Participating in this study on unsaleables were supply chain executives from major manufacturers like Clorox, Kraft Foods, Lipton and S. C. Johnson, along with distributors like Hannaford Bros., Schnuck Markets and Meijer. The study, conducted last year, represented the first joint industry research in five years.
In addition to the 1999 survey report, the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the Food Marketing Institute, both in Washington, DC, have jointly published an anecdotal look at the subject, The Root Causes of Unsaleables, and GMA has also compiled Unsaleables Management Resource Guide, a handbook for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. This article examines both the statistics of the survey and the detailed “nuts and bolts” approach used in evaluating root causes.
See the main story that goes with this sidebar: Unsaleable product costs reach $4.2 billion in ’98
