Checklist template

Unsaleables and damage audit for consumer goods

A ready-to-use checklist with 111 items in 6 sections, covering Damages, Expired, Causes, Credits, Disposal, Prevention. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 111 Items
  • 80 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 110 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Damages 20 items

  1. The store holds damaged company product in one marked area of the back room, apart from saleable stock Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Damaged product is kept in totes or banana boxes, not loose on the floor Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Each damaged unit set aside is a company product, with no other suppliers' items mixed in Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Every unit in the damaged area is truly unsaleable: none has only a scuffed outer sleeve or a dirty label Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Damaged units still carry a readable barcode or item number Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Multipacks with one damaged unit have been reworked or sold as singles where company policy allows it, not written off whole Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No sealed, undamaged cases are in the unsaleables area Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Leaking units are bagged so that they do not ruin the product around them Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The store records each damaged unit when it is pulled from sale (scan or damage log), not only at pickup Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No damaged unit shows signs of deliberate damage, such as a clean cut on an otherwise intact pack Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No damaged company product is on the shelf or on displays in the aisles checked Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Shipping cases in the back room are stacked no higher than the limit printed on the case Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Heavy cases are not stacked on top of company product in the back room Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Damaged pallets or shipping cases found at receiving were noted on the delivery paperwork Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Damaged units of company product counted in the unsaleables area Number
  16. Of these, units judged saleable and returned to stock during the audit Number
  17. Units damaged by box-cutter cuts Number
  18. Units crushed, dented or broken Number
  19. Main type of damage found Choice
    • Crushed or dented
    • Cut by box cutter
    • Leaking or broken seal
    • Torn or soiled packaging
    • Wet or temperature damage
  20. Sorting of damaged product by the store Rating
    • Separated, identified and truly unsaleable 5 pts
    • Separated, but saleable units mixed in 3 pts
    • Not separated or not identifiable 1 pt

2. Expired 18 items

  1. No company product past its date was found on the shelf in the aisles checked Yes / No 1 pt
  2. No company product past its date was found on promotional displays Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Back-room stock of company product is within its date Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Expired product pulled from the shelf is held apart from damaged product so the two can be counted separately Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Each unit set aside as expired carries a date that has passed, with no in-date product among them Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Expired units in the unsaleables area all expired since the last pickup or credit, with no older product held back Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Product inside the pull window set by company policy has been marked down or moved to a clearance location Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Date codes on the cases examined are readable without a decoding chart, or the chart is at hand Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Seasonal and limited-edition items left after their season are in the unsaleables area only if the agreement covers them Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Discontinued items were marked down for sale before any were sent to unsaleables Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The quantity on hand of each of the 3 slowest items is no more than one shipping case Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Expired units found come from a known event (failed promotion, lost distribution, over-order) that the store could name Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Units past their date found on the shelf Number
  14. Units past their date held in the unsaleables area Number
  15. Units inside the pull window still on the shelf at full price Number
  16. Oldest date found on company product in the store Date
  17. Item with the most expired units Short text
  18. Control of dates on company product in the store Rating
    • No expired product and rotation in order 5 pts
    • A few expired units or rotation lapses 3 pts
    • Expired product widespread 1 pt

3. Causes 20 items

  1. Largest source of unsaleables in this store Choice
    • Expired or out of code
    • Damaged in the store
    • Damaged in transit
    • Discontinued or seasonal leftovers
    • Customer returns
  2. Shelf stockers use safety cutters with a guarded or recessed blade Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Cases are opened along the perforation or tear strip where the case has one Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Shelf facings are not overfilled so that units are forced or fall when shoppers pull one Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Shelf dividers, pushers or fences are in place for unstable packages (pouches, bags, tall bottles) Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Glass and other fragile items are shelved below shoulder height Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Overstock is not stored on the top shelf above its facing in a way that lets it fall Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Display shippers and pallets on the floor are protected from cart and pallet-jack traffic Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Shrink wrap and corner boards were intact on the last company pallet received, per the receiving record or the receiver Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Mixed pallets received had heavy cases at the bottom and light cases on top Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The order quantity of the 3 items with the most expired units is no more than the units sold between two deliveries Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The last promotion's leftover stock was sold through or moved before its date Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Shelf capacity of the items sampled holds at least one full case plus the minimum on shelf, so partial cases do not sit in the back room Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Product is not stored next to the dock door, the compactor or a floor drain where it can get wet Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Heat-sensitive product (chocolate, gummies, aerosols) is stored away from heaters and sunlit windows Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Customer returns of company product are checked for resale before they are sent to unsaleables Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Units judged damaged before arrival at the store Number
  18. Units judged damaged in the store Number
  19. Units unsaleable because of the date Number
  20. Stocking and storage practices seen in the company's aisles and back-room location Rating
    • Product is protected at every step seen 5 pts
    • One or two practices that cause damage 3 pts
    • Rough handling or exposed storage throughout 1 pt

