färdigvarasvinn

Färdigvarasvinn is a term used in Swedish logistics and retail to describe waste and losses tied to finished goods—products that have completed production or procurement and are intended for sale but cannot be sold as planned. It covers spoilage, damage, obsolescence, faulty packaging, and write-offs of unsellable finished goods, as well as returns that cannot be resold. The concept distinguishes finished goods waste from losses related to raw materials or production scraps.

Causes of färdigvarasvinn include forecast inaccuracies that lead to overstock, quality issues identified after packaging, mishandling or damage during transport, improper storage conditions for perishable items, and items reaching their expiration date or being recalled. It can also arise from obsolete inventory or failed recalls where finished goods become unsellable.

Financial measurement and impact are typical concerns: färdigvarasvinn is often tracked as part of inventory shrinkage or waste, and recorded as a cost of goods sold or a separate write-off. The rate is usually expressed as the value of unsellable finished goods relative to total finished goods handled in a period.

Management strategies focus on reduction and recovery. Approaches include improved demand forecasting and replenishment, tighter quality control, better handling and packaging, and inventory strategies like first-expire-first-out for perishables. Collaboration with suppliers for returns or credits, dynamic pricing to move near-expiry stock, and salvage options such as donations or recycling are common. In Sweden and the EU, reducing food waste is a priority, and many retailers implement donation programs for near-expiry items within legal and safety frameworks.