It is worth testing a new product category in an existing store with the smallest trial that lets you assess your assumption about demand. Before buying, write down who needs the product, the price you plan to offer it at, and what results would lead you to continue selling it.
Set a budget limit, choose a date to review the results, and keep a separate list of trial items. Decide on the next batch based on the test results: continue selling, change the offer, or end the test. There is no universal number of products or test duration; set them for your own test and purchasing terms.
Gather customer requests and form a hypothesis
You can collect customer information through surveys, feedback, and sales analysis. For an initial check, choose methods available to you: review enquiries to the store, ask sales staff to record requests for unavailable products, and ask customers a few specific questions.
- What task is the customer looking for a product to solve?
- What are they using now, and what do they want to change?
- What features do they need to make a choice?
- What price are they willing to consider?
Record answers separately from your own assumptions. Verify expressed interest through subsequent sales of the trial batch. Form one clear hypothesis: “Customers at our store will buy this product category for a specific need at the proposed price.”
Do not include every available option in the first order. Choose items that can test your hypothesis. For other models, colours, or sizes, first write down which separate request they are intended to test.
Clarify costs and the minimum order
Ask the supplier for the unit price, delivery cost, and any additional charges. Separately, confirm the minimum order quantity—the smallest quantity the supplier agrees to accept in one order.
Compare this quantity with the planned test size. If the supplier offers only a larger batch, try to agree on a smaller order or consider another supplier. Do not automatically increase the budget just to meet a purchasing requirement.
Before confirming the order, list the costs: products, delivery, additional supplier charges, and planned costs for presenting the new category. Confirm the delivery time and whether you can reorder. Record these terms alongside the budget so you can take them into account when deciding whether to continue.
Set criteria before sales begin
Define a clear hypothesis and success criteria in advance. For your test, set the number of sales, acceptable remaining stock, spending limit, and review date. These are your test conditions; do not use them as universal benchmarks for other stores.
| What to record | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| List of items and quantity purchased | Define the contents of the trial batch |
| Price and every price change | Assess the conditions under which sales took place |
| Number of sales, returns, and remaining stock | Track the movement of each item |
| Actual costs and revenue received | Compare the result with the plan |
| Customer questions and comments | Decide what to check in the next test |
Assign someone to keep the records. If you change the price, product placement, or how the product is presented, note the date of the change. When evaluating results, consider sales before and after it separately.
Illustrative example of a trial batch
Suppose a home goods store is testing a new category of organisers. All figures below are illustrative. The owner buys 20 units at UAH 200 each. Delivery costs UAH 400. The total purchase cost including delivery is: 20 × 200 + 400 = UAH 4,400.
The selling price is UAH 350. The owner sets a condition in advance for considering a reorder: sell at least 15 units within four weeks without lowering the price. At the end of the period, 12 units have been sold and 8 remain. Revenue is 12 × 350 = UAH 4,200.
The sales quantity condition was not met. The owner reviews customer records and decides whether to test a different offer or end the test. This calculation includes only the purchase, delivery, and revenue. To assess the financial result, add the remaining actual costs and account separately for unsold goods.
How to check remaining stock in Torgsoft
When evaluating the test, check how much stock remained on the date you selected. In the Torgsoft report «Аналіз реалізації за видами товару» (sales analysis by product type), the column labelled «К-сть залишку» (remaining quantity) shows the remaining quantity on the date set in the filter labelled «Період» (period).
Select the date on which you are evaluating the test and use this indicator to check remaining stock. Compare it with your list of trial products and records of their movement.
Do not draw a separate conclusion about profitability or the reasons for demand from the remaining quantity alone. To decide on the next order, also consider sales, costs, offer conditions, and customer comments.
Decide on the next order
On the date you set, compare actual results with the initial criteria. Consider three possible actions:
- Continue. If the agreed criteria have been met, define the contents and budget of the next order.
- Change the offer. Form a new hypothesis, change the condition you have chosen, and schedule the next test.
- End the test. Stop placing new orders for this category and plan separately how to handle the remaining stock.
Record the decision and the data it is based on. Before reordering, confirm the purchase price, delivery cost, and minimum batch quantity again.
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