Deficit and surplus of goods: causes and effects. Ways to sell surplus and illiquid goods. Demand Offer. Industry market equilibrium. Product deficit and surplus The presence of a surplus means that

Demand - the desire and ability of consumers to purchase certain goods in the given economic conditions. Availability of demand depends on the needs of the buyers.

Amount (volume) of demand - some. quantity of a good that a consumer, a group of consumers, or the population buys according to the definition. price per unit of time under given conditions.

INmarket conditions demand acts as effective demand , which is determined by the amount of money that the buyer is willing to spend on the purchase of goods.

The amount of demand for a product depends on various factors, primarily on the price of this product: Qdx = f(Px), Where Qdx – volume of demand for a product X; Px - price of demand for goods H.

Bid price – the maximum price that the buyer agrees to offer for a unit of goods at a certain point in time. The higher the price of the goods, the less opportunity and desire of the consumer to buy this product (if, of course, the latter can be replaced with something else). This functional dependence makes up the content the law of demand : other things being equal, than the higher the price of a good, the lower the demand for it, and borot, the lower the price, the greater the amount of demand.

When demand is down , on the graph the demand curve shifts xia left-down (from position D1 in position D2), not necessarily parallel to the original position.

Sleep demand means that for the same price (for example, P3) the consumer buys fewer goods - not Q2, aQ1 (shift the curve to the left), or for the same quantity of goods (for example, Q2) he is ready to pay a lower price - not P3, but Р1(shift the curve down).

Sentence - these are specific goods and services that producers are willing and able to produce, as well as sell in the given economic conditions. This dependence is reflected in supply law: with an increase in price the supply increases, with a decrease in prices, on offers is decreasing.

Let's combine the market curves on one chart. demand and market. offers. At the point Ethey will intersect, while the quantities of supply and demand will be equal and will reach the equilibrium volume of production Q e at equilibrium price R e . This point of intersection of the supply and demand curves called the point of the static market equals weight.

Supply and demand on the market constantly fluctuate, and the position of the equilibrium point changes accordingly. In the state of equilibrium, neither buyers nor sellers have incentives to change their behavior, i.e. changes in the amount of demand or supply. Indeed, all consumers who are willing to pay the price for a unit of goods R e or higher can buy this product, for other buyers it will remain too expensive.

At the same time, sellers who are able to put goods on the market at a price R e or cheaper, will be able to find their buyer, and other, less efficient producers will be forced to leave the market.

The question is how market equilibrium is established , complicated. Suppose manufacturers want to set a price for their product R1. At this price, they will be able to put on the market goods in quantities Q2 (point 2). However, at such a high price, buyers will want and be able to buy only the quantity Q1 product (in accordance with point 1 on the demand curve). The market will have surplus of goods in quantityQ2 – Q1.

Competition between sellers will force them to lower the price in order to sell their product. The market price will start to drop, and those sellers who will be unable to reduce the price to the value R e , leave the market. If the market price falls to a level P2,then at such a low price consumers will demand in quantity Q2 (dot 4). But if they can produceput only a small amount of goodsQ1 (point3), and onmarket will ariseshortage of goods , as a result of competition between purchases, prices will rise to the level R e .

Surplus and deficit

Procurement planning based on inaccurate data can lead to incorrect determination of the required inventory of goods. The management of surplus goods of increased consumer demand is not particularly difficult and is solved by reducing the volume of purchases and, thus, bringing stocks to a normal level. The surplus of goods that are not in consumer demand increases the costs of the enterprise for their storage and requires the development of special measures for their implementation.

Irregularity in the supply of goods leads to a shortage of inventory in the warehouse and creates significant difficulties in meeting the needs of customers. When there is a shortage of goods wholesale enterprise either refuses to serve consumers, or seeks ways to meet their needs by making special purchases that require additional capital investments.

Irregular shipments of goods require the creation of a safety stock sufficient to meet the needs of consignees in the period between deliveries.

Inventory management is an eternal and always relevant topic. But in order to achieve results, it is necessary to change approaches and methods, taking into account the dynamics of the external environment. It is advisable to take advantage of the express analysis (see "EJ", 2015, No. 26) and go further, initiate a project to optimize working capital. What should you pay attention to today, looking into the future? Let's consider one of the methods for solving the problem.

If you do not change the approaches to inventory management, then problems accumulate over time, and you will have to deal with their consequences. Here are the main ones.

A large company is inert. According to Newton's second law (a \u003d F / m), acceleration, and in our case, the dynamics of the company's adaptation to changes in internal / external conditions, is directly proportional to the applied force - the decisiveness of the manager and the effectiveness of the managerial decision made by him and inversely proportional to the mass, that is, the size of the company. Thus, with an increase in the number of control levels, errors transmitted downward grow like an avalanche. The dynamics of changes in the external environment is high - decisions must be made in real time. It turns out that the big company management decisions they are late and not only solve them, but create new problems by themselves. The company simply does not have time to qualitatively adapt to the changes in the "economic landscape", suffers losses and subsequently "leaves the race."

Moreover, most of the business processes become obsolete and actively "devour" the added value of the company. In order for a business to grow, ineffective processes need to be identified and changed.

In addition, the strict requirement of a detailed (up to a ruble) justification of all funds allocated for projects (especially current or major repairs) leads to the fact that local estimates drawn up for a business plan for six to ten months, summary estimates are rapidly becoming obsolete. To use them, they are almost always recalculated again, and the result is a “basket work” to maintain the illusion of control and validity of costs. This is paradox of budget thinking # 1.

