Zero waste stores stock on items that are in high demand such as pasta, spices rice and nuts including cleaning detergents and cosmetics sometimes. Zero waste stores may be smaller than supermarkets but it is important that there is legit and effective stock control of the products. Stock control also known as inventory management is aimed at reducing the cost of stocks being held; while also making sure that there is enough product and most importantly that the needs of your consumer are met. In addition to this, stock control is important because it:
- Improves the customers experience
- Minimizes the inventory costs
- Stops spoilage
- Puts an ease on the supply chain management
The type of stock influences how much you should keep. Stock can be categorized according to its value.
How businesses keep track of their stock levels:
Quality control is a very important aspect of Stock control. This is because the food or products sold in the refill stores need to be safe for the customers to use and need to remain at an optimal level. Zero waste stores are doing an excellent job when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint or plastic waste but the customer experience, hygiene and safety should never be compromised. There are various methods used by businesses to track stocks, namely:
- Just in Time
- Stock Review
- Minimum Stock level
For businesses with a variety of stocks a computarized stock control system or software for inventory management is recommended.
Smartfill IoT Dispenser:
Smartfill continues to thrive with it’s aim to provide affordable food and reduce plastic waste. Marc Wetselaar, COO of Smartfill expresses that they hope to see the day when brands no longer sell packaged nuts, grains and powders in sizes under 1kg. The Smartfill iOT dispensers are said to be linked to their proprietary Smartfill platform and this provides telemetry data like transactions and also stock levels. Smartfill provides a single unit that controls a single unit that manages numerous formats of solids and a distinct design that supports liquids. With the technology infrastructure and data, offered by Smartfill, that supersede packaged goods managers are able to view any technical issues across all their dispensers from their central dashboard and also see their current status. This all makes management easier.