Struggling With Slow-Moving Inventory? Here’s What to Do in Shopify

Are you worrying about the product that just won’t move? You thought it would sell quickly, but weeks go by and nothing. It makes you question whether you bought too much or picked the wrong product. Sometimes you even think about cutting the price just to get rid of it. You’re not the only one who feels this way.

Every Shopify merchant runs into slow-moving inventory at some point. It eats up cash that you could use on ads, new stock, or growing your store. And if you ignore it, today’s slow item can turn into tomorrow’s dead stock.

This guide shows how to identify it in Shopify, fix it quickly, and prevent it from piling up again.

Summary

• What slow-moving inventory means → Products that sit unsold for 60–90+ days, tying up cash you could use for ads, growth, or new stock.
• Why it hurts your business → Stuck inventory slows cash flow, clogs storage, and blocks you from investing in products that actually sell.
• How to spot it in Shopify → Use inventory aging, sales velocity, and product performance reports to flag items that aren’t moving.
• How to fix it fast → Identify the product → find the cause (price, season, poor page, low visibility) → choose a remedy (discounts, bundles, marketing refresh, or repositioning).
• How to prevent it long term → Forecast with Shopify reports, set reorder alerts, plan around seasonality, and run monthly reviews so slow movers don’t sneak up again.

What Counts as Slow-Moving Inventory?

It is a stock that isn’t selling as quickly as expected. For many merchants, that means products that haven’t sold in 60–90 days or have a lower turnover rate than the rest of your catalog.

Why does this matter?

Money stuck in unsold products can’t be reinvested. Instead of fueling ads, marketing campaigns, or new stock, it’s locked in a product collecting dust. For Shopify merchants, slow-moving stock can mean wasted opportunity.

Think of it this way: your store is like a river. Fast-selling products keep the water flowing, while slow movers create logjams. The longer they sit, the more the current slows. Spotting them early gives you a chance to act before they become dead stock.

How to Fix Products That Stop Selling

Every slow-moving product has a reason behind it. To solve it, follow this three-step framework:

1. Identify the product
Start with Shopify’s inventory aging or product performance reports. These show you which items are collecting dust.

2. Find the cause
Ask yourself:

• Is it the wrong season?
• Is the price too high compared to alternatives?
• Is the product buried with low visibility?
• Does the product page fail to convert?

3. Choose the right remedy
Once you know the “why,” the fix becomes clear:

• If it’s a pricing issue, try discounts or bundles.
• If the product page is weak, refresh it with stronger copy, better photos, and reviews.
• If visibility is low, boost it with marketing or cross-sell bundles.
• If seasonality is the issue, reposition or repurpose the product for a different campaign.

Instead of guessing, this process helps you quickly match the right remedy to the real problem so products start selling again.

How to Spot Slow-Moving Products in Shopify

The first step is figuring out which products are actually slow movers. 

Shopify makes this easier than most merchants think. Here’s how:

1. Run Shopify Reports
   
   • Inventory aging: Shows how long products have been sitting unsold.
   • Sales velocity: Highlights which SKUs are selling slowly over time.
   • Product performance: Breaks down sales by SKU to identify laggards.

2. Track Key Metrics
   
   • Inventory turnover ratio: How many times does stock sell and restock in a year?
   • Days’ sales of inventory (DSI): Average days it takes to sell current stock. If an item hasn’t sold in 90+ days, it’s a red flag.

3. Benchmarks to Watch
   
   • Turnover below 4–6 per year = possible slow mover.
   • No sales in the last 90 days = high risk of dead stock.

Common Causes of Slow-Moving Inventory

Identifying the cause gives you direction. Instead of guessing, you’ll know if the product needs a price change, a marketing boost, or better timing.

Here are the most common ones Shopify merchants run into:

1. Pricing issues
Sometimes the product is just too expensive compared to competitors, or the value isn’t clear to shoppers. Even a small gap—like $5 more than a similar product—can make buyers skip it. On the flip side, if the price is too low, shoppers may think the quality isn’t good.

2. Seasonality
Many products sell well only during certain times of the year. A winter hoodie won’t move in July, and summer sandals will sit untouched in December. If you overstock off-season items, they’ll sit until demand returns.