Budget thinking paradox # 2 (“ask for more, give as much as you need”) generates the following ineffective behavior. If the resource limit is agreed upon, it must be mastered at any cost. Therefore, often the key criterion for assessing the effectiveness of a manager is the degree of execution of the planned budget. As a result of such actions, excess stocks appear in warehouses, unreasonable losses and storage costs.

Finally, the lack of motivation of management for the rational use of the company's working capital. Building a complete system effective management reserves - laborious processrequiring continuous attention. In addition, with an underdeveloped analytical apparatus and low qualifications of employees, there is no understanding of the magnitude of the potential economic effect, which determines the management of the company's inventory on a residual basis. But what can you do to prevent this from happening?

A differentiated approach to inventory management and division of areas of responsibility for their formation

First of all, it is necessary to categorize the stocks and identify those responsible for their formation.

develop a clear, unambiguous interpretation of the composition of stocks for each category: technological materials in the system, materials of one-time consumption (MCI), regularly consumed materials (RPM), emergency technical stock (ATZ), replacement stock, spare parts - tools - accessories (PF, spare parts) ), unclaimed property (NVI);
introduce criteria for optimality of categories and tools to achieve it;
not to form current reserves (TK) on a residual basis;
use its own tools for each category (model);
share responsibility for the accumulation of surplus stocks:

- to the supply service (brought earlier than necessary), taking into account reasonable reserves;

- customer services (ordered more than required, could not use during repairs, etc.), which makes it possible to reserve stocks only for specific needs, for which the required quantity, purpose (project) and the expected date of their use are determined.

Sharing responsibilities allows for a more targeted focus on actions and decisions that lead to stockpiling.

Identification of the key reasons for changes in reserves and development of measures to reduce surplus

In inventory management, it is important to apply factor analysisto identify and visualize the key causes of inventory changes and to determine the coordinates of accumulated excess inventory. Then you can start developing measures to reduce the identified surplus stocks.

Here are some of the reasons for the formation of inventories of materials and equipment.

The first one was not used at all:

leftovers after completion of work - ordered with a margin, incorrectly planned;
did not cancel the need - forgot to make changes to the annual need, chose the limit;
canceled the need late - contracted early, canceled late;
brought later than necessary - ordered late, did not meet the procurement deadlines;
there was no budget for contractors - we allocated a budget for contractors separately from materials and equipment.

The second was used later:

delivered earlier than needed - combined purchases, did not pay attention to delivery on time;
bought more than needed - the minimum delivery lot exceeds the need;
the terms of work were changed - they stated the need without reference to the start of work, did not make changes to the purchase orders;
ordered for several needs - combined needs related to different times.

Third, we formed a non-optimal stock:

there are no tools for calculating the stock - the optimal purchase lot has not been calculated;
there is no correct information about stocks - positions in the directory are duplicated, write-offs are reflected in accounting with a delay or ahead of the fact.

Providing support for decision-making in choosing a commercial proposal and justification of an emergency technological stock

The choice of the most favorable commercial offer for the company should be made in unified system coordinates.

It is difficult to compare the original offers from suppliers, since apart from the price commercial offers differ in a number of other parameters: terms of payment and delivery, quantity, delivery costs and other parameters, especially storage costs. In this regard, it is advisable to develop a model for calculating the total cost of ownership of inventories, taking into account all of the above conditions (disposal money taking into account time) and recalculating all offers to a single indicator - net present value of inventory holding, which allows you to objectively compare offers with each other.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the validity of the formation of an emergency technical reserve (ATZ). The purpose of its formation is to reduce a specific risk. The risk of downtime due to an accident can be reduced different ways, and ATZ is just one possible tool.

The principles for calculating (determining) the optimal level of ATZ are as follows:

1) clear and identical purpose of reserves within each category;

2) balance of risks and costs of mitigation (reduction) - materials and equipment are included in the ATZ, provided that the costs of their storage do not exceed the amount of risk reduced with their help:

risk is calculated based on an assessment of the consequences associated with damage from downtime, and probability - a mathematical calculation based on the mean time between failures and the delivery time of the part;
storage costs are calculated based on the price of the part and the cost of the RK;

3) accounting of reserve equipment as the first units of the ATZ;

4) taking into account the simultaneous replacement of several parts in the event of a breakdown of one of them (for example, bearings on one axis change in pairs);

5) the need for professional expertise, the presence of ATZ does not remove the responsibility from the enterprise management for the high-quality operation and repair of equipment.

Organization of regular work with illiquid assets and setting a SMART goal for inventory management

Regular work with illiquid assets involves dividing them into different categories and applying different approaches to them. Inventories of unclaimed property (NVI) are divided into categories to find a balance between the possible price and the speed of sale (see Fig. 1).

create transparency in setting goals for reducing NTI;
define implementation priorities;
apply a differentiated approach to the assessment and implementation of NVI, taking into account the specifics of positions;
standardize the period for the implementation of NVI;
objectively assess the effectiveness of implementation;
to introduce a motivation system that depends on the specifics of the sold NVI.

It is also important to determine the order of transition between categories of illiquid assets in the absence of a result on their implementation.

At the first stage, all excess stocks, except for those that have obviously lost their suitability for use and are subject to immediate write-off, are considered liquid NVI. For all of them, active measures are taken for the earliest possible implementation.

At the second stage (in the absence of inventory sales for three to nine months, depending on the type of NVI), a working group created in the company collectively reclassifies from the category "Liquid NVI":

in "Piece NVI" (expensive, specialized positions - require active search buyers) without any markdown, or
in "NVI for sale" with the formation of a markdown (reduction of the proposed price for sale). Inventories can be depreciated several times in a row, for example, in increments of 10-15% of the original value.

In the absence of sale of such reclassified inventories in the allotted period, for example, under the category "Piece NVI" - up to 18 months, according to "NVI for sale" - up to nine months, by decision working group such reserves are transferred to the final category "NVI for write-off", such a decision is approved by the head of the company. Inventories from the last category are written off (reduce the company's profit during the write-off period) in the current quarter, but not earlier than one month before its end, in order to exclude an excessive load on the accounting department.

The categorization of NVI creates transparency in setting targets for reducing and implementing NVI.

The above methodology allows you to set adequate goals for effective inventory management (see Fig. 3).

Perspective solutions in the management of the company's inventory

In the future, three main areas of inventory management are possible.

Stock management using the Keep stock system. It allows an employee of the company's warehouse to order and receive guaranteed materials, spare parts, consumables for equipment, etc. from the supplier within 24 hours.

Another direction is the replacement of warehouse employees with specialized warehouse robots:

at least 70% of all warehouse operations;
an average of 33% increase in the effective warehouse area;
an average of 39% increase in the number of SKU 1 stored in the same warehouse.

Finally, VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) technology. Its main meaning lies in the fact that the supplier himself takes over the management of the stock of his products in the customer's warehouse on the basis of a service level agreement signed between them. The vendor has access to information about the stock level in the customer's warehouse by their inventory categories and creates purchase orders for the customer. Moreover, for VMI operation, various options are possible, including cloud services.

Of course, such work should be aimed at achieving an ambitious economic result. Therefore, it is better to organize it as a separate project. Its effectiveness largely depends on the experience and determination of the project manager, the high motivation of all project participants, as well as the coordination of actions during design work... This is the only way to ensure the consistency and efficiency of the implementation of changes with a minimum level of management risks.

As well as professional competencies and know-how will require project management knowledge to make it successful.

1 SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) - a commodity item identifier (detailed stock keeping unit) used in trade to track statistics on goods / services sold, for example, the same shirt 41, 42, 43 is a SKU.

Equilibrium on the market is called situation when sellers offer for sale exactly the same amount of goods that buyers decide to purchase ( the volume of demand is equal to the volume of supply ).

Since sellers and buyers want to sell or buy different quantities of a good depending on its price, for market equilibrium it is necessary that a price be established at which the volumes of supply and demand coincide. In other words, price equalizes supply and demand.

The price causing the coincidence of the volumes of demand and supply is called the equilibrium price, and the volumes of demand and supply at this price are called equilibrium volumes supply and demand.

In equilibrium conditions, the so-called clearing of the market takes place: there will be neither unsold goods, nor unsatisfied demand (buyers who want to buy goods at a fixed price and who could not do it due to the absence of sellers).

Thus, in order to find an equilibrium in the market for some good, it is necessary to determine what price will cause in this market such a volume of supply that will correspond to the volume of demand: at this price, sellers will bring to the market exactly as much of the good they have produced as buyers want to carry. This price is called the equilibrium price, and the supply and demand volume corresponding to it is called the equilibrium supply and demand volumes.

The speed with which the market finds an equilibrium price depends on the "mobility" of its participants and on the ease of communication in the market (that is, on the perfection of the market).

Under the equilibrium of the industry market understand the optimization of the size of firms in a given industry while reducing prices in the industry market to the level of minimum average production costs. Equilibrium in the industry is achieved when each firm reaches its equilibrium.

Demand curve industry shows how many products all consumers will purchase. It diminishes as consumers buy more goods at a lower price. The price here is determined by the interaction of all firms and consumers in the market, not by the decision of an individual firm.

Industry supply curve shows the volume of output the industry makes at every possible price. The output of an industry is the total supply of all individual firms.

Sectoral equilibrium occurs when the conditions:

All industries maximize profits.

All factors of production become variable and the number of firms in the industry changes.

No firm has an incentive to enter or exit the industry, as all firms receive zero economic profits. In other words, the price should be equal to the average total cost. Since getting into and out of an industry is easy enough, positive or negative economic gains encourage firms to change. An industry cannot be in equilibrium if firms are on the move: either entering or exiting the industry. Long-term equilibrium requires all industry changes to be completed.

The price of a good is such that the aggregate supply is equal to the aggregate demand.

Thus, the equilibrium of an industry market is understood as optimizing the size of firms in a given industry while reducing prices in the industry market to the level of minimum average production costs. Sectoral equilibrium occurs when the following conditions: all industries maximize profits; all factors of production become variable and the number of firms in the industry changes; no firm has an incentive to enter or exit the industry; the price of the good is such that the aggregate supply is equal to the aggregate demand.

Market equilibrium can only be considered relative to a fixed unit of time. At each subsequent moment of time, market equilibrium can be established as some new value of the market equilibrium price and the number of sales of goods at this price, taking shape during a month, season, year, several years, etc. but market equilibrium is always a state of the market in which QD \u003d QS (demand volume \u003d supply volume). Any deviation from such a state sets in motion forces that can return the market to a state of equilibrium: eliminate a deficit (QD\u003e QS) or a surplus (surplus) of goods on the market (QD< QS).

