Know-How Exchange : Strategy

The standard process is to discount the items you have which are surplus through your standard channels. Start with a relative small discount (20-30%) and work your way up as it gets older and older.

If you don't want to discount at your site, then you may want to find a liquidator. Some can be found by Googling "liquidator". Seems to be an online site that would let you sell things called https://www.liquidation.com/. Or a company that would buy your stick from you is National Wholesale Liquidators (https://www.nationalwholesaleliquidators.com). I got these from Google, and haven't used, so can't vouch for them and you likely could do just as well with others available on Google.

Other option would be for you to sell the items yourself using something like eBay.

several possibilities

Have a promo corner in your shop (10-15% off)
Do a messy bulk basket in another corner (20-30% off)

Either find an discount store or, if possible, open one yourself. Some where else in town or even neighboring town - also see it as a way of promoting your full price lines.

Online sales might be yet another way of expanding your sales channels. eBay or Amazon do offer some easy to find web-stores and many eCommerce sites are available.

Liquidate is definitely a way to cover your cost and getting a cash flow, but rarely to make money.

if tax deductions are of interest for your business then donate - use the goodwill generated in your marketing. You might even want to find a specific cause to promote, which could further enhance your image. Pick one that your current customers like.

Mikael
B2B Marketing

You could do more damage to your reputation selling stuff at a deep discount. You might be better off donating or burning it.

If you try to sell it at a discount you're advertising two things: (1) Your regular merchandise is overpriced; just wait a while and it will be in the discount bin; and (2) You have a lot of merchandise that is not moving ... perhaps because it was not fashionable to begin with.

In the apparel industry, if you can't sell it quickly at a discount, you are usually better off donating or scrapping it. It's taking up space (in your store or on your website) that could be making you money.

If you are in a metropolitan area, you can consider helping someone start a business with your slow-movers. An enterprising young man in Germany a while back made the rounds of clothing stores to arrange purchasing slow moving stock on credit terms. He consolidated the collections into a single container shipment to Egypt, where he sold them at a significant profit as "German design." He did this repeatedly for a couple of years.

That business model is no longer viable for Egypt. However the basic concept may still be doable. You find an entrepreneur and offer that person the clothes (which you don't want anyway) at favorable terms. He is not, of course, allowed to sell them in your market space.

Worst case: he does not pay. You have an astute CPA report an embezzlement tax write-off at list price.

Nowadays that entrepreneur could be someone selling consumer products on the Internet to persons in a special market niche, ones who would not come into contact with your store anyway.

Regards, JH