Every Amazon seller eventually faces the problem of excess inventory. Products that do not sell as expected, seasonal leftovers, or items approaching long-term storage fees all need attention. Here are your options.
Repricing
The simplest approach is reducing your price. If a product is not selling at £15, would it sell at £12? At £10? Run the numbers to find the price point where sales velocity picks up while still generating some margin. Even a breakeven sale is better than paying storage fees on dead stock.
Amazon PPC
Sometimes stock is not moving because nobody sees it. Running a PPC campaign targeting relevant keywords can generate the visibility needed to move stale inventory. Set a modest budget and monitor closely — you are trying to clear stock, not build a long-term advertising strategy.
Amazon Liquidation Programme
Amazon's FBA Liquidations programme lets you sell excess inventory to liquidation buyers through Amazon. You submit your excess stock to the programme, and Amazon finds buyers. You receive approximately 5–10% of the average selling price. It is not much, but it recovers something and avoids removal fees.
Removal Orders
Have the stock shipped back to you (or your prep centre) for a per-unit fee. Once returned, you can sell it through other channels — eBay, Facebook Marketplace, car boot sales, or local clearance. This makes sense when the product has value but just does not work on Amazon.
Bundling
Sometimes slow-moving products become attractive when bundled with complementary items. If Product A is not selling alone, would it sell as part of a "starter kit" bundled with Products B and C? This requires creating a new listing but can breathe life into dead stock.
Disposal
For products with no remaining value — expired items, damaged returns, products that cost more to ship back than they are worth — disposal is the pragmatic choice. Amazon charges a small per-unit fee to destroy the inventory. It stings, but holding worthless stock costs more in the long run.
Learning from Overstock
Every overstock situation is a learning opportunity. Why did the product not sell as expected? Was your research flawed, did competition increase, or was it seasonal timing? Understanding what went wrong improves your future purchasing decisions. The cost of the overstock is tuition for better business judgment.