Thus, surplus arises if, at a certain price, the supply of goods exceeds the demand for it.

A product is in short supply if the value of demand for the product is greater than the value of its supply.

Consumers do not always think that existing prices are optimal. The point is that the imperfection of the social structure of production on the surface appears as an imperfection of the price system. Public dissatisfaction with existing equilibrium prices creates fertile ground for government intervention in market pricing... In practice, this translates into setting maximum or minimum prices. If the maximum price set by the state (the "price ceiling") is below the equilibrium level, then a deficit is formed; if the government sets the minimum price above the equilibrium level (the so-called subsidized price), then a surplus is formed. Fixing prices means disabling the market coordination mechanism. In conditions when the price is below the equilibrium level, the deficit does not decrease, but increases, in addition, non-monetary costs are added to the consumer's monetary costs. The latter are associated with searching for goods, standing in queues, etc. - all of them are deadweight costs that do not serve to expand the production of scarce goods. They settle in the sphere of distribution of scarce goods, and do not reach those who actually produce it. The price ceiling "cuts" the producers' surplus and thereby reduces the incentives to produce it at those enterprises that have minimal production costs of this product. Therefore, the deficit does not decrease. On the contrary, those who sell (or distribute) a scarce product are interested in preserving it, since it becomes a source of their income (as it increases the amount of non-monetary costs). Therefore, they will do their best to promote government regulation prices under various "plausible" pretexts.

In cases where the price is above equilibrium, there is a need for additional measures to stimulate supply restriction and increase in demand in order to narrow the gap between the subsidized and equilibrium prices. In both cases market economy begins to function less efficiently than in perfect competition.

The balancing function is performed by the price, which stimulates the growth of supply when there is a shortage of goods and relieves the market from surplus, restraining the supply. According to Walras, in conditions of deficit, buyers are the active side of the market, and in conditions of surplus, sellers. According to Marshall's version, entrepreneurs are always the dominant force in shaping market conditions.

Any excess of goods, i.e. surplus of commodities pushes the price of commodities down to the equilibrium point. Any shortage of goods, shortage of goods on the market will push the price of goods upward, to the point of equilibrium between supply and demand. Ultimately, the equilibrium price PE will be established, at which QE of goods will be sold on the market.

According to statistics, the shortage of goods is one of the most acute problems of both the seller and the buyer and is often estimated at about 8% of the total turnover. According to another, no less sad statistics, in large stores the surplus of goods (often called "illiquid") is up to 20% of the total assortment!

In other words, getting rid of these two misfortunes is extremely difficult. Both are often the result of poor planning and inadequate control over consumer demands. The treatment process can take months and as a result, getting rid of the global deficit syndrome, the store often ends up with excess inventory.

What is more dangerous for the company? Deficit or surplus? By far the most dangerous situation is to have a deficit in one product and a surplus in another. Conversely, it is best not to have either. However, let us not close our eyes to the obvious - deficit and surplus were, are, and possibly will still occur. It is necessary to know the enemy by sight, therefore we will analyze in more detail these two common phenomena.

Deficiency. Its causes and consequences

Deficit - excess of demand over supply. A deficit indicates a mismatch between supply and demand and the absence of a countervailing price.

The deficit can be temporary or permanent. But in any case, its consequences are quite obvious - the company receives less profit. However, not all so simple. If the deficit is of a permanent protracted nature, then the consequences can be sadder than it seems at first glance:

Lack of profit due to too low prices;
Direct losses due to lack of sales;
Deterioration of the store's image in the eyes of customers: "There are never the right products here";
Loss of potential and real customers;
Empty store shelves, unfilled counters;
Sales growth for competitors who have such a product;
Costs due to actions aimed at eliminating the deficit - moving goods on the shelves, urgent search for substitute goods;
Wasted money on advertising campaign or tasting;
Employee stress and, as a result, their demotivation.

The consequences of the shortage are more related to the external environment of the store and are especially dangerous for a company that is in the stage of growth and development, when winning customers and their loyalty is a strategic goal.

Let's consider the possible factors by which we have dissatisfied buyers, nervous sellers and the lack of goods in stock:

1. Unbalanced price (demand outstrips supply). A scarcity usually indicates a low supply caused by a low price. “Snapped up like hotcakes,” we say, implying that the goods leave quickly. Too fast. So fast that we can't keep up with the increased demand. A prime example is merchandise during sales. A discount of up to 50% has been announced, and as a result, people flock to the store, buying up everything that has yellow price tags. Who doesn't want to buy candy at half the price? However, the price is not always the only reason for the deficit.

What to do? To raise the price.

2. Errors in planning purchases and sales analysis. As a rule, this reason lies in people who, for some reason, do not do their job well. Perhaps they are not trained, perhaps they do not see the connection between the purchased and the sold product. One way or another, without serious analysis of sales and without precise planning, the company quickly gets an unbalanced stock. The manager of the production company says: “When we first started producing these dumplings, no one knew how they would be sold. We made a batch for trial and, surprisingly, it went very well. Then we launched another batch. Our sales department was enthusiastic began to "promote" the goods. A week later, wholesalers almost destroyed the plant - the demand for this product was so great. And everyone wanted it immediately, but our production could satisfy only half of the total demand ... And after a month, customers began to refuse to purchase, citing too long a waiting period ... The people in the stores tasted the dumplings, but the lack of goods on the shelf led to the fact that all efforts to promote were wasted. " Lack of accurate forecasts and planning of purchases leads to a direct loss of buyers. They tend to forget about a new product if they don't see it on sale for a long time.