4. Credits 18 items

  1. How this account is compensated for unsaleables Choice
    • Allowance off invoice, no returns
    • Credit per unit through a reclaim center
    • Credit issued by the sales representative in store
    • Swell allowance plus exceptions
  2. The compensation method in use at the store matches the account's unsaleables agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Under an allowance agreement, the store is not also asking for unit credits on the same product Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each unit claimed for credit was scanned or listed by item number Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The quantity on the last credit request matches the count made by the representative or the reclaim center Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Units claimed are valued at the price in the agreement, not at shelf retail Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Product not covered by the agreement (store-caused damage, stolen or empty packages, product past the claim period) was excluded from the last claim Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Empty packages and units with missing contents were not claimed as damages Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Units claimed last time are no longer in the store Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No unit in the unsaleables area carries a mark showing it was already credited Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Credit requests are signed by a store manager or receiver, not only by the person who prepared them Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The store keeps a copy of each credit request for the period set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Unsaleables claimed in the last 3 months are within the rate allowed by the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Units claimed for credit on the last request Number
  15. Units counted by the auditor for the same request Number
  16. Value of the last credit request (dollars) Number
  17. Date of the last credit request Date
  18. Accuracy of the store's credit claims Rating
    • Counts and prices match 5 pts
    • Small differences explained 3 pts
    • Differences unexplained or product not covered claimed 1 pt

5. Disposal 17 items

  1. Disposal route used for company unsaleables Choice
    • Destroyed in store
    • Sent to a reclaim center
    • Donated
    • Picked up by the representative
  2. The disposal route used matches the instructions in the account's unsaleables agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Product was counted and recorded before it was destroyed or shipped out Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Product credited by the representative is marked or defaced so it cannot be claimed again Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Destruction in the store is witnessed by a second person who signs the record Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Destroyed product goes into the compactor or a locked bin, not an open dumpster Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Product that the company wants returned for quality investigation is held and labeled with the complaint or lot reference Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Product under a recall or withdrawal is kept separate from routine unsaleables Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Donated product meets the company's donation rules: within its date and with its seal intact Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The food bank or charity receiving donations is one approved by the retailer or the company Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A donation receipt listing the items and quantities is on file for the last donation Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Aerosols, cleaners and other hazardous household products are disposed of through the store's hazardous waste program Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Totes sent to the reclaim center are sealed and labeled with the store number Yes / No 1 pt
  14. No unsaleable company product was found in the staff room, at the service desk or set aside for employees Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The unsaleables area was emptied within the cycle set by the retailer, with no product older than that cycle Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Date the unsaleables area was last cleared Date
  17. Control over the disposal of company unsaleables Rating
    • Counted, recorded and witnessed 5 pts
    • Recorded, but not witnessed or not defaced 3 pts
    • No record of what left the store 1 pt

6. Prevention 18 items

  1. The store received the unsaleables findings of the previous audit Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Actions agreed at the previous audit have been carried out Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The store manager could state the store's unsaleables rate on company product or its trend Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Stockers working the company's aisles have been shown how to open its cases without cutting the product Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Display-ready cases are used as designed, with the tray left on the shelf Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A rotation check of company product is part of the stocker's or the merchandiser's routine on each visit Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Short-dated product is reported to the representative early enough to arrange a markdown or a transfer Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Standing order quantities were reviewed with the store after the last promotion Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Items with repeated expiry have had their facings or order minimums reduced Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Packaging defects seen repeatedly (weak seals, collapsing cases, loose caps) were reported to the company with photos Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Damage found at receiving was photographed before the pallet was broken down Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The receiver refuses or notes visibly damaged cases instead of accepting them into stock Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The back-room location for company overstock is fixed and labeled Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Unsaleables on company product for the last period (% of purchases) Number
  15. Unsaleables on company product for the same period last year (% of purchases) Number
  16. Name of the store manager or receiver who took part in the audit Short text
  17. Overall control of unsaleables in this store Rating
    • Causes known and acted on 5 pts
    • Causes known, little action 3 pts
    • No tracking of causes 1 pt
  18. Findings, causes and corrective actions agreed with the store Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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