What does inventory backlog feel like? It's like watching the storage fees in the backend deduct your profits little by little every day, but all I have left in my heart is one thought: "How can I clear them
I was the same as you before. The goods piled up in the warehouse, despite being carefully selected, cannot sell a single order. Later on, I tried various methods such as price reduction, advertising, promotion... but the results were either not good or I lost even more.
Later, I changed my mindset and used some small strategies, not only clearing inventory, but also unexpectedly earning back a profit.
In today's article, I'm here to share these practical experiences and promise not to waste words. I hope that after you use them, inventory is no longer a nightmare, but a turning point. Although it is not a 'panacea', I hope it can show you another path in the inventory crisis.
Don't rush to lower the price, first see these signals clearly
Before clearing inventory, it is important to first understand the situation of your inventory. Many people blindly push the price to the bottom, resulting in half of the inventory being cleared and the store traffic plummeting.
In fact, there are three types of accumulated inventory that correspond to completely different strategies:
1. The demand is still there, but the competition is too strong
Signal: There is sales, but orders are slow. A wave of advertising can still sell a few orders. Strategy: Create a "cost-effective king" positioning, using external traffic and on-site advertising to double blow up.
2. No one is interested anymore
Signal: Zero traffic every day, unable to generate advertising revenue. Strategy: Instead of wasting money and time, it's better to donate decisively or stop losses through FBA clearance plans.
3. Products with hidden issues
Signal: The return rate is high, with mostly negative reviews. Strategy: First solve the problem, use "buy one get one free" or bundle best-selling products to clean up and shift attention.
What kind of person are you? Find the signal before taking action, don't let both the warehouse and the account explode.
Taking my own product as an example, it was a product that had a demand but was complained about and downgraded. Next, I will tell you how I did it;
Step 1: Don't rush to lower the price, try the "markup value sense"
The core issue with unsold products is usually not the price, but rather the lack of attractiveness.
Blindly lowering prices may actually make buyers feel that your product is worthless.
So, I tried a counter conventional approach: repackaging the product at a low cost to make it look more valuable.
A year ago, I purchased a batch of massage machines, which initially sold well. However, after being complained about several times, the links were intermittently taken down and the weight was lost, turning them into dead inventory. I went from the original price of 79.99 to 49.99 but still received no attention.
Later, I made two small changes to it: I moved all FBA goods to overseas warehouses, and then found someone to repackage them, and the pricing was even higher than before;
Comes with a small card: The card content is "How to quickly relieve shoulder and neck fatigue with a massager", and leaves the brand's official website entrance, allowing buyers to feel the additional service value.
Change the title and main image: Change the title to "Limited Edition Upgraded Edition with Professional Massage Tutorial", and add a small display image of the tutorial card to the main image.
Create a sense of scarcity: The page description states' Limited inventory, production will be halted once sold out '.
How effective is it? Within two weeks, 200 pieces of inventory were cleared, and the buyer feedback was very good. Many people even took the initiative to consult the brand's official website about new products.
Tip: Generally speaking, excessive marketing is prohibited on Amazon, and it is not recommended to imitate this writing style. After being complained about, the link will also be taken down. However, because I only have a few hundred products, I took a risk. Readers need to weigh it themselves.
Step 2: Stay still inside the website, external videos will help you open up traffic channels
Another problem with unsold inventory is that no one sees it, especially when the internal traffic is limited, it is difficult to break the situation solely through advertising.
At this point, off-site traffic is often a cost-effective option.
At that time, I found a TikTok influencer with only 5000 followers and a quote of less than $150. She helped me shoot a fun 15 second video:
The first half of the content: Complaining about "mountains of inventory, the boss is overwhelmed every day".
The second half of the transition: showcasing how to use the massager, accompanied by the "exclusive discount link" text.
Result: The video only received 4000 likes, but it brought in over 1000 off-site clicks, directly helping me clear 80% of my inventory.
The key to attracting traffic outside the website is not to spend a lot of money, but to find low traffic areas and attract precise users with interesting content.
Especially now that all operational methods are very transparent, it's time for everyone to compete in supply chain, private domain, and execution. Therefore, if conditions permit, it's recommended to prepare your own influencer resources, off-site resources, and private domain resources in advance.
Step 3: Clear inventory, don't stop at stop loss, seize the opportunity for repurchase
Clearing inventory may seem like a loss making activity, but if we can seize the opportunity for buyers to repurchase, it becomes a good time to attract new customers.
My repurchase strategy: One FAQ card
I always attach a simple card to every inventory clearing order, which includes:
User guide: FAQ to solve common buyer questions, such as "how to use the massager correctly" and "how to clean it".
Brand entrance: "To learn more about new products, please visit our brand website
As a result, over 30% of the customers who cleared their inventory later purchased my new product through the official website.
This is an unexpected joy and a lesson I have learned: clearing inventory is not just about selling goods, but an opportunity to make customers remember you.
Finally, inventory can be overwhelming, but it can also be a turning point
Everyone is afraid of inventory backlog, but crises are often opportunities. Clearing inventory is not only about stopping losses, but also a process of re evaluating operations. Let me briefly summarize a few strategies I have used:
Repackaging products at a low cost to give them higher value.
Open up the situation with external traffic, don't limit yourself to internal advertising.
By clearing inventory, establish long-term user relationships and pave the way for new products.
I hope this method can help you. If you are also worried about inventory, don't give up, perhaps your unsold products are also an opportunity to turn things around!