What to do? Teach buyers planning, figure out why the analysis does not show the whole picture. Maybe the point is in the incorrect accounting of positions - when "there is in the computer," but not in the warehouse?

3. Changes in the current market situation (appearance new fashion, trend, law). A familiar picture, isn't it? Just yesterday, the hole in the jeans seemed like a disaster. And today, young shoppers go around shops in search of the most torn and shabby goods. The new trend towards healthier lifestyles is forcing buyers to ask and sellers to rush to fill warehouses with items labeled "0 calories" or "low fat" or "soy free." If yesterday was accepted new law that all children under 12 years old must be transported only in a child car seat, that is, there is a possibility that such car seats will suddenly begin to be in increased demand.

What to do? Respond to customer requests and new laws in a timely manner, keep your finger on the pulse, make market research your direct responsibility. Or wait until the end of the law ...

4. Active advertising or PR campaign. A case from life: “We have a regular store selling many products from different manufacturers. Suddenly buyers start actively asking“ the yogurt in the advertisement. ”We have never sold it so actively! We begin to understand, and we see that the manufacturer has launched an active advertising on television and in family magazines. I wanted to make a surprise. If we knew in advance about this action, of course, we would have prepared and increased commodity stock for this yoghurt ... ". In our country, people trust advertising and actively buy the advertised product. Therefore, such a" sudden "attack on the consumer leads to nothing but problems and shortages.

What to do? Educate suppliers by explaining to them what the consequences are from such activities. Before any action, increase orders according to the planned growth in demand.

5. Logistic problems. The item can be ordered correctly. The correct price can be set on it. It is being advertised correctly. But if for some reason it is not delivered to the warehouse or is late to the store, there is a high probability of being in a state of shortage. This is especially true for perishable goods (meat, fish, dairy products, bread), where one day of delay can reject the entire batch. If, instead of the planned two days, the cargo moves to the store for four days, then all the ideal planning comes to naught - the store gets two days of work with empty shelves. Sometimes this is enough to lose many regular customers and earn the image of a store "where there is never anything".

What to do? Work with those suppliers and transport companieswho take responsibility for the delay of the goods. Or not work with those who fail constantly. After all, this is your money.

6. The goods are ordered without regard to complexity. There is a product whose sales affect the sales of another - for example, champagne and candy, flour and yeast, green peas and mayonnaise. In this case, the qualifications of the manager who draws up the purchase order may be crucial... “In our company, orders for beer are taken by one manager, and another is responsible for snacks, chips, crackers and nuts. A shortage of one product makes it difficult to sell another.

What to do? Deal with the qualifications and motivation of your staff. Or deal with product categories - who is responsible for what. Are buyers motivated enough for such a result as selling goods?

7. Social and environmental factors. Weather, ecology, epidemics can provoke an unexpected high demand for the product. If the summer is very hot, then the demand for ice cream and soft drinks may exceed the supply several times. An unexpected water cutoff in the area provokes a demand for bottled water. During the SARS epidemic, the demand for respirators in China jumped dozens of times! This deficit is in the nature of an outbreak and ends as abruptly as it begins.

What to do? You can wait - such phenomena pass quickly. You can have time to respond to demand, quickly purchase the required product and earn decent money on the increased demand.

Surplus goods. Ways to sell surplus

Excess stock can be:

turnable, but too large. Then it makes sense to first of all reduce the volume of purchases of this product.
have a slow turnover. In this case, it is more correct to first lower the price and stimulate sales.
"dead", that is, not sold at all. If a product has not been consumed for three months 1, then it falls into the category of "dead". In this case, you can try to perform other actions.

But before the necessary steps are taken, you need to understand the reasons for the excess:

1. Unbalanced price (the price is too high for this market or for a given type of product). No one will overpay for a product or service if the market price has already been set or exceeds reasonable limits.

2. Expired or expired. The store sells food products, including perishable goods (for example, fish), or has in its assortment products with a limited shelf life (household chemicals, cosmetics). Failure to sell it on time leads to the formation of substandard goods. It is practically not subject to further processing and sale.

3. Errors in sales forecasts. A buyer from one of the largest trading companies: "When we just started purchasing this vegetable juice, no one knew how it would be sold. We brought a batch for testing and, surprisingly, it went very well. Then we ordered three more containers of this juice ... And sat down with a six-month supply - suddenly customers who actively bought juice at first stopped taking it altogether, tasted it and did not like it ... ". Purchasing goods at random leads to such sad results.

4. Over-purchasing. For example, we sell 30-32 bottles of wine per month. But the purchased batch is 24 bottles - this is the minimum packaging from the supplier's warehouse. We cannot buy less, and we have to buy more - 2 lots of 24 bottles each to meet the demand. If we do not stimulate the demand for this wine, then very soon we will find ourselves in a situation of excess production.

5. Commodity cannibalism (the appearance of one product crowds out the sales of another). In order to expand the assortment, the company introduced cheaper milk into the assortment. good quality... As a result, the demand for milk from other brand, and after a short time there was an excess of this product in the warehouse.

