How to Sell Slow-Moving Inventory Quickly on Shopify
Every e-commerce business faces the challenge of slow-moving inventory at some point. In this article, we'll discuss practical strategies to help you turn those stubborn products into sales.
Published October 8, 2024.
Slow-moving inventory can become a costly issue when you’re running an e-commerce store on Shopify. These are the products that just don’t sell as quickly as others, and they tie up your capital, space, and resources.
The good news is that there are strategies you can use to sell this inventory quickly and free up resources for more profitable products. Here's how.
» Experience hassle-free management by automating your Shopify store
Meet the Expert
Courtney Sharp is a marketing and e-commerce expert. Her marketing agency, Sharp Media Agency, specializes in digital marketing, branding, ads, and social media, with a strong focus on fashion, retail, and beauty commerce.
Understanding Slow-Moving Inventory
Slow-moving inventory is exactly what it sounds like: items that have been on your Shopify store for a while but aren’t selling. When products linger in your inventory, it ties up your funds, which means you can’t invest in newer or faster-selling items.
It can become a growing concern as it starts to impact your bottom line—money that could have been spent on fresh stock or potential bestsellers is locked in inventory that isn’t going anywhere.
» To identify what sells best, read about products to sell on Shopify and tailor your inventory
Identifying Slow-Moving Inventory on Shopify
Follow these steps to identify slow-moving inventory in your Shopify store:
- Run a report to see how long a product has been on your site
- Check how many have sold during that time
- Get an average figure for sales during this time period
- Identify which products fall below the average—these are your slow movers
» Opening a new store? Here's how many products to start with and how to sell products with your development store
Multi‑Store Sync Power
Sync your stores and streamline your inventory management across all your Shopify locations.
Strategies for Quick Inventory Turnover
1. Discounts and Promotions
The first and most common strategy is discounting and promotions. While discounts can be super effective, they also come with a cost. Reducing prices affects your profit margins, so you want to use this tool wisely.
If you choose to go the discount route, Shopify offers several options:
- Set one-time discounts or percentage discounts at the product level
- Create automatic discounts across categories
- Set up store-wide bulk discounts for the entire catalog
- Set up manual discounts where customers apply a code at cart/checkout level
- Customer loyalty discounts
You can promote discounts on your website, through your CMS, and in marketing emails or other touchpoints. By using multiple strategies, you can keep your discounts and promotions fresh, which helps prevent fatigue among your customer base.
» Learn how to combine discounts in Shopify
2. Remerchandising
Remerchandising is about moving the slow-moving products into more prominent positions on your website, such as the top of categories or collections or nesting them as potential upsells in the checkout process.
If these items are tucked away in a less-trafficked section, they’re less likely to sell.
» Check out our article on online merchandising tips for showcasing products and driving conversions
3. Refresh Product Images
Believe it or not, sometimes slow-moving products just need a fresh look. Swapping out the product images to ones that are more appealing to your audience can do wonders for conversions.
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4. Optimize Product Listings
Optimizing your product listings involves more than visuals—it includes refining pricing strategies, enhancing cross-sells, and ensuring a smooth shopping experience.
By focusing on these elements, you can create listings that look great and convert more effectively. To give your slow movers the best chance of selling, optimize their product listings by following these steps:
- Upgrade product images: High-quality images are key. Research what type of visuals appeal to your target market. For example, if your target audience is UKI (United Kingdom and Ireland) fast-fashion shoppers aged 18-35, using a model with a certain look (such as tanned skin and dark hair) might increase conversions.
- Optimize pricing: Review and adjust your pricing strategy based on competitor research and your profit margins.
- Add a size guide: Offering tools like size guides can boost buyer confidence.
- Implement cross-sells and upsells: These help increase the overall cart value.
- Enable quick buy buttons: Quick buy buttons simplify the checkout process, reducing friction and leading to faster conversions.
Optimize Product Listings Automatically
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Add featured or slow-moving products to the top of collections
Managing Inventory Costs
When addressing slow-moving inventory, consider both product and shipping costs.
It's not just about the product price; holding costs—including shipping, warehousing, and handling—add up.
» Learn about managing products on Shopify effectively
To mitigate these expenses, consider the following strategies:
- Bundling items: Combine slow-moving products with faster-selling ones to encourage purchases.
- Free shipping: Offer free shipping on minimum order values to incentivize larger purchases.
For long-term success, setting up reorder points in Shopify Admin can help you avoid overstocking and understocking. This approach reduces guesswork in inventory management and minimizes the HR resources needed to keep everything running smoothly.
» Try Out-of-Stock Police and gain valuable insights with detailed statistics for every collection in your store
Boost Sales of Slow-Movers Long-Term
Implementing these strategies can convert slow-moving inventory into revenue and maintain an efficient Shopify store. Staying proactive is key, whether through smart promotions, remerchandising, or updating product images.
To stay motivated, track your KPIs and analyze data regularly. Even a 1% improvement in slow-moving inventory turnover can significantly impact your bottom line. Small optimizations in fast-moving products can also help balance efforts.
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