Every shop loses money two ways at once: by running out of the items customers want (lost sales, and they may not come back), and by overstocking items that barely sell (cash frozen on the shelf). Balancing the two is the heart of good inventory.
Why stockouts cost more than they look
A stockout is not just one lost sale — it can send a loyal customer to the shop next door, and sometimes they stay there. Your fastest-moving items are exactly the ones you can least afford to run out of.
Set a reorder level for fast-movers
For each important item, decide a reorder level — the stock count at which you must buy more. When stock hits that level, reorder, before it reaches zero. A simple low-stock alert turns this from memory into a habit.
Spot dead stock early
- Dead stock is anything that has not sold in a long time — cash you cannot use, taking up space.
- Review slow movers regularly and clear them with a small discount before they expire or go out of fashion.
- Stop reordering items that consistently do not move; let the shelf space earn its keep.
Buy to your actual sales rate
Order quantities based on how fast an item actually sells, not on a supplier’s deal or a gut feeling. Buying a big lot to save a few rupees per unit is a loss if half of it sits unsold for months.
A quick test: for each product, ask “how many do I sell in a week, and how many days of stock do I have left?” That single question prevents most stockouts and most dead stock.
Make it a weekly habit
A few minutes each week — check what is low, reorder it, and glance at what is not moving — keeps your shelves full of what sells and free of what does not. Healthy stock is just small decisions made consistently.
BazaarMint does this for you. It flags low stock before you run out, suggests what to reorder, and surfaces dead stock that is tying up your cash. Start a free 14-day trial — no card needed.
FAQ
What is a reorder level?
A reorder level is the stock count at which you should buy more of an item — set high enough that new stock arrives before you hit zero. A low-stock alert reminds you automatically when an item reaches it.
How do I deal with dead stock?
Identify items that have not sold in a long time, clear them with a small discount before they expire or lose value, and stop reordering them. The goal is to free up the cash and shelf space for items that actually sell.
How much stock should I buy at a time?
Buy to your real sales rate — how many you sell per week and how many days of cover you want. Large bulk buys for a small per-unit saving often backfire if the stock sits unsold for months.