6. Changes in consumer fashion or taste. The emergence of DVD technology on the market has brought a verdict on VCRs. In food, fashion does not change as quickly as in the markets for manufactured goods, but the emerging and then rapidly disappearing fashion for bouillon cubes can be cited as a classic example. At first they were in great demand, then the consumer "got full" prepared food and turned his gaze to the side healthy way life. At one time, soy products were very popular, but now there is a lot of information that genetically modified components are often found in soy. As a result, the demand for soybeans and products containing it dropped sharply.

7. Legislative acts (ban on the sale of products). The ban on the sale of poultry meat in some countries due to the threat of the bird flu epidemic has led to the fact that millions of tons of chicken meat were transferred to surplus, and then to substandard goods. The introduction of censorship on beer advertising led to a decline in sales

8. Incomplete goods, wrong proportions when ordering complete goods. As a result, there is a shortage for some goods, and a surplus for others. The director of one vegetable pavilion says: “We sell vegetables. and no beets. "

9. Reservation pending an increase in demand or prices (in wholesale companies). Managers can issue additional invoices to protect themselves in the event of a shortage. If the purchasing department is not aware of such "reservation" facts, then the delivery of goods to the warehouse continues. After a short time, it turns out that the goods were in reserve not at the request of customers, but at the will of the sellers and real demand goods are not secured.

And although this is not the most the best way - sell goods for a penny, but perhaps this is better than believing that one day the client will come to his senses and buy all the dusty piles of cans in the warehouse. Don't get used to your stocks! The goal of inventory reduction is to get rid of unwanted items at the most favorable price or with minimal cost.

This can be done in different ways:

1. Discount sale or global price reduction.

2. Incentives for sales personnel. You can assign cash or in-kind rewards to sellers for selling "illiquid assets". This works especially well if the customer can choose between several types of products.

3. Selling to competitors at discounted prices. Perhaps you just have a surplus of good selling goods, and your competitor is in dire need of it around the corner. Why not give it a try?

4. Promotions to stimulate demand for this product (artificial creation of demand). Requires additional investments in advertising, but often brings good results (for example, conduct a wine tasting or decorate a gourmet corner where cheese and grapes will be laid out along with wine)

5. Creation of artificial scarcity. Sometimes it is enough just to announce that there will be no deliveries of the goods for the next two weeks (for example, due to vacations or holidays). This helps to optimize inventory if the product has a good turnover, but is purchased in excess.

6. Return to supplier or manufacturer. The best time for this kind of negotiation is in the lead-up to a new line purchase agreement or a large purchase order. Case study: “We just opened a store and took the supplier’s advice to buy a batch of expensive wines. It didn’t work, and for three months our warehouses had a stock of these wines worth almost $ 4,000. During this time, our relationship with the supplier developed One fine day we asked him to take back this product, which was so improperly imposed on us. The supplier refused. Then we negotiated that we would be able to repay our loans only by restructuring the debt at the expense of this fault As a result, the supplier bought this consignment from us in parts on account of our debt. " Naturally, this method is only good for those products that can be stored for a sufficient time under suitable conditions.

7. Creation of "kits" (in socialist times it was called "in the load"). Old goods are given as a bonus or as a gift. It is also possible to sell the surplus on a two-in-one basis (“when you buy two cans of peas, you get a third can (or a can of corn) for free!”).

8. Selling goods to your own staff or using them for the needs of the company. In some stores there is a culinary department, where the goods are transferred with the expiration date. The main thing here is the strictest quality control of such products, so as not to violate the real terms of implementation - the consequences can be the most sad. One well-known Western company practiced the method of selling goods to employees with an expiring (by no means expired!) Shelf life at symbolic prices. However, soon the abuse (resale in the markets) on this basis became so obvious and large that this practice was discontinued. This way of getting rid of excess is as effective as it is dangerous. Before you resort to it, make sure that you are able to control the entire chain of goods movement.

9. Implementation of charity events or donations. Give the product to those who might need it. You will not only get rid of the surplus, but also do a good deed. The main thing is to inform as many people as possible about this good deed ...

Buzukova E.A., consultant, specialist in assortment management

Deficiency. Its causes and consequences.

Deficit is the excess of demand over supply. A deficit indicates a mismatch between supply and demand and the absence of a countervailing price.

Lack of profit due to too low prices;
Direct losses due to lack of sales;
Deterioration of the store's image in the eyes of customers: “There are never the right products here”;
Loss of potential and real customers;
Empty store shelves, unfilled counters;
Sales growth for competitors who have such a product;
Costs due to actions aimed at eliminating the deficit - moving goods on the shelves, urgently searching for a substitute product;
Wasted money on an advertising campaign or tasting;
Employee stress and, as a result, their demotivation.

Let's consider the possible factors by which we have dissatisfied buyers, nervous sellers and the lack of goods in stock:

Unbalanced price (demand outstrips supply). A scarcity usually indicates a low supply caused by a low price. “Snapped up like hot cakes,” we say, implying that the goods leave quickly. Too fast. So fast that we can't keep up with the increased demand. A prime example is merchandise during sales. A discount of up to 50% has been announced, and as a result, people flock to the store, buying up everything that has yellow price tags. Who doesn't want to buy candy at half the price? However, the price is not always the only reason for the deficit.

What to do? To raise the price.

