Never Sold Products Documentation¶
Menu Location: Products > Never Sold Products
Access Level: Manager / Administrator
Last Updated: 2026-03-01
Overview¶
The Never Sold Products report identifies all active, permanent products that have never been sold. This helps you identify dead inventory, products that need promotion, or items to discontinue. The report focuses on permanent addons (type = 1) and shows creation dates to help assess how long products have been available without selling.
Primary Functions:
- Identify products with zero sales
- View product creation/first availability dates
- Calculate how old unsold products are (days old)
- Export list for review and action
- Link directly to product editing
- Clean up product catalog
Page Layout¶
Header Section¶
- Slow Moving Products Button: Links to related report (top right)
- Page Title: "Products > Never Sold Products"
- Info Alert: Explains report shows active permanent products never sold
Main Content Area¶
Sortable, searchable DataTable with columns:
- Menu ID (clickable link to edit)
- Name
- Retail Price
- Sold (quantity - always 0 for this report)
- Created (date)
- Human-readable time ago
- Days Old (numerical)
Report Data & Columns¶
| Column | Description | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Menu ID | Product identifier with edit link | menu.id linked to add-product.php |
| Name | Product name | product_classification.name |
| Retail | Retail price | menu.retail_price |
| Sold | Total quantity ever sold | Always 0 (filtered) |
| Created | Date product first available | product_classification.prod_create_date |
| Human Time | Friendly time since creation | humanTiming() function |
| Days Old | Exact days since creation | (today - created) / 86400 |
Filtering:
- Only permanent products (menu.permanent = 1)
- Only active products (menu.status = 1)
- Only products with zero sales (total_sold = 0)
- Ordered by Menu ID ascending (oldest IDs first)
Creation Date Logic: System automatically estimates creation date from first appearance in orders or menu system.
Common Use Cases¶
Use Case 1: Quarterly Product Catalog Cleanup¶
Goal: Identify and remove products that never gained traction
Steps:
- Navigate to Products > Never Sold Products
- Sort by "Days Old" column (click header)
- Identify products over 90 days old
- For each old product:
- Click Menu ID to view product details
- Evaluate: niche item, poor description, or truly unwanted?
- Decide: improve marketing, discount, or discontinue
- Export CSV for team review
Decision Criteria:
- 0-30 days: Too early to judge, keep
- 30-90 days: Consider promotion/featured placement
- 90+ days: Strong candidate for discontinuation
- 180+ days: Likely should be removed unless strategic
Use Case 2: New Product Launch Review¶
Goal: Check which recently added products aren't selling
Steps:
- Run report
- Sort by "Created" date (most recent first)
- Look at products created in last 30-60 days
- Compare to marketing efforts
- Boost promotion for zero-sale new products
Analysis: If new products show zero sales within 2-4 weeks, investigate:
- Is product visible on website?
- Does description clearly explain benefits?
- Is price competitive?
- Is it featured/promoted?
Use Case 3: Inventory Cost Reduction¶
Goal: Reduce inventory costs by discontinuing slow movers
Steps:
- Export CSV
- Add column for inventory cost (wholesale × units on hand)
- Sort by total inventory value
- Focus on high-value, never-sold items first
- Discontinue or liquidate
Impact: Removing never-sold products frees up:
- Warehouse space
- Working capital
- Administrative overhead
- Catalog clutter
Use Case 4: Marketing Campaign Planning¶
Goal: Create promotion for underperforming products
Steps:
- Run report
- Filter to products under 180 days old (still viable)
- Export list
- Create targeted email campaign: "Try These Hidden Gems"
- Track if promotion generates first sales
- Discontinue if still zero sales after campaign
Use Case 5: Product Database Audit¶
Goal: Verify product data accuracy and cleanup errors
Steps:
- Run report
- Click through Menu IDs
- Check each product for:
- Proper name and description
- Correct pricing
- Accurate inventory levels
- Proper categorization
- Fix issues that might prevent sales (e.g., $0 price, no image)
Export & Download Options¶
Export Format:
- CSV: Click "csv" button in table controls
CSV Contents:
- All columns from visible table
- All rows (not just current page)
- Useful for offline analysis and team sharing
Troubleshooting¶
Issue: Product Shows as Never Sold But I Know It Sold¶
Check:
- Verify sale was completed (not cancelled order)
- Confirm sale was for add-on (type = 1), not menu item
- Check if multiple menu items exist for same product classification
- Verify order wasn't voided after sale
Database Sync: Report uses aggregated data; very recent sales (last hour) might not appear until cache clears.
Issue: Many Products Show Blank "Created" Date¶
Cause: Older products may not have prod_create_date populated
Solution: System can backfill dates from historical order data (Kiva admin function). Most newer products have accurate dates.
Issue: Product Should Be Removed But Appears Active¶
Check:
- Verify product status is actually 1 (active)
- Confirm permanent flag is set
- Check if someone reactivated it recently
To Remove: Click Menu ID, change status to inactive or delete product.
Best Practices¶
Review Frequency¶
- Monthly: Quick scan for new problems
- Quarterly: Deep review with action plan
- Annually: Major catalog cleanup
Decision Framework¶
Keep if:
- Seasonal item (hasn't been in season yet)
- Niche/special request item (low volume expected)
- Recently added (< 30 days)
- Part of complete product line
Promote if:
- Good product but poor visibility
- Competitive pricing
- Complementary to popular items
- 30-90 days old
Discontinue if:
- 180+ days with zero sales
- High inventory cost
- Better alternatives available
- Supplier discontinued
Things to Avoid¶
- ❌ Immediately discontinuing new products (give 60-90 days)
- ❌ Keeping dead inventory for nostalgia
- ❌ Ignoring warehouse/inventory costs
- ❌ Not communicating discontinuations to sales team
Quick Reference Card¶
| Task | Action |
|---|---|
| Find oldest unsold products | Sort "Days Old" descending |
| Check recent additions | Sort "Created" descending |
| Review specific product | Click Menu ID number |
| Export for team review | Click CSV button |
| See related slow movers | Click "Slow Moving Products" button |
| Quick count of problem products | Check table "Showing X of Y entries" |
Related Pages¶
- Slow Moving Products (
slow-moving-products.php) - Products with low sales velocity - Product Edit (
add-product.php) - Edit/discontinue products (linked from Menu ID) - Product Classifications (
product_classifications_active.php) - Manage product categories
Typical Workflow:
- Never Sold Products → Identify products → Click Menu ID → Edit/Discontinue
FAQs¶
What's the difference between "Never Sold" and "Slow Moving"?¶
Never Sold = zero sales ever. Slow Moving = some sales but very few in recent period.
How far back does "Created" date go?¶
System estimates from earliest order appearance or menu addition. Accuracy varies by product age.
Should I delete or deactivate never-sold products?¶
Recommend deactivating first (status = 0). Can reactivate if needed. Delete only if certain you'll never offer again.
Why do some permanent products sell and others don't?¶
Common factors: visibility (featured placement), description quality, pricing, product demand, seasonal relevance.
Can customers see never-sold products?¶
Yes, if they're active and permanent. They appear in your product catalog. That's the problem - they're taking up space without generating revenue.
How does this help my business?¶
Reduces inventory costs, improves catalog quality, focuses marketing on viable products, frees resources for winners.
End of Documentation
For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.