Shelf life isn't a date.
It's a spectrum.
Most inventory software treats expiry as binary: expired or not. But between “just received” and “in the bin,” there are four distinct product states — and each one requires different handling. The money is in managing the transitions.
Four states, four different actions
Full price. Normal shelf position. No action needed. Just sell.
Approaching alert threshold. Move to front of shelf (FEFO handles POS automatically). Consider early markdown for slow movers.
Within clearance window. Markdown applied (AI-suggested or manual). Bundling eligible. Prominent shelf placement.
Past date. Auto-blocked from sale (POS won't ring it up). Return to vendor, donate, or dispose. Documented for compliance.
Transition thresholds are configurable per category. Medicines get longer windows. Bread gets shorter ones.
Every state transition triggers the right action
When a product moves from FRESH to NEAR_EXPIRY, three things happen automatically: (1) The expiry alert includes it in tomorrow's report with value at risk. (2) FEFO priority increases — this batch sells before any fresher batch. (3) If velocity suggests it won't sell in time, the markdown engine suggests a discount. You don't configure this per product. You set category rules once (“dairy clearance starts at 3 days, medicines at 30 days”) and the system handles the rest.
- Expiry alert includes it in tomorrow’s value-at-risk report
- FEFO priority increases — this batch sells before any fresher batch
- If velocity suggests it won’t sell in time, markdown engine suggests a discount
- Tiered markdown automatically applied based on days-to-expiry
- Product flagged for bundling with complementary items
- Staff notification to move stock to high-visibility shelf position
- POS blocks product from sale — cashier physically cannot ring it up
- System generates disposal/donation/return documentation
- Compliance record created with timestamps and batch details
Hours, days, weeks, months, years — same system
Hours
Fresh bread, prepared food, cut fruit. Expires at 6 PM, not “today.” Markdown triggers at 2 PM, not “when someone remembers.”
Days
Dairy, meat, opened medications. 3-day, 7-day, 14-day windows. Most perishable grocery falls here.
Weeks
Fresh produce, some dairy, bakery items with preservatives. 2-4 week shelf life.
Months
Packaged foods, OTC medicines, beverages. 3-12 month tracking with 90/60/30 day alerts.
Years
Prescription medicines, canned goods, supplements. 1-5 year shelf life. Annual review cycles.
The markdown ladder that protects your margins
Manual markdowns have two failure modes: too late (product expires at full price) or too deep (you give away margin you didn't need to). ShelfLifePro's tiered markdown system applies graduated discounts based on days-to-expiry and sales velocity.
Small nudge. Enough to increase velocity.
Meaningful discount. Moved to front shelf.
Clearance pricing. Still above cost.
Last chance. Better than 100% loss.
These tiers are defaults. You customize by category. Medicines might start markdowns at 60 days. Bread at 12 hours.
One system for every shelf in the store
Dairy & Refrigerated
Hour/day tracking. Tiered markdowns starting at 3 days. Temperature-linked shelf life (breaks reduce remaining life).
Bakery & Fresh
Same-day tracking. Automatic end-of-day clearance pricing. Day-old/yesterday's fresh counter support.
Packaged Goods
Month-level tracking. 90/60/30 day alert windows. FEFO at POS for batch rotation.
Pharmacy / Medicines
Regulatory shelf life rules. No markdowns on controlled substances. Return window tracking. Beyond-use dating for compounding.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about shelf life management
Shelf life management that handles the math you shouldn't have to
Start your free trial. Configure your categories once, and let the system manage every transition.