Stock rotation is a way of mitigating stock loss. It is the practice, used in hospitality and retail, especially in food stores such as restaurants and supermarkets, of moving products with an earlier sell-by date to the front of a shelf (or in the cooler if the stored item is on repack so they get worked out before the new product), so they get picked up and sold first, and of moving products with a later sell-by date to the back.

In the case of food, a food rotation system that organizes and rotates food cans on a first-in first-out basis (FIFO) is important for storing food to prevent foodborne illness and to control commercial kitchen costs. When used correctly, the first-in first-out food rotation method ensures serving safe food and eliminates spoiled food waste.