Wall Street Journal discusses different ways to deal with excess holiday merchandise.

  1. Sell via consignment stores – What are consignment stores? These are stores that will hold your inventory for you and sell it at a lower price. They take a percentage of the sales revenue. You still own the inventory and therefore you do not get to cash out until your products are sold. ConsignmentShops.com is a good resource to find such outfits for your excess merchandise.
  2. Sell to liquidators – They will buy your inventory in bulk, but often pay less than the wholesale price. However, you no longer own the inventory and therefore you get out to cash out early on. Depending on your cash needs, liquidation may be a more suitable route for you than the consignment route. Liquidation.com is a good resource to find liquidators for your excess inventory.
  3. Sell via online marketplaces – This can be a great route to get rid of inventory, if you are willing to sell at very low prices. You can list your excess inventory on Craigslist, eBay and Overstock.com
  4. Donate to charity – In most cases, you can claim a good amount of tax write-offs via donations to charity. Talk to your accountant to ensure that you are making the best out of your donations.