Sales Letter: Notification of Discontinued Products

When a business discontinues a product it should notify its distributors and/or customers about the coming changes. A direct mailing of a simple business letter is an efficient, effective way of distributing a good amount of information to a great number of people. A letter notifying others of discontinued products can be as brief or detailed as desired, and may be formatted as formally or informally as required.

Details of the Discontinued Product

The letter should obviously contain details of the product which will no longer be available and the date on which its distribution will cease. If there are plans in place for dispersing the remaining warehouse stock, cutting the price of stock on the shelves or replacing the product with something else, then this information should be included as well. Depending on the product, information might also be required as to why it is being discontinued and/or if there will be a wider informational campaign about the company's products. These details, or details of where further information can be found, are also appropriate for inclusion in a discontinued product letter.

Tone of the Notification of a Discontinued Product

The tone of your letter notifying others of a discontinued product will largely depend upon the reason for the discontinuation as well the company's plans for future products. For example, if a product is being discontinued because of health concerns then the tone of the letter should be serious and professional whereas if the product is being discontinued to make room for exciting new items then the tone may be upbeat and playful. As an official business letter, a notification of a discontinued product should also fit in with the company's overall advertising and marketing plans and therefore fit those overall tones as well.

Format

The format of your discontinued product largely follow the tone of the letter. Serious letters should be formatted formally with the name, title and mailing address of both the writer and recipient and should also employ formal salutations, closings and signatures. Letters striving for an informal tone should also use informal formatting and may even be delivered via email. Regardless of format, however, all letters notifying others that a product is being discontinued should be printed on official company letterhead or sent from an official company email account.

Sample Notification of a Discontinued Product Letter

Mr. Vincent Chambers
Job Title
Organisation One
Mailing Address

Date

Ms. Trina Parks
Job Title
Organisation Two
Mailing Address

Dear Ms. Parks,

In light of recent advances in the nailcare industry, [Organisation One] has taken the decision to discontinue some of our older products to make room in our line for the most cutting-edge technology possible. To this end, [Product 1], [Product 2] and [Product 3] will be discontinued as of [Date]. From now until [Discontinuation Date], we will be clearing our stock of these products and is happy to offer you a 75% reduction on any orders. We are also happy for you to cut the prices on these three products as you see fit until the official discontinuation date.

If you have any questions regarding the discontinuation of [Product 1], [Product 2] and [Product 3] please do not hesitate to contact me on [Phone Number] or at [Email Address]. [Organisation One] has many innovative new products in the works and I look forward to writing again soon to discuss our newest products with you.

Yours sincerely,
__________________
Vincent Chambers
Job Title