Inventory Management Options for E-Commerce Businesses

Inventory management is central to business success; you need to get the balance right to future-proof the business and ensure that you stay profitable. If you are new to inventory management or you need a refresh, read about the fundamentals of inventory management.

Safety Stock

E-commerce businesses across the board need safety stock to cover any unexpected occurrences, In recent times, panic buying has led to issues with stock and revenue streams, so it’s important to understand the threats to your business and improve overall resilience.

There are various ways to manage your safety stock. If you work with wholesale products, you can negotiate terms with your manufacturer to ensure you have enough products to cover over or under-buying. Learn more about How to Inspect Your Inventory for your future success.

Balanced Inventory

So much of business success comes down to balance, and a balanced inventory is central to any success. A balanced inventory is simply having enough stock in reserves to serve customers but not having so much of it that you will have to liquidate the company short term.

Again, having a balanced inventory is all about knowing your target audience inside out; you have to understand the dynamics of the business to make smart choices about your inventory management. The more data you have, the easier it is to cover demands and future proof.

Kitting Technique

The kitting technique is a common way to manage stock online and offline. If you have too much stock in reserve, you can put two items together and offer them as a deal. These are typically buy-one-get-one-free offers that allow you to trim back your inventory and offer deals.

The kitting technique is a win-win situation that can be used to boost your brand and trim your stock; it is often used after busing seasons, such as Christmas when businesses need to offload a lot of unsold stock. That said, the kitting technique can be used at any time for a sales surge.

Future Stock

Stock management is a key component of e-commerce businesses, especially ones that manage their own stock. Get this process wrong, and it can cost the business substantially, get it right, and you strike the right balance that grows the business in a controlled kind of way.

In order to predict future stock, you need to understand what you are selling and when. Tracking sales is the best way to gather this data and make future predictions about what you need in your inventory. As you can imagine, it is better to overstock and sell items in a kitting sale.

Smart Storage

Smart storage solutions also need to be considered for the business inventory. The stock needs to be located in a place that is easy to reach and safe to keep valuable items. Make sure your storage space is clean and dry to protect your stock; many small businesses use self-storage facilities for their stock because they are secure, dry, accessible, and can be reasonably priced.