How to Manage Your After-Holidays Excess Inventory

During the rush of holiday shopping leading up to the end of the year, it’s better to overstock than understock. You want to be the store that has that hot item everyone else has run out of, especially as the deadline loomed nearer and nearer. Even the one- and two-day shipping options from online sellers aren’t enough to stop shoppers from running to your store to make sure they have what they need now.

That excess planning can bring you a lot of business in December, but it can leave you with a lot of overstock in the following year. Here’s how a small self storage / mini warehousing space can help:

1. Get it out of your store.
When the new year starts, your store has to be ready. Shoppers are sick of holiday displays and anything related to presents (and your employees probably are, too). Instead, devote your shelf space to winter goods, new themes, and your general items.
If you have a small store, storing everything in the back isn’t an option. You need that space for backup stock and processing. So shift everything over to a storage where you can figure out what to do with it later.

2. Wait to sell it in bulk or during the next holiday season.
Now that the storage of your holiday stock is settled, you don’t have to panic about getting it out of the way. You can figure out the best way to recoup your losses or even make a profit. Depending on the exact excess inventory you have, you have a few different options. You can wait for the post-holiday rush to end before selling it in bulk. Or you can keep it for next year.

3. Keep selling it online or on a smaller shelf.
If it’s something you can keep selling throughout the year, or at least through the winter, a warehouse can also help you keep the extras out of the way. Items that were popular before the holidays will sell at slower rates. So narrow down their shelf space and don’t worry about ordering more for a few months.

Go to The Box to find the right sized unit for your extra inventory.