noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
shopworn goods; dead stock; shelf warmer
Refers to merchandise that has been sitting unsold on a shelf for a long time, often becoming faded or outdated. Used literally for physical goods in a store.
The shopworn goods at that store are always discounted.
We held a sale to clear out the dead stock.
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
being shelved; left unresolved
Figurative extension: a problem, plan, or issue that has been put aside and ignored for a long time. Often used in the patterns 〜が店晒しになる or 〜を店晒しにする.
That problem has been shelved for years.
His proposal was left unresolved at the meeting.
在庫 is a neutral term for inventory or stock, while 棚晒し specifically implies unsold, aging goods.
塩漬け (literally 'pickling') is used figuratively for assets or projects kept idle, similar to the figurative sense of 棚晒し, but often with a financial nuance.
Standard kanji spelling using 棚 (shelf) and 晒し (exposing).
Variant using 店 (shop) instead of 棚; less common but still encountered.
Mixed kana spelling; used when the kanji 晒 is considered difficult or for stylistic reasons.
Mixed kana variant of 店晒し.
Rare variant using 曝 (expose) instead of 晒; 曝 is less common in modern usage.
Rare variant combining 棚 and 曝.
Compound of 棚 (shelf) or 店 (shop) and 晒し (exposing, from 晒す 'to expose to the elements'). Literally 'shelf-exposed', referring to goods left out on display for so long they become shopworn. The figurative sense extends the idea of being left out and neglected.