End-of-season decisions should separate proven evergreen sunglasses from slow seasonal inventory before markdowns are applied. Not every unsold style needs to be cleared simply because a calendar season ended.
Classify the inventory
- Evergreen winners: styles that sell across multiple periods and deserve carryover.
- Seasonal winners: strong styles that may be reordered again before the next peak.
- Slow but viable: inventory that may need less depth or a better placement.
- True aging: styles with repeated weak movement and no clear strategic role.
Use sell-through and inventory age together
A style with modest remaining inventory after strong sales may be healthy. A style with nearly all original inventory remaining is a different problem.
Do not markdown blindly
First consider whether the item is likely to sell in the next normal period, whether another location has stronger demand, and whether the issue was poor placement or lack of exposure.
Use the result to improve next season
Reduce opening depth for weak styles, preserve proven frame families, and time seasonal inventory closer to the period when demand actually starts.
Continue: Sunglass Assortment and Seasonality.