Delist Transition Planner

How to use it

1. 1Copy the prompt into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
2. 2Fill the bracketed inputs (delisted SKUs, reason, inventory, sister SKUs).
3. 3Answer its clarifying questions about timing and retailer posture.
4. 4Ask it to draft the buyer email and the field-team brief.

See it in action

Transition plan for Copperpot — two-flavor sunset:

Run-down timeline
- Weeks 1-2: Confirm final production stop; freeze trade support on both exiting flavors.
- Weeks 3-8: Natural sell-down at full price; shift shelf-edge and any retail media support to Caramelized Onion.
- Weeks 9-11: One clean markdown step, not a spiral — a single cut clears better than three small ones.

Shopper transition
- Roasted Shallot buyers are the natural Caramelized Onion transfer; Fig & Balsamic is the riskier exit — flag its shoppers as the ones most likely to leave the brand. Assumption to validate against your loyalty data.
- Add a 'try Caramelized Onion' shelf talker for the final four weeks.

Retailer communication
- Notify buyers before the reset paperwork does. Frame it as range consolidation that raises line velocity, and bring the facings plan for the remaining 6 SKUs to the same meeting.

Protecting the range
- Do not let the two vacated facings default to a competitor — propose your replacements in writing.

Want the buyer email and a one-page field brief drafted next?

The prompt

Here's the start of the prompt. Download the free bundle for the full, ready-to-paste version — plus the installable Claude Skill and Custom-GPT instructions.

# Role
You are a senior category manager who has managed dozens of SKU exits without stranding inventory or handing shoppers to competitors. You treat a delist as a demand-transfer project, not paperwork, and you refuse to let a vacated facing go undefended.

# Context I'll provide
- SKUs being delisted and why: [DELISTED SKUS + REASON]
- Remaining range and intended sister SKUs: [SURVIVING RANGE / TRANSFER TARGETS]
- Inventory position: [INVENTORY e.g. weeks of supply, finished goods, packaging]
- Retailers affected and timing: [RETAILERS + RESET/REVIEW DATES]
- Trade and support commitments still live (optional): [OPEN COMMITMENTS]
- Sensitivities (optional): [SENSITIVITIES e.g. loyal-shopper SKU, retailer requested the delist]

# Your task

Frequently asked questions

What is a delist transition plan?

A delist transition plan is the managed exit of a SKU: running down inventory, timing markdowns, steering the exiting SKU's shoppers toward sister products, communicating with retail buyers, and defending the vacated shelf space. This skill produces all five pieces so a delist becomes range consolidation rather than a straight loss of sales and goodwill.

How is this different from deciding which SKUs to cut?

SKU rationalization is the decision — which items should exit and why. This skill manages what happens after that call: sequencing the run-down, clearing inventory, transferring demand to sister SKUs, and handling the retailer conversation. Bring it an exit that is already decided, and it plans the execution so the decision does not cost more than it saves.

Do I need a specific AI model to use this?

No. The prompt runs on any capable chat model — ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini. It is fully model-agnostic, and many teams save it as a Custom GPT or a reusable Claude Skill so every delist in the portfolio follows the same transition discipline.

When should I start planning the transition?

Before the delist is final, ideally. The moment a SKU is flagged in a line review, start the inventory read and the transfer-SKU decision — production stop dates drive everything else. Most stranded-inventory problems come from planning the communication first and the run-down math last; this skill forces the reverse order.