Assortment breadth and depth
Compare the number of choices with inventory depth and observed sales. Look for overlapping styles, fragmented variants and gaps within commercially important groups.
Analytics & advisory
Merchandising Analytics Consulting
Evaluate which products earn space, stock and attention in the assortment. Elarva connects SKU performance, category mix and inventory evidence to buying and merchandising decisions.
Review the assortment as a set of commercial choices.
A long tail of products is not automatically a weak assortment, and a best seller is not automatically the next buying priority. Products can play different roles: repeat purchase, entry price point, complementary range, seasonal relevance or brand expression. Merchandising analytics examines those roles alongside observed performance.
This service is particularly relevant when a retailer or product brand is planning a category review, changing assortment breadth, reviewing stock depth or preparing a buy. Elarva helps distinguish evidence for a product action from an assumption that still needs testing. Recommendations reflect commercial objectives and available data.
Connect product mix with the decisions it should support.
Category and SKU productivity
Examine contribution, unit movement, sell-through and stock investment. Compare products at similar lifecycle stages and account for periods when they were unavailable.
Price points and markdown signals
Where price, discount, return and cost data permit, compare realized selling prices and gross-margin contribution. A promotional sales increase does not by itself prove incremental demand.
The next assortment decision
Prioritize products to retain, replenish, test, review or exit. Make constraints such as supplier commitments, minimum orders and seasonal timing explicit.
Use comparable products and consistent definitions.
The analysis begins with the product hierarchy: SKU, variant, style, collection and category. Misclassified products, changed SKU codes and inconsistent bundles can distort rankings. Elarva checks how sales, returns, discounts and stock relate to the same products and time periods before interpreting performance.
A SKU with low unit sales may still be commercially meaningful if its price point, margin contribution or assortment role is distinct. Conversely, high revenue does not settle an assortment decision when returns, heavy discounting or stock investment change the picture. Cost and margin conclusions are made only when the supporting data are available.
See the SKU performance analysis guide for a practical explanation of the measures and their limitations.
Bring product context alongside the exports.
Relevant inputs include sales and return lines, SKU attributes, category assignments, units on hand and prices. Product cost, receipt history, launch dates, promotion periods and purchase orders can improve interpretation. Fashion analysis may use size, color and season; jewelry analysis may use material, collection and price tier.
Management context matters too. A product may be retained to support a collection even when its recent unit contribution is modest. Analysis should make the cost and evidence behind that choice visible rather than disguise it as a universal optimization rule.
Turn the review into an actionable assortment brief.
Elarva develops prioritized product and category findings, the implications for assortment and inventory, and recommended decision options. The brief identifies where the data support action, where more information is needed, and which conditions should trigger another review.
Work follows the decision-first analytical approach. The Product & Inventory Decision Audit provides deeper product and inventory analysis, prioritized recommendations and a 30/60/90-day action plan. A narrower question can begin with an Insight Review; scope is confirmed before payment.
Continue with the question that matters to you
Start with your decision
Bring evidence to your next assortment review.
Share the category, product or buying question you need to resolve and the information currently available.