Are you staring down towering piles of unsold stock as Christmas creeps closer, feeling that mild panic set in? Wondering how on earth you’ll clear those “what was I thinking?” lines and keep cash flowing into January? You’re in the right place. Take a breath, grab a cuppa, and let’s make sense of Christmas stock management together.

Episode Snapshot

In this lively episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I dig deep into the art (and reality) of managing stock in the peak Christmas season. We’re talking clear, actionable retail strategies to help you dodge the classic pitfalls of slow sellers and “brown bananas”—those products with a sell-by date stinking up fast. Whether you’re gift-focused, lifestyle-driven or just dealing with a scary bump in inventory, I’ll guide you through practical steps to clear excess stock, protect your cash flow, and go into January feeling in control.

Key Lesson #1: Know Your Stock Inside Out

Information for Action, Not Overwhelm

Let’s start with one home truth. January and February are notoriously quiet for retailers. Your goal? To avoid being left with piles of unsold Christmas stock tying up cash that could be working elsewhere.

So how do you get ahead? Move beyond seeing your inventory as one big, sticky lump. Whether you’re using Shopify or handwritten notebooks, break things down into weekly (even daily) reviews. Your sales and your stock should work hand-in-hand. The proof of the pudding is in the eating—and in retail, that means knowing exactly what’s selling, what’s sticking, and what will be a pain to shift post-Christmas.

Spotting Slow Sellers

• Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. You didn’t buy things you thought wouldn’t sell; sometimes even the pros with decades in merchandising get it wrong.
• Use the “number of days of inventory remaining” report on Shopify (or similar tools), especially focused on the last 30 days.
• Look for lines where you have more than 30 days of stock remaining, and ask yourself: Will this pick up in December, or will I be left holding the baby come January?

A line of sparkly sequinned accessories? Great in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, but nearly impossible to shift after. That’s the kind of honest review that safeguards your cash flow for retailers.