Dead stock: prevent it, clear it, learn from it

Dead stock is cash frozen on a shelf. Define 'dead' by your real sell-through cycle, price in the full carrying cost, clear it down a ladder from markdown to liquidation, then root-cause the buy so it doesn't happen again.

Slow-moving stock is trapped cash plus space plus attention, and it quietly grows more expensive the longer you hold it. The fix is a cycle-adjusted definition of 'dead', an honest carrying-cost number, a clearance ladder that steps from markdown to donate rather than jumping straight to a fire sale, and a root-cause on the original buy decision so the mistake isn't repeated. AI can flag the dead SKUs and run the carrying-cost math from your export; you decide how aggressively to clear.

Dead stock is cash frozen on a shelf, and it gets more expensive the longer it sits.

The move is to define 'dead' by your real sell-through cycle, count the full carrying cost, clear it down a ladder from markdown to liquidation, then root-cause the buy so you don't repeat it. AI can flag the dead SKUs and do the carrying-cost math from your export; you decide how hard to clear.

What you'll learn

Define 'dead' by cycle, not a calendar
Price in the full carrying cost
Clear it down a ladder, don't fire-sale first
Root-cause the buy after