Waste Less, Earn More: How Odoo’s Expiry Alerts Can Save Your Business Money
🍏 The Rotten Truth: A Story of Wasted Profits
Imagine this: You run a small grocery store, and every month, you toss out hundreds of dollars worth of expired milk, bread, and canned goods. Or perhaps you manage a pharmacy, and expired medications end up in the trash instead of helping patients. These losses add up—not just in wasted products but in missed sales and frustrated customers.
What if you could get a smart alert before items expire, giving you time to discount, donate, or use them? That’s exactly what Odoo’s Expiry Alerts do.
In this article, we’ll explore:
✅ How expiry tracking works in Odoo
✅ Industries that benefit the most (food, pharma, cosmetics, etc.)
✅ Real-world savings from reducing waste
✅ Simple steps to enable expiry alerts
By the end, you’ll see how a small tweak in your inventory system can boost profits and sustainability.
📅 How Odoo’s Expiry Alerts Work
Odoo’s expiry tracking feature lets you:
- Set Expiry Dates – Assign "use by" or "best before" dates to products.
- Automate Alerts – Get notifications (email, in-app, or SMS) before items expire.
- Take Action – Sell, donate, or use stock before it’s too late.
Who Needs This?
✔ Food & Beverage – Restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries
✔ Pharmaceuticals – Clinics, pharmacies, hospitals
✔ Beauty & Cosmetics – Skincare, haircare, supplements
✔ Any Business with Perishables – Even raw materials in manufacturing
💰 3 Ways Expiry Alerts Save You Money
1. Reduce Shrinkage (Less Waste = More Profit)
- A café using expiry alerts cut milk waste by 40% by making "last-day" smoothie specials.
- A pharmacy avoided $3,000/month in expired meds by selling soon-to-expire stock at a discount.
2. Improve Customer Trust
- No more selling stale products by accident.
- Customers appreciate freshness guarantees.
3. Tax & Donation Benefits
- Donating near-expiry goods? Some regions offer tax deductions.
- Example: A bakery donated day-old bread to shelters, gaining community goodwill.
🛠 How to Enable Expiry Tracking in Odoo (3 Steps)
- Go to Inventory Settings → Enable "Expiration Dates."
- Assign Dates to Products – Manually or via bulk import.
- Set Up Alerts – Choose how (email, pop-up) and when (e.g., "7 days before expiry").
💡 Pro Tip: Pair this with Odoo’s barcode scanning for faster expiry checks!
🤔 How Much Could YOU Save?
Think about:
- How much do you lose monthly on expired stock?
- Could discounts or donations turn waste into revenue?
Action Step: Enable expiry tracking today—Odoo’s free trial lets you test it risk-free.
"The best profit is the one you save from the trash."
🔥 Final Thought
Waste is a silent profit killer. With Odoo’s expiry alerts, you turn countdowns into opportunities. Will your next alert save you $100 or $10,000?
Have you struggled with expired inventory? Share your story below! 👇