Errors in procurement planning and sales analysis. As a rule, this reason lies in people who, for some reason, do not do their job well. Perhaps they are not trained, perhaps they do not see the connection between the purchased and the sold product. One way or another, without serious analysis of sales and without precise planning, the company quickly gets an unbalanced stock. The manager of the production company says: “When we first started producing these dumplings, no one knew how they would be sold. We made a test run and, surprisingly, it went very well. Then we launched another batch. Our sales department enthusiastically set about promoting the product. A week later, the wholesalers nearly destroyed the plant - the demand for this product was so great. And everyone wanted it immediately, but our production could satisfy only half of the total demand ... And a month later, customers began to refuse purchases, citing too long waiting period ... People in stores tried dumplings, but the lack of goods on the shelf led to all efforts on promotion were wasted ". Lack of accurate forecasts and planning of purchases leads to a direct loss of buyers. They tend to forget about a new product if they don't see it on sale for a long time.

What to do? Teach buyers planning, figure out why the analysis does not show the whole picture. Maybe it’s a matter of incorrect accounting of positions - when “there is in the computer,” but not in the warehouse?

Changes in the current market situation (emergence of a new fashion, trend, law)... A familiar picture, isn't it? Just yesterday, the hole in the jeans seemed like a disaster. And today, young shoppers go around shops in search of the most torn and shabby goods. A new trend towards healthier lifestyles is forcing buyers to ask and sellers to rush to fill warehouses with items labeled "0 calories" or "low fat" or "soy free." If yesterday a new law was adopted stating that all children under 12 years old must be transported only in a child car seat, then there is a possibility that such car seats will suddenly begin to be in increased demand.

What to do? Respond to customer requests and new laws in a timely manner, keep your finger on the pulse, make market research your direct responsibility. Or wait until the end of the law ...

Active advertising orPR campaign... Case in life: “We have a regular store selling many products from different manufacturers. Suddenly, buyers start actively asking "the yoghurt in the advertisement." We have never sold it so actively! We begin to understand, and we see that the manufacturer has launched active advertising on television and in family magazines. I wanted to make a surprise for us. If we knew in advance about this action, of course, we would have prepared and increased the stock of this yoghurt ... ”. In our country, people trust advertising and actively buy the advertised product. Therefore, such a "surprise" attack on the consumer leads to nothing but problems and scarcity.

What to do? Educate suppliers by explaining to them what the consequences are from such activities. Before any action, increase orders according to the planned growth in demand.

Logistic problems. The item can be ordered correctly. The correct price can be set on it. It is being advertised correctly. But if for some reason it is not delivered to the warehouse or is late to the store, there is a high probability of being in a state of shortage. This is especially true for perishable goods (meat, fish, dairy products, bread), where one day of delay can reject the entire batch. If, instead of the planned two days, the cargo moves to the store for four days, then all the ideal planning comes to naught - the store gets two days of work with empty shelves. Sometimes this is enough to lose many regular customers and earn the image of a store where there is never anything.

What to do? Work with those suppliers and transport companies that take responsibility for the delay of the goods. Or not work with those who fail constantly. After all, this is your money.

The product is ordered without regard to complexity... There is a product whose sales affect the sales of another - for example, champagne and candy, flour and yeast, green peas and mayonnaise. In such a case, the qualifications of the manager who draws up the purchase order can be critical. “In our company, beer orders are taken by one manager, and another is responsible for snacks, chips, crackers and nuts. The trouble is, they operate separately from each other. As a result, we get chips, but the beer has not arrived yet ... ". A shortage of one product makes it difficult to sell another.

What to do? Deal with the qualifications and motivation of your staff. Or deal with product categories - who is responsible for what. Are buyers motivated enough for such a result as selling goods?

Social and environmental factors... Weather, ecology, epidemics can provoke an unexpected high demand for the product. If the summer is very hot, then the demand for ice cream and soft drinks may exceed the supply several times. An unexpected water cutoff in the area provokes a demand for bottled water. During the SARS epidemic, the demand for respirators in China jumped dozens of times! This deficit is in the nature of an outbreak and ends as abruptly as it begins.

What to do? You can wait - such phenomena pass quickly. You can have time to respond to demand, quickly purchase the required product and earn decent money on the increased demand.

Surplus goods. Ways to sell surpluses.

Excess stock can be:

But before the necessary steps are taken, you need to understand the reasons for the excess:

