Before you add e-commerce or expand into new regions, clean house—your product catalog depends on it.
Launching a new sales channel—whether it’s a B2B e-commerce site, a new territory branch, or an inside sales team—brings growth opportunities. But for glass, ceramic, and refractory distributors, it also brings a trap: taking all your old catalog baggage with you. One of the most overlooked success factors in new channel launches is SKU relevance.
Distributors often make the mistake of mirroring their entire ERP product list into new channels. That includes dozens (or hundreds) of SKUs that may have been relevant years ago or to a different region, but are now dead weight. This bloats online catalogs, confuses new sales hires, and strains operational workflows.
Let’s look at a U.S.-based refractory distributor who was preparing to launch a Western Canada sales territory. Their legacy catalog included over 800 SKUs—ranging from castable monolithics to phosphate-bonded bricks. But 300+ of those were specific to Eastern U.S. kiln designs or phased-out specs. Worse, regional firebrick preferences in the West leaned toward lower-iron content, which their legacy stock didn’t reflect.
By performing a pre-launch SKU audit, they removed 250 low-relevance SKUs and added 75 new ones tailored to regional demand. The result? Faster onboarding for new reps, simpler customer quoting, and an inventory plan that reflected actual buying habits in Alberta and British Columbia. Within six months, the new channel was exceeding original sales forecasts by 15%.
E-commerce presents similar challenges. In the glass industry, going digital often requires surfacing SKUs with dimensional, safety, and handling specifications that customers understand at-a-glance. Stocking six sizes of acid-etched laminated glass may work for walk-in clients, but it muddies the waters for online buyers. A better approach is to offer your 2–3 best-selling variations, then include “Request Custom” workflows for everything else.
Low-relevance SKUs also hurt search functionality. When an online catalog is flooded with redundant or legacy items, clients often abandon carts or turn to competitors with cleaner, more focused assortments.
To remove low-relevance SKUs before launching a new channel:
Segment by geography, application, and customer size.
Rank by historic demand AND forward potential in the new channel.
Create bundles or simplified starter kits for new buyers.
Implement dynamic catalogs that evolve by region or buyer type.
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New channels demand a new mindset. Removing low-relevance SKUs isn’t just cleanup—it’s strategic positioning. For distributors expanding in glass, ceramics, or refractories, clarity is currency. A streamlined catalog tailored to your new audience sets the foundation for faster adoption, higher sales, and smoother operations from day one.
