up in a skip.

Seasonal or dead?

Not all the dusty items will be dead stock. You’re never going to be able to shift tinsel and Santa suits in July as those are seasonal items. They’re only deadstock from your point of view if they don’t overlap with your core market – and in that case you may well be able to sell them on to someone who wants them. If, come December, you will be able to sell them then put it back on the shelf and move on.

Give it away!

You may be able to use some items as the basis for promotions or give-aways. Bundling older items as “freebies” with newer, more desirable items, could improve sales as everyone likes to think they’ve got something for nothing.

For some types of stock there are also charities you can donate your unwanted items to. This could have positive tax implications for you and will definitely have a positive effect on your public relations as you can advertise the fact that you donated a certain value of goods to charity.

So what are you waiting for? Get that warehouse clear out scheduled now!