Mid-Year Inventory Evaluation: Safeguard Your Profit Margins

Let's address the elephant in the room:

Dead stock is an insidious drain on profits.

Often unnoticed and seldom felt directly, dead inventory quietly accumulates in storage rooms, warehouses, or on the "someday it will sell" shelf.

When you finally acknowledge the assets tied up in unsold goods, it might be too late to rectify the situation effectively.

Your optimal solution arrives mid-year. This interval offers an excellent opportunity to assess your inventory comprehensively, optimize your stock, and strategize for smarter sales—especially before the holiday surge or the next bout of supply chain volatility hits.

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Why 2025 Demands a Robust Approach

2025 poses unprecedented challenges for inventory management. Rising holding costs, tariff uncertainties, port delays, variations in consumer demand, and residual stockpiling from previous years culminate in businesses holding surplus stock and facing liquidity crunches.

Yet, here's the silver lining:
Slow-moving products need not transform into dead stock.
Act early, act decisively.

Your Mid-Year Inventory Assessment Guide

1. Conduct a Thorough Physical Inventory Count

This isn't about theoretical inventory listed in your systems. It's about tangible stock on your shelves.

Importance: If records indicate 25 units, but you hold only 2, your purchasing strategies have already veered off course. Physical counts provide immediate realignments, deterring reliance on discrepancies.

2. Generate a Sales Velocity Analysis

Which products are high-performing? Which have been stagnant for extensive periods?

A concise sales velocity analysis identifies "slow-movers"—typically those not sold within 90-180 days.

Interpretation: If unsold for three to six months, the item isn't inventory; it's a liability.

3. Recognize the Hidden Costs of Stock Retention

Beyond immobilizing cash flow, slow-moving inventory incurs costs:

  • Consumes warehouse space

  • Inflates insurance and storage costs

  • Elevates risks of theft, damage, or obsolescence

  • Hinders stocking and selling of higher-margin products 

The longer an item remains unsold, the greater the cost—even when paid off.

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4. Pinpoint Genuine Dead Stock

Be candid. Identify what is expired, outdated, out-of-season, or fails to connect with customers.

If products have cycled through several sales periods without movement, reassessment is overdue.

Guideline: Inventory unsold for over six months, without seasonality, should be scrutinized, regardless of personal attachment.

5. Initiate Savvy Mid-Year Deals (or Exit Strategies)

A full-scale clearance isn't essential, but consider:

  • Bundling slow sellers with popular products

  • Hosting limited-time flash sales

  • Offering exclusive VIP promotions

  • Revamping or repackaging stationary items

Persistently unmoving stock?

Options include donations (potential tax deductions), liquidation, or repurposing such items before they accrue more silent losses.

6. Utilize Insights for Enhanced Forecasting

Every stationary item speaks volumes. Was it an obsolete trend? A shift in demand? A supplier push?

Leverage these lessons to refine procurement choices and forecasting in Q3 and Q4:

  • Align orders closer to precise demand

  • Mitigate overstock probabilities

  • Improve liquidity

  • Concentrate on instant sellers, not potential future movers

Pro Tip: Track Your Inventory Turnover Rate

If numbers excite you (or you want them to), monitor inventory turnover—the frequency with which stock sells and is replenished annually.

Limited turnover equates to capital stuck in products.
High turnover equates to better financial health, enriched margins, and reduced waste.

Even a basic understanding of fast-moving items aids in strategic reordering and promotional activities.

Take Charge: Transform Your Inventory Management

Control your inventory, instead of allowing it to dictate your operations.

From retail stores to garage-based shipping, or managing multiple warehouses, determine what's effective and what's obstructive.

By December, rectifying an issue that began in July is considerably harder.

Looking for specialized inventory insights?

We assist business proprietors in assessing inventory performance, identifying financial prospects, and crafting strategies that consistently safeguard profits.

Time to review, refine, and optimize your inventory workflow.

Reach out to our Houston office today.

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