You’re not a juggler.
But sometimes, that’s what being a small business owner feels like.
Running a meat shop means keeping inventory fresh while meeting customer demands, minimizing waste, providing great customer service, and managing the rest of your business. That’s a lot of balls in the air.
Regardless of how your sales are trending, struggling with waste means that you’re losing money. Every pound of meat that ends up in the trash is a financial loss and a missed opportunity to serve your community.
Enter: a meat shop inventory system. Effective inventory management could be a game-changer for your business, and this article highlights what an effective inventory process looks like. It’s also filled with tips for minimizing waste and modernizing your meat shop.
Why You Need a Meat Shop Inventory System
The main challenge for meat shop owners is perishable inventory. You’re constantly looking for balance — the right cuts of meat available when your customers need them without over-ordering and risking spoilage.
Spoilage and waste don’t just eat into your profits — they’re also bad for the environment. And as the food industry continues to implement sustainable practices, it’s on store owners to reduce waste.
A meat shop inventory system can aid your efforts.
You can closely track stock levels and sales data, and use that information to make better purchasing decisions. You’ll identify which cuts sell well and which aren’t so popular, discover trends and seasonal fluctuations, and ensure you always have the right amount of stock on hand.
Not only will you reduce waste — but you’ll also free up time to provide excellent customer service and grow your customer base, confident in the knowledge that your inventory is under control. Let’s get into our top tips for reducing waste.
1. Implement a First In, First Out Policy
The first in, first out (FIFO) system is based on a simple principle: the first items placed in inventory should be the first ones sold. In other words, sell your oldest stock first so that no product sits on your shelves for too long.
Implementing FIFO in your meat shop inventory system is relatively simple:
- Label your products clearly with the date they were received or prepared so you can identify which products need to be sold first.
- Organize your refrigerators and storage areas so that the oldest products are always at the front and easily accessible. This will help your staff follow the FIFO system and ensure that no products get lost in the back of the fridge.
- Train your staff on the importance of following the FIFO system and make it a key part of your standard operating procedures. Regularly check in to ensure that everyone is following the system correctly.
- Use inventory management software to track your stock levels and monitor which products are getting close to their expiration date. Then, make informed decisions about pricing and promotions to move older stock quickly.
This tip alone will help reduce waste — but only if your whole team pulls in the same direction and follows the procedures.
2. Sell Products by Weight and Use a Nose to Tail Approach
“Nose to tail” butchery is a rising trend for its environmental and financial benefits.
This approach allows you to use every part of the animal, from popular prime cuts to the offal and trim. You can even sell bones for homemade broths. Getting creative can reduce waste and boost profits.
The best way to sell these unique products is by weight. You can leverage a point of sale (POS) system with an integrated scale and printer to portion out and sell every last bit of your stock and monitor your inventory levels down to the last ounce.
Along with implementing a system to track and sell these products by weight, you also need to educate your customers on the value of less popular cuts. If they’re unfamiliar with uncommon cuts, they might not know how to prepare them.
To inspire your customers to embrace the nose to tail philosophy, consider partnering with a local chef to host a cooking class demonstrating the best techniques for turning unpopular cuts of meat into a delicious meal.
3. Invest in a Powerful Meat Shop POS System
The right POS system can be your most valuable ally on your mission to implement an effective meat shop inventory system. This tool provides real-time insights into your stock levels, empowering you to take action when you’re at risk of overstocking or running out of a certain product.
For instance, if your POS system’s inventory reports show that you have more ground beef on hand than is expected to sell, you can pivot and prevent waste by offering a discount.
Let’s look at some essential features to look for in an inventory management-focused meat shop POS:
- Real-time inventory monitoring eliminates the need for slow and inaccurate manual stock counts and allows you to see an overview of your stock levels from anywhere, at any time.
- Scale integration enables you to keep spot-on records of your inventory and utilize your stock down to the last ounce. Choosing an integrated scale with a printer also streamlines your butchers’ processes and makes checkout easier for your customers and cashiers.
- Shrinkage monitoring helps you determine how waste impacts your shop’s bottom line.
- Reporting and analytics allow you to identify trends in your meat shop’s sales, your bestselling products, and your lowest-selling cuts. Equipped with this data, you can optimize your inventory and only sell what your customers want.
Relying on a POS solution with these features makes managing your inventory and minimizing shrink effortless. It also ensures your customers’ favorite products never run out of stock.
4. Train Your Staff on Waste Reduction Best Practices
The success of your meat shop inventory system depends on your team’s understanding of best practices for storing and handling perishable products like meat.
After deciding which approaches you plan to implement in your meat shop, plan a business-wide training session to get your team members up to speed on how you plan to minimize waste and protect your bottom line.
Make sure each of your employees understands how to comply with a FIFO approach, educate customers about the value of nose to tail butchery, and use your shop’s POS system to maintain impeccable inventory records.
This training shouldn’t be a one-and-done event. Instead, plan to hold regular training sessions to make sure everyone on your staff is on the same page about your shop’s meat inventory management approach.
Pair Your Meat Shop Inventory System With IT Retail To Minimize Waste
Ready to put these strategies to work to improve your meat shop inventory system, minimize waste, and boost your business’ bottom line?
Then you need the help of a powerful POS solution like IT Retail. Designed with small businesses like yours in mind, IT Retail offers a full range of features like perishable inventory management, insightful reporting and analytics, and convenient scale integration all wrapped up in a user-friendly package.
Get the full scoop on IT Retail’s meat inventory management capabilities by scheduling your personalized demo today.
