Expiration Management & Inventory Control

Mike explains how strong inventory discipline is the foundation of profitability. Forget hacks—this is about making sure your cooler doesn't become a liability.

FIFO Workflow & Visual Cues

Every case is labeled with a bold day/month/year stamp the second it arrives. Oldest stock is shelved front; newer stock gets pushed back—simple arrows guide even temp workers.

Crate liners are color-coded: red for <1 week, yellow for 1–3 weeks, green for 3+ weeks. Staff are trained on one mantra: front-load, restock from the rear.

This rule is embedded in the shift-end checklist every tech signs before clocking out.

Digital Logs & Automated Alerts

Paper logs are outdated. Every delivery is scanned and timestamped using VendHub or 365 backends.

The system sends a push alert 10 days before expiry and drops a soon-to-expire report into Google Sheets overnight—your to-do list is waiting when you wake up.

Use the barcode swap trick: relabel items in their last 72 hours with a promo barcode and run kiosk flash discounts to move them fast.

Shrink Targets & Spoilage Prevention

Mike holds a hard KPI—keep shrink under 2% of COGS monthly. Run a markdown bin weekly and slash 30% off items with less than five days shelf life.

Sealed items within 48 hours of expiry go to a local food pantry—it's a tax write-off and goodwill gesture. Every spoiled SKU is logged with where, when, and why to enable root cause audits.

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