3. Poor product page
Shoppers may land on the page but leave if it’s missing strong photos, clear descriptions, or reviews. A weak product page can make a good product look untrustworthy or unappealing.

4. Lack of visibility
Even great products won’t sell if customers don’t see them. If the item is buried deep in your catalog, missing from your homepage, or not promoted in ads or emails, sales will stall.

“What Can I Do Right Now?” – Quick Fixes for Slow-Moving Stock

When you discover slow-moving inventory, you don’t have to panic. Here are fast, practical ways to clear space and free up cash flow:

• Discounts & Shopify flash sales: Use short-term discounts to move stock quickly. Great for seasonal leftovers or near-expiry items.
• Bundle discounts: Pair slow sellers with top-performing products. Example: add a sluggish accessory to a popular main item with a small discount.
• Boost visibility: Place the product in your homepage carousel, highlight it in “bestsellers,” or upsell it during checkout.
• Marketing refresh: Update product images, rewrite titles, and try a new ad angle. Sometimes a small tweak reignites interest.
• Freebies or spend thresholds: Offer the product as a gift with purchase (“Spend $50, get this free”). This reduces excess stock while encouraging larger carts.

When to use each:

• If storage is tight → Flash sale.
• If the margin is still healthy → Bundle or upsell.
• If the product just isn’t seen → Visibility boost.
• If shoppers hesitate → New copy or adjusted price.

Many discount apps from the Shopify App Store can make this step easier. You can create bundle discounts, offer discounts on product variants, or offer simple quantity discounts. This app also lets you create personalized discounts.

Use Cases: Real Examples of Fixing Slow-Moving Inventory

Let’s put the 3-step process into action with a real Shopify example.

Let’s imagine Andrea is selling seasonal hoodies on Shopify.

• Identify: You check your inventory aging report and see a pile of unsold hoodies sitting in July.
• Cause: The problem isn’t the product itself—it’s timing. Hoodies just don’t move well in hot weather.
• Remedy: Instead of slashing prices and hurting margins, you can bundle those hoodies with year-round basics like jeans or tees. Or, you can push them into a campaign tied to back-to-school shopping in late August when demand rises again.

This same approach works across different cases:

• Pricing issues: If an item is too expensive compared to alternatives, add value with a bundle or use tiered discounts.
• Poor product page: If the listing doesn’t convert, refresh descriptions, add customer reviews, and improve images before dropping the price.
• Lack of visibility: If no one sees it, spotlight the product in email flows or cross-sell bundles.

The key is simple: don’t guess. Identify the cause, match it to the right remedy, and reposition the product so it starts moving again.

Long-Term Prevention: Stop Stock From Going Stale Again

Fixing slow movers is one thing, but making sure it doesn’t happen again is where the real win is. Here’s how to stay ahead of inventory headaches in the long run:

1. Implement an inventory management system
Shopify has built-in inventory tracking, but pairing it with apps that specialize in B2B or bundling can make life easier. You’ll get a real-time view of what’s moving and what’s lagging, so nothing sits forgotten on the shelf.

2. Improve forecasting with real data
Don’t just guess what will sell. Check Shopify’s past sales reports to spot patterns. Look at month-to-month sales and note spikes or drops. This helps you order smarter instead of overbuying products that won’t sell for months.

3. Set reorder alerts
It’s not just about overstocking; it’s also about avoiding empty shelves. Setting alerts inside Shopify ensures you restock at the right time without doubling up on products that already move slowly.

4. Plan around seasonality
If you sell seasonal items, resist the urge to bulk buy off-season. Hoodies in July or beach towels in December will only tie up cash. Stock strategically based on when your customers are most likely to buy.

5. Run monthly reports
Slow movers sneak up quietly. A monthly review of your inventory aging report can catch problem products early. You’ll spot trends before they drain your cash flow, giving you time to adjust pricing, marketing, or bundling before it’s too late.

Wrap-Up

Slow-moving inventory happens to every merchant. The key is knowing how to handle it: Identify the slow mover → Find the cause → Apply the right remedy → Prevent future stock issues.

Remember, slow movers don’t have to sink your cash flow. With Shopify’s built-in tools and a few smart tactics like bundling and discounts, you can turn stuck stock into an opportunity.

Ready to take action? Start by running an Inventory Aging report today and uncover which products need your attention.

FAQ: Slow-Moving Inventory in Shopify