Inventory turnover and illiquid stock on marketplaces: how to calculate it and what to do with stuck inventory

Inventory turnover is the number of days it takes your warehouse stock to sell out completely at the current sales pace. It is calculated as Stock / Average daily sales. Sellers ask: "why do I need to know this, as long as the product is in stock?" The answer: turnover directly affects your money and your card's visibility. How much money is frozen in the product cycle — seller working capital.

Money: storage at a marketplace warehouse is a paid service. WB and Ozon charge from 0.5 to 5 rubles per unit per day depending on category and dimensions. A product sitting for 90 days can "eat" 10–30% of its margin on storage alone. How margin differs from profitability — a short breakdown.

Visibility: the marketplace prioritizes cards with fast turnover in search results. High turnover = "the product sells" = more impressions. Low turnover → lower rankings → even fewer sales → even lower turnover = a dead card.

This Support guide is a step-by-step methodology for managing turnover.

For context, see the parent guides:

• Pillar "Marketplace promotion" — where logistics fits in the overall system.
• Support "How to choose a marketplace warehouse" — how warehouse choice and turnover are linked.
• Support "SKU unit economics" — how turnover affects margin.

There is no universal benchmark — norms depend on the category. Baseline reference points:

• FMCG (cosmetics, supplements, household chemicals): 30–60 days. High purchase frequency, low average order value.
• Apparel and footwear: 60–120 days. Seasonal peaks with slow periods in between.
• Electronics and accessories: 30–90 days. Fast model cycles, risk of obsolescence.
• Home and garden: 60–180 days. Highly seasonal: 30 days at peaks, 180+ in the off-season.
• Furniture, oversized goods: 90–180 days. Long decision cycle, low-frequency demand.
• Seasonal goods (New Year items, fur coats, air conditioners): 30 days at the peak, 365 days off-season — plan entry and exit with the seasonal goods calendar.

If your category is not on the list, use the niche average as a reference: check the top 3 competitors via MPStats → SKU Analytics → their sales volumes and stock levels. Calculate Stock / Average daily sales for each. Take the median and add a 20% safety margin.

The formula is simple: Turnover (days) = Current stock / Average daily sales over 30 days.

Where to get the data:

• On WB: Analytics → Sales → Excel export for 30 days. The "units sold" column plus the "Stock" section in the seller dashboard.
• On Ozon: Analytics → Orders → Excel export, plus Analytics → Stock.

Example. A "hand cream" SKU sold 240 units in 30 days → average daily sales = 8 units. Current warehouse stock = 480 units. Turnover = 480 / 8 = 60 days. For FMCG that is average/high (the norm is 30–60). Good.

Same SKU, but the stock suddenly becomes 1,600 units → 1600 / 8 = 200 days. That is already illiquid stock — either cut the price or pull the inventory out.

Reason 1. Falling demand in the category. Seasonal trends or a general market decline. Usually visible across competitors — if the top 3 are dropping too, it is the market, not your card.

Reason 2. The card lost its search rankings. The algorithm changed, reviews dropped, a strong competitor appeared, or the card got penalized. Sellers ask: "sales dropped 3x in a week" — the answer is usually rankings, not demand.

Reason 3. The shipment was too large. The seller ordered "with a buffer" and the shipment exceeded realistic monthly demand by 3x or more. The product sits simply because there is too much of it.

Reason 4. The seasonal peak has passed. A well-selling summer product (for example, inflatable pools) drops sharply in September. A standard story — plan for it in advance.

Reason 5. A competitor started aggressive dumping. At -30% versus your price. Buyers switch to the competitor, your sales fall, turnover grows.

Step 1. Confirm it really is illiquid stock. Exceeding the category norm by 2x or more = illiquid. Exceeding it by 1.2–1.5x = "sales need a push," but not critical.

Step 2. Identify the cause. Use the 5 reasons from the section above. Without knowing the cause, any action is a shot in the dark.

Step 3. Choose a tactic:

• A 5–15% price cut. The baseline move. If competitors do not react, it usually adds 30–60% to sales.
• Joining a promo campaign. Marketplaces offer built-in promo campaigns with automatic promotion. The effect is stronger than a plain price cut at the same discount, because the card gets extra impressions.
• Buyouts on a specific keyword. If turnover dropped because of rankings — recover positions through buyouts (see the Pillar "Buyouts and reviews").
• Moving to FBS. If FBO storage has become too expensive — take the stock back to your own warehouse and sell via FBS. Higher margin, slower delivery.
• Warehouse removal. The marketplace lets you ship leftover stock back to the seller. Paid — usually 50–200 rubles per unit. It makes sense if 30 days of storage cost more than the removal.
• Disposal. The marketplace offers disposal of illiquid stock — the goods are written off the warehouse and the seller receives a tax certificate. Free, but no money comes back.

Step 4. If nothing works — relaunch the SKU. Sometimes a card accumulates "karma" (low rankings, bad reviews, penalties) and cannot be saved. Then you create a new card for the same product, move the leftover stock over, and close the old one. This is a last resort and it wipes the old sales history.

Rule 1. Weekly sales analysis. Take your top 20 SKUs, calculate their current turnover, compare with the previous week. An upward trend for 2+ weeks in a row = a signal.

Rule 2. FBO stock with a 30–45 day horizon. No more. If the product sells faster, restock more often instead of one large shipment.

Rule 3. Distribution across warehouses. If a SKU has regional demand (see Support "How to choose a marketplace warehouse"), split the shipment so the stock does not sit in one region.

Rule 4. Account for seasonality before the peak. 60 days before the season starts — increase stock. 30 days before it ends — scale back. After the season — move leftovers to FBS or pull them out.

Rule 5. A new SKU starts with 30 days of stock. No more. First make sure the card has reached the top and is selling. Then top up to the 60-day norm.

• Support "How to choose a marketplace warehouse" — warehouse choice is tied to turnover.
• Support "FBO vs FBS vs rFBS" — which scheme is more profitable.
• Support "SKU unit economics" — margin calculation including storage.
• Pillar "Buyouts and reviews" — buyouts as a tool for recovering rankings.

Related deep dives: returning leftover stock from WB warehouses.

Export your stock and sales data for 30 days. Calculate Stock / Average daily sales for your top 20 SKUs. Any SKU with turnover at 2x the category norm is a candidate for active measures. On WB, the free forseller AI audit includes an "economics and turnover" layer across your whole portfolio.

With a portfolio of 50+ SKUs, the methodology is automated in the standard Trusty MPO audit: a weekly turnover report, illiquid stock flags, and recommendations on specific tactics.

Related deep dives: Inventory accounting on a marketplace.