Unsold and Excess Inventory: between optimization and management: A New challenge for the Supply Chain Management

Would unsold and excess inventories management and optimisation become one burning issue both theoretical and empiric? The answer to the above question is Lt yes indeed in particular regarding the field of convenience goods such as textile goods, electronic goods ... Today, unsold (obsolete, old or outdated stocks) and excess (surplus lots) inventories represent from 30 to 50 % of supplied goods in the clothing sector, and from 15 to 30% of supplied goods in the electronic sector. Furthermore, despite of their cost, these important volumes will certainly rise in the current economic context characterised by the increase of innovation and ranges of products, a reinforced concurrence and price war, a customized demand and the increase of mass supplies. This paper will be the first one to set out the above industrial problematic. Said papers will demonstrate that management of unsold and excess inventories, which is currently usually neglected, could induce profits, competitive advantages and strategic differentiation for companies