by From the pattern of the marbling to the delicate differences in flavor, no two steaks are identical — but the biggest difference between them is weight.
Whether you’re carving ribeyes, packaging ground beef, or filleting salmon, you know that no two cuts of meat are the exact same weight.
To keep track of these variable-weight items, you need a technique called catch weight inventory management.
In this blog, we’ll explore four tips to tackle catch weight inventory, maintain impeccable stock records, and ensure customers’ satisfaction with every cut of meat they purchase from your farm.
What Is Catch Weight Inventory?
Before we dive into how to manage catch weight inventory, let’s talk about what it is.
Think back to your last trip to the grocery store. If you had a box of cereal, bottle of ketchup, or canister of frosting on your shopping list, you navigated to the right aisle, selected an item off the shelf, and bought it as a single unit with a pre-determined price.
In contrast, if you needed fresh shrimp, freshly sliced turkey, or ground pork from the seafood, deli, or butcher departments, you had to head to the counter, place an order, and pay for your items by weight.
Handling variable-weight items in your farm store should be no different. You should allow your customers to ask for exactly the amount that they need, weigh out their portion of meat, and calculate the price by weight.
Now that you understand the basics of catch weight inventory, let’s take a look at how to make the most of it.
1. Invest in Reliable Scales
A scale is a must-have tool for managing catch weight inventory.
Since you’ll be managing and selling your stock by weight, you need a fast, precise, durable scale for portioning out products and preparing them for customers.
For example, if a customer orders three pounds of ground sausage, you should be able to tare your scale to account for your standard packaging and ensure they get exactly what they requested.
2. Rely on the Right Farm POS Software
A scale is an essential hardware component for catch weight inventory management, but you also need the right software to integrate with it.
Farm point of sale (POS) software allows you to monitor your stock levels, calculate prices, and make sales by weight.
Let’s think back to your customer who ordered the three pounds of sausage. Instead of having to consult your pricing list, pull out a calculator, and determine their total by hand, you can rely on your farm POS system to automatically calculate and charge them the right price.
3. Offer Customers Flexible Options
One of the key advantages of a catch weight inventory approach is that it allows you to offer your customers flexible options that meet their needs.
Today’s customers don’t always have the budget or storage capacity to purchase a half or quarter of beef. Instead, they’re looking for a grocery store experience that allows them to buy exactly what they want.
Whether you’re selling your harvests in a physical farm store or online, give your customers the option to choose how many pounds of each product they want, whether they’d like to sign up for a subscription service, or if they’d like to be rewarded for shopping with you through your loyalty program.
Your POS system should make it a breeze to offer these options to your customers.
4. Protect Your Inventory From Spoilage
Our final tip for managing catch weight inventory is to be wary of spoilage.
Almost every product you sell in your farm store is perishable, which means it should be handled with care and purchased while it’s still as fresh as possible.
To prevent waste and protect your bottom line, include best practices for perishable products in your catch weight inventory management plan. Use your farm store POS to track your stock levels, launch promotions to increase inventory turnover, and use informative labels to indicate when a product was packaged.
Take Control of Your Catch Weight Inventory With GrazeCart
Ready to elevate your customers’ experience, boost your sales, and make the most of your harvests? Then you need to tackle catch weight inventory management.
The number-one tool you need to accomplish this goal is a powerful farm POS system with the right features, including easy sales by weight, real-time inventory monitoring, and flexible purchasing options for your customers.
If you’re in the market for a solution that checks all these boxes and more, check out GrazeCart.
You can try GrazeCart for free by launching your two-week trial today.