How to know when it’s time to remove a product from your assortment?

A product should be removed from your assortment when it consistently fails to generate net profit, turns over slowly, requires ever-increasing advertising investment, and shows no significant growth even after price and listing improvements.

Key signs that a product should be removed from your assortment

The product is consistently operating at a loss

A product is considered problematic if it shows negative net profit for several consecutive reporting periods.

If, after this calculation, you get a loss every month, rather than a one-time dip, the item should at least be put "under observation," and often prepared for removal.

Turnover rate is too low

A reason to consider removing a product is when it sells so slowly that money gets stuck in inventory for a long time.

What this means in practice:

The product sits in a warehouse for months;

Its turnover is small, but it takes up space on the shelf/in the warehouse;

You are forced to pay for storage or additional deliveries just to maintain stock levels.

The longer a product doesn't sell, the higher the risk that you'll eventually have to "dump" it at a deep discount just to free up cash and space.

Sales are steadily declining

It's not a one-time drop that's dangerous, but the trend. A signal to remove a product is when:

The number of orders has been falling for several weeks or months in a row;

You can't return to previous sales levels even with promotions and discounts.

A one-time decline could be due to seasonality, holidays, or a temporary supply issue. But if the demand graph is steadily falling, it's often a consequence of:

Increased competition;

An outdated product;

Changing consumer preferences.

Advertising "eats up" all the profit

A product should be removed when it barely sells without advertising, and while it sells with advertising, all the margin goes to promotion.

Signs:

Advertising costs consume most or all of the profit;

When you turn off advertising, orders drop sharply to nearly zero;

Even campaign optimization (bids, negative keywords, formats) doesn't bring the product into a confident profit.

In this situation, the product is economically unviable; it's just "churning turnover" without real earnings.

High return rate

If a product has many returns, it hits your economics twice: You lose profit and additionally pay for logistics, processing, and potential markdowns.

A high return rate is a reason to consider removing a product, especially if:

You've already edited the description and photos, but the situation has barely changed;

The effect of improvements is short-term, then returns rise again;

Reviews confirm recurring problems (quality, size, set contents).

Sometimes it's easier to drop such a product than to endlessly try to "fix" it.

What to definitely check before removing a product

A product with low sales doesn't always need to be "killed" immediately. First, check if it can be helped.

Recalculate the real net profit.

Account for all expenses: cost price, commissions, logistics fees, storage, advertising, taxes. In the end, it's important to look at profit, not revenue.

Compare your price with competitors.

Check:

If your products are much more expensive/cheaper than similar offers;

If competitors have a more advantageous set: volume, set contents, bonuses.

Assess remaining stock and turnover rate.

Answer these questions:

How many days/weeks of current sales will the stock last;

How long has the product been sitting without significant movement;

How much money is tied up in this product.

Rebuild your advertising.

Try:

Changing strategies and bids;

Redistributing the budget between campaigns;

Disabling obviously unprofitable combinations.

Update the product listing.

Check:

The title and keywords;

The main photo and additional angles;

The clarity of specifications and description;

The presence of answers to typical objections in the description and FAQ.

Account for seasonality.

Compare the current period with the same period last year (if you have history): It might be the "low" season, and current metrics are normal for this period. Don't make conclusions about seasonal products based on just 1–2 weak weeks. After all changes, give yourself a test period, for example, 1 month. If neither sales nor profit grow during this time, it's better to:

Stop new purchases for this item;

Plan a gradual sale of the current stock.

How Torgstat helps manage your assortment

Torgstat simplifies the decision to remove a product because it allows you to look at your entire assortment simultaneously and by specific metrics.

In the service, you can:

Analyze products from Wildberries, Ozon, and Yandex Market in one interface;

Compare items by:

Net profit,

Profitability,

Number of sales,

Remaining stock;

Track turnover rate for each SKU;

Perform ABC analysis and see which products bring the main profit and which only freeze money.

This helps you find items that drag down profitability faster: those that sell little, sit in the warehouse for a long time, and require constant advertising investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep a product with low sales?

Yes, if it generates stable profit, doesn't require large inventories, and doesn't create high storage costs.

What to do if a product only sells at a discount?

Calculate the profit considering the discount. If the product remains profitable, you can keep it. If the discount leads to a loss, it's better to stop new purchases.

Can I remove a product from only one marketplace?

Yes. The same product might sell poorly on Wildberries but be profitable on Ozon or Yandex Market. The decision should be made separately for each platform.

Should I remove a new product if it sells poorly right away?

Don't rush. A new product needs time to accumulate reviews and statistics. First, check the price, listing, advertising, and demand.