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2025 Mid-Year Inventory Audit: Preventing Profit Loss from Non-Moving Stock

It's time to address an industry truth:

Dead stock silently erodes profit.

Often unnoticed and unchecked, unsold inventory can quietly accumulate in storage spaces—whether it’s a warehouse, back room, or the dreaded "we'll sell it eventually" shelf.

By the time businesses realize the financial impact of keeping unsold stock, course corrections may no longer be feasible.

The mid-year mark is ideal for thorough inventory evaluations, decluttering your storage, and crafting a proactive sales strategy—before holiday demand peaks or supply chain instability returns.

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Why 2025 Demands a Different Approach

2025 poses unique challenges for inventory management, with increasing holding expenses, tariff fluctuations, logistical delays, unpredictable consumer interests, and lingering "just in case" stockpiling from previous cycles.

The reality is that many businesses are managing more inventory than planned with diminishing liquidity.

The silver lining? With early intervention, stagnant inventory doesn’t have to end up dead.

Comprehensive Mid-Year Inventory Review

1. Conduct a Physical Inventory Check

Establish what’s physically present, beyond system expectations. Understanding actual stock levels versus recorded figures exposes discrepancies that impact purchasing decisions.

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2. Analyze Sales Velocity

Identify which products are languishing through a sales velocity analysis. Typically, items unsold for 90-180 days are flagged as slow-moving, defining them more as overhead than viable inventory.

3. Acknowledge the Hidden Costs of Storage

Besides cash flow blockage, slow-moving items encroach on warehouse space, incur more in insurance and storage, elevate risks of theft or damage, and stifle space for higher-margin products.

Holding unsold items longer inflicts greater costs, irrespective of initial payment status.

4. Pinpoint Actual Dead Stock

Truthfully assess what is expired, obsolete, or simply not resonating with customers. If it’s gone through several cycles without sales movement, it’s time to divest.

5. Innovate Mid-Year Promotional Strategies

Consider strategies beyond clearance sales:

  • Bundle slow sellers with popular items
  • Conduct flash sales
  • Offer exclusive promotions to loyal customers
  • Rebrand unsold items
If promotion doesn’t drive sales, consider donations for potential tax benefits, liquidation, or repurposing.

Image 36. Leverage Insights for Improved Forecasting

Each unsold item narrates its own story—was it a fleeting trend, a market demand shift, or a supplier misalignment? Utilize this analysis to optimize purchasing and forecast for upcoming quarters.

Order in alignment with demand, minimize overstock risks, enhance cash flow, and focus on selling what moves now.

Track Your Inventory Turnover Ratio

For the analytical, tracking inventory turnover—the frequency of inventory sold and replenished—can be transformative. Low turnover suggests financial bind, while high turnover indicates superior cash flow and margins.

Even elementary insights into fast movers can refine prioritization in reordering and promotional cycles.

Conclusion: Regain Control Over Your Inventory

Don’t let inventory management woes dictate your strategic decisions. Seize this opportunity to discern what’s effective vs. what’s not, away from reactionary measures post-holiday.

It's never too early to remedy July's slow-motion anomalies before December.

Seeking Professional Insight?

Our service aids business owners in inventory analysis, revealing financial opportunities, and developing strategies to safeguard profit margins systematically.

Let’s optimize your inventory management today.

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