Alison Metcalfe is a Merchandiser. She ‘does stock’ to create efficiencies in the supply chain and maximise profit for retailers. She’s worked at many high street brands including BHS, Woolworths, and M&Co, and most recently spent 13 years as Merchandise Co-ordinator for fashion at John Lewis. In this episode we discuss: How to effectively promote and mark down stock that is not sellingWhy is June a time for deeper discounting?Merging sales data and stock informationWhy do you need to analyse sales in units rather than just cash turnover?Key signs or indicators of a stock problem Time stamps: [04:24] Ideal plan: offer customers what they want. [08:37] Clear roles for buyer, merchandiser and marketer. [11:07] Sales first, stock units indicate problems. [15:25] Get rid of unnecessary stock through promotions. [17:54] Retailers not effectively using paid systems. [25:18] Merchandising: key to managing stock for profit. [26:10] Exit strategy, key sales periods, and stock management. Apply to join Chloe's Free eCommerce Club! >> https://ecmp.info/club Find the tech to solve your challenges at eCommerce Tech >> https://ecmp.info/tech Get all the links and resources we mention & join our email list at https://ecmp.info Love the show? Chloe would love your feedback - leave a review here: https://ecmp.info/review or reply to the episode Q&A on Spotify. Interested in being a Sponsor? go here: https://ecmp.info/sponsor This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy