Use evidence to retire SKUs that drain profit and focus the line on what shoppers value. This quiz tests triggers, cross‑functional steps and proofs that make rationalization accretive.
Which signal most consistently triggers sunset consideration for a legacy SKU?
One retailer requesting extra facings
Recent packaging update
High social media mentions regardless of sales
Negative contribution after complexity costs or persistently low velocity vs. portfolio thresholds
What is the first step in a structured SKU sunset plan?
Announce the end of life on social media
Discount all inventory immediately
Switch factories without a plan
Decide the retirement case with SKU‑level economics and a consumer‑centric rationale
Which cross‑functional alignment avoids channel conflict during a sunset?
Coordinating last‑order dates, sell‑through incentives, and replacement assortment with key accounts
Only notifying PR teams
Cutting production without informing supply chain
Letting each market pick its own dates independently
Which evidence convinces stakeholders that a sunset is value‑accretive?
Internal votes about brand heritage
Forecasts showing higher portfolio margin and simplified operations post‑retirement
Anecdotes from one store
Design awards for the packaging
A best practice for migrating loyal buyers off a retiring SKU is to ______.
hide the change to avoid attention
map attribute equivalence and signpost a replacement with offers or bundles
drop the price permanently on all other SKUs
leave shelves empty to force trading up
What inventory tactic reduces write‑offs near end‑of‑life?
Raising price sharply to deter purchases
Bulk returns of unsold stock without a plan
Halting all shipments immediately
Phased production ramp‑down with targeted markdowns tied to store‑level velocity
Which metric pair strengthens a sunset decision?
Gross revenue only and total followers
True contribution margin by SKU and measured cost‑to‑serve/complexity
Impressions and coupon downloads
Headcount and number of SKUs
When should a sunset be delayed?
When packaging film stock is low
When brand mentions dip for a week
When the SKU anchors a key account’s set and removal risks losing shelf space
When one region has a surplus of shelf tags
Which communication reduces consumer confusion during a sunset?
No in‑store messaging at all
Technical spec sheets posted online only
Only a corporate press release
Side‑by‑side shelf cards that point to the successor SKU and explain changes briefly
What post‑sunset check confirms the decision created value?
Ad recall scores rose temporarily
Awards for sustainability messaging
One store’s traffic increased
Net portfolio sales/margin improved controlling for seasonality and distribution
Starter
You see when to prune; sharpen SKU‑level economics and migration playbooks.
Solid
Good on triggers and run‑out; strengthen retailer alignment and portfolio proofs.
Expert!
You design consumer‑centric sunsets that lift margin and simplify operations.
