What happens to products that are about to expire?

Inventory that’s about to expire is money you’ve already spent and won’t get back. The issue isn’t that it happens, but that you don’t notice it until it’s too late. A warehouse that tracks expiration dates can alert you in time; what you do next is a business decision and is up to you.

First come, first served

When picking orders, the batch with the shortest shelf life is selected first. As a result, your oldest inventory is naturally used up first. That alone prevents the majority of write-offs.

You set the limit

An item with three months left before it expires is technically sellable, but it might not be something you want to send to a new customer. For each product group, specify the remaining shelf life beyond which you’d prefer not to ship the item. Without that limit, the warehouse will ship anything that’s still valid.

Detected in time

Parties approaching their limit will appear in your account before they reach it. The amount of time you need to respond varies by online store: those who can lower prices have weeks to prepare, while those who need to set up a promotion will want to know sooner.

Your Options as a Date Approaches

Discount it, include it in a promotion, bundle it with another item, or take it off the shelves. Which option you choose depends on your profit margin and your brand. The warehouse will carry out whatever you decide, but it won’t make that decision for you.

What Doesn't Happen

Items whose expiration dates have passed will not be shipped. That may seem obvious, but it’s exactly where self-shipping under time pressure goes wrong. A regular check in the process eliminates that possibility.

Also take a look at your purchasing

Inventory write-offs are rarely a warehouse issue. More often than not, you’ve purchased too much of an item that’s selling more slowly than expected. That’s why you should also use your shelf-life reports as a guide for your purchasing decisions.

Agree on it in advance

Right from the start, establish what your boundaries are and how you want to be notified. It’s a quick conversation that will save you a lot of wasted inventory later on.

The same applies to other product groups

Shelf life isn’t just a medical issue. In pet food and cosmetics as well, the expiration date determines what you can still sell—though the timeframes and risks are different. What applies to all three is this: if you record the dates upon receipt, you’ll spot a problem coming before you have to write it off later.