Tried two different inventory approaches for my bait shop - one was way better

I ran my Amarillo bait shop for 2 years just guessing what to order each month. Last fall I finally tried that ABC method where you rank your top sellers. First quarter of this year I reduced overstock by about 35% just by focusing on the 20% of items that bring in most of the money. Anyone else here try sorting their stock differently and see big changes?

2 comments

2 Comments

adams.henry3d ago

Honestly that 35% number is pretty solid. I'm curious though - what did you do with all that freed up cash from not having so much overstock? Like did you reinvest it into more of your top sellers or did you expand into something new you were testing? Tbh the ABC sorting sounds smart for a shop that deals with live bait where stuff can go bad if it sits too long.

the_lucas2d ago

It's wild how that ABC sorting thing just clicks once you see it in action, not just in a shop but everywhere. Like I started noticing how my buddy runs his garage tool collection the same way, keeps the stuff he uses daily right up front and the rest buried. That cash we freed up went straight into doubling down on the nightcrawlers and shiners, the stuff that flies off the shelf no matter what. You start seeing this pattern of "trim the fat, feed the muscle" in everything from how people organize their closets to how restaurants manage their menus. It's one of those simple tricks that makes you wonder why we all don't just do it from the start.