Unbalanced price (the price is too high for this market or for this type of product). No one will overpay for a product or service if the market price has already been set or exceeds reasonable limits.
Expired or expired... The store sells food products, including perishable goods (for example, fish), or has in its assortment products with a limited shelf life (household chemicals, cosmetics). Failure to sell it on time leads to the formation of substandard goods. It is practically not subject to further processing and sale.
Errors in sales forecasts. Says a buyer of one of the large trading companies: “When we first started purchasing this vegetable juice, no one knew how it would be sold. We brought a batch for testing and, surprisingly, it went very well. Then we ordered three more containers of such juice ... And sat down with a six-month supply - all of a sudden the customers who were actively buying juice at first stopped taking it altogether, tasted it and didn't like it ... ”. Purchase of goods at random and leads to such sad results.
Overbuying... For example, we sell 30-32 bottles of wine per month. But the purchased batch is 24 bottles - this is the minimum packaging from the supplier's warehouse. We cannot buy less, and we have to buy more - 2 lots of 24 bottles each to meet the demand. If we do not stimulate the demand for this wine, then very soon we will find ourselves in a situation of excess production.
Commodity cannibalism (the appearance of one product crowds out the sales of another). In order to expand the assortment, the company introduced cheaper milk of good quality into the assortment. As a result, the demand for milk of another brand fell, and after a short time there was an excess of this product in the warehouse.
Change in fashion or consumer taste... The emergence of DVD technology on the market has brought a verdict on VCRs. In food, fashion does not change as quickly as in the markets for manufactured goods, but the emerging and then rapidly disappearing fashion for bouillon cubes can be cited as a classic example. At first they were in great demand, then the consumer "gorged" on ready-made food and turned his gaze towards a healthy lifestyle. At one time, soy products were very popular, but now there is a lot of information that genetically modified components are often found in soy. As a result, the demand for soybeans and products containing it dropped sharply.
Legislative acts (ban on the sale of products)... The ban on the sale of poultry meat in some countries due to the threat of the bird flu epidemic has led to the fact that millions of tons of chicken meat were transferred to surplus, and then to substandard goods. The introduction of censorship on beer advertising led to a decline in sales
Incomplete goods, incorrect proportions when ordering complete goods... As a result, there is a shortage for some goods, and a surplus for others. The director of one vegetable pavilion says: “We sell vegetables. If we make a mistake with ordering potatoes and bring less, then there will certainly be a surplus of beets in the warehouse - this product is usually bought together. Beets are sold less often separately from potatoes, but potatoes can be sold without beets. "
Reservation pending an increase in demand or prices(in wholesale companies). Managers can issue additional invoices to protect themselves in the event of a shortage. If the purchasing department is not aware of such "reservation" facts, then the delivery of goods to the warehouse continues. After a short time, it turns out that the goods were in reserve not at the request of customers, but at the will of the sellers and real demand, the goods were not provided.

There are, of course, a thousand reasons for keeping stock in stock. But you need to understand that if the product is not for sale, then it does not contribute to the emergence of profit, for which the business exists. Purchased goods are linked funds. You invested them. And no matter how much these reserves are now, the money is gone. And although this is not the best option - to sell the product for a penny, but perhaps it is better than believing that one day the client will come to his senses and buy all the dusty piles of cans in the warehouse. Don't get used to your stocks! The goal of inventory reduction is to get rid of unwanted items at the best price or lowest cost. This can be done in different ways:

Discount sale or global price cut.
Promotion of sales personnel... You can assign cash or in-kind rewards to sellers for the sale of "illiquid assets". This works especially well if the customer can choose between several types of products.
Selling to competitors at preferential prices... Perhaps you just have a surplus of good selling goods, and your competitor is in dire need of it around the corner. Why not give it a try?
Promotions to stimulate demand for this product (artificial creation of demand). Requires additional investments in advertising, but often brings good results (for example, conduct a wine tasting or decorate a gourmet corner where cheese and grapes will be laid out along with wine)
Creation of artificial scarcity... Sometimes it is enough just to announce that there will be no deliveries of the goods for the next two weeks (for example, due to vacations or holidays). This helps to optimize inventory if the product has a good turnover, but is purchased in excess.
Return to supplier or manufacturer... The best time for this kind of negotiation is in the lead-up to a new line purchase agreement or a large purchase order. Case from practice: “We just opened a store and took advantage of the supplier's advice to buy a batch of expensive wines. It didn't work, and for three months our warehouses had a stock of these wines worth almost $ 4,000. During this time, our relationship with the supplier has developed and switched to a credit basis. One fine day, we turned to him with a request to take back this product, which was so improperly imposed on us. The supplier refused. Then we negotiated that we would be able to repay our loans only if the debt was restructured at the expense of this fault. As a result, the supplier bought this consignment from us on account of our debt in parts ”. Naturally, this method is only good for those products that can be stored for a sufficient time under suitable conditions.
Creation of "kits"(In socialist times, this was called "load"). Old goods are given as a bonus or as a gift. It is also possible to sell the surplus on a two-in-one basis (“when you buy two cans of peas, you get a third can (or a can of corn) for free!”).
Selling goods to your own staff or using them for the needs of the company... In some stores there is a culinary department, where the goods are transferred with the expiration date. The main thing here is the strictest quality control of such products, so as not to violate the real terms of implementation - the consequences can be the most sad. One well-known Western company practiced the method of selling goods to employees with an expiring (by no means expired!) Shelf life at symbolic prices. However, soon the abuse (resale in the markets) on this basis became so obvious and large that this practice was discontinued. This way of getting rid of excess is as effective as it is dangerous. Before you resort to it, make sure that you are able to control the entire chain of goods movement.
Carrying out charitable events or donations... Give the product to those who might need it. You will not only get rid of the surplus, but also do a good deed. The main thing is to inform as many people as possible about this good deed ...
Last resort - throw away unnecessary products... In the end, this is more correct than admiring it for weeks and wasting precious storage space. But observe the disposal conditions that the “cycle of sausage in nature” did not work out ...

As you can see, there are enough ways to get rid of surplus goods. And this must be done - if only because the excess inventory requires significant company resources - storage in a warehouse, frozen funds, inventory, accounting and analysis, and so on. The greatest danger is a surplus of goods for a company if it is at the stage of introduction to the market or at the stage of survival - that is, when resources and funds are most needed. If for the company external environment is less important than solving problems inside, the excess can become deadly for her.

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