Why dead stock has become one of the main problems in the eyewear business

For most optical stores, the warehouse is one of the largest items of invested capital. But the problem is that not all merchandise in stock actually works and generates profit. Some products may sit on the shelves for months without sales, gradually turning into dead stock.

This issue is especially acute in the eyewear business because of the complex assortment and the large number of product modifications. One eyeglass frame model can come in several colors and sizes, lenses can have dozens of parameters, and contact lenses can differ in diopters, radii, and wearing periods.

As a result, the warehouse quickly fills up with goods for which demand is difficult to predict.

According to research in the field of inventory management, on average, 20% to 30% of companies’ warehouse balances consist of low-turnover items or full-fledged dead stock. For the business, this literally means “frozen” money that does not work for the company’s growth.

In eyewear, this can amount to hundreds of thousands of hryvnias in products that almost never sell.

That is why effective warehouse management has become one of the key factors of profitability in modern eyewear stores. 

How dead stock accumulates in optical stores

In most cases, dead stock appears gradually and unnoticed.

For example, a certain frame model sells well, and the store decides to expand the assortment—ordering all colors and sizes. But after a few months, it turns out that most demand was only for 2–3 of the most universal options, while the others remain sitting in the warehouse.

A similar situation often happens with lenses. Stores try to keep a wide range of parameters “just in case,” but some items are sold so rarely that they are not replenished for years.

According to retail sector analytics research, approximately 80% of a company’s sales are often generated by only 20% of the products. This rule is especially noticeable in the eyewear business, where a significant part of the assortment sells unevenly.

The problem is that without analytics, the owner cannot see which products actually generate profit and which simply take up space in the warehouse.

As a result:

  • money is frozen in inventory balances;
  • procurement expenses increase;
  • the warehouse becomes overcrowded;
  • product turnover decreases.

For many companies, this becomes a hidden reason for a shortage of working capital. 

Why purchasing errors directly affect profit

One of the main reasons dead stock appears is procurement without deep analytics.

In many optical stores, purchasing decisions are made based on general impressions of sales rather than actual figures. For example, a manager may think that the brand sells well, so a large batch is ordered. But actual demand may exist only for specific models or modifications.

Another common issue is the desire to “have everything.” Optical stores try to maintain the widest possible assortment to avoid losing customers. But without turnover control, this leads to the accumulation of stale goods.

According to research in inventory management, companies without systematic inventory analysis can lose up to 10–15% of profit due to excessive purchasing and low product turnover.

For eyewear, this means not only a warehouse filled with goods, but real financial losses. 

How ABC analysis helps identify items that “eat up” money

One of the most effective tools for working with warehouse inventory is ABC analysis.

Its essence is to divide products according to their real impact on sales and profit.

In practice, almost in every optical store:

  • a small portion of products generates most of the revenue;
  • part of the products sells steadily, but does not produce significant profit;
  • some items practically do not move.

It is the last category that often creates dead stock.

For example, after conducting ABC analysis, optical store owners often discover that:

  • some frame items have not been sold for over a year;
  • some lens parameters were ordered only a few times during the entire period;
  • certain brands occupy a significant part of the warehouse but have almost no impact on revenue.

Thanks to such analysis, the business can plan purchases much more accurately and gradually reduce the volume of dead stock. 

How MARVI helps control inventory in eyewear

Effective warehouse management in eyewear is impossible without systematic analytics and transparent inventory control.

In the MARVI system, the owner can see in real time:

  • which products sell best;
  • which items have low turnover;
  • which modifications accumulate in the warehouse;
  • which categories generate the main profit.

The system makes it easy to quickly identify items that have not moved and to analyze sales for each modification separately.

For example, if a certain frame color or a lens parameter has not been sold for more than 90 or 180 days, it becomes immediately visible in the analytics.

For eyewear, this is critically important because the problem is often hidden not in the product model itself, but in specific variants that do not meet demand.

As a result, the company can:

  • reduce the number of unnecessary purchases;
  • free up working capital;
  • increase warehouse turnover;
  • work with the assortment more efficiently.

In 2026, the dead stock problem became one of the main financial issues for many optical stores. A large assortment and complex product structure without systematic control quickly lead to the accumulation of inventory that does not generate profit.

That is why modern inventory management is already impossible without analytics, turnover control, and work with real data.

Optical stores that regularly analyze inventory and control dead stock get not only order in their stock levels, but also more free funds for business growth.

Want to see how it works in practice?

Submit a request and get a demonstration of the MARVI system for automating warehouse operations in eyewear stores.