Protecting Sales and Shopper Loyalty by Managing Out-of-Stock

Seventy percent of purchase decisions are made in front of the shelf, so if your product is out of stock, you’re out of luck.

And with an average 8% out of stock rate in Europe*, this means you’re at risk of losing that hard-earned shopper loyalty when shelves aren’t properly stocked.

In fact, Nielsen research shows that 37% of consumers purchase another brand when their favorite brand is out of stock, while 21% visit another store.

The drinks category is a prime example of a category with the significant availability issues, with out-of-stock rates for water reported as high as 12.1% for some retailers. Which means 12% of your shoppers have either not spent with you, purchased somewhere else, or purchased a competing brand.

Solving the out-of-stock problem is a relatively easy fix. To ensure you’re ready for the end-of-year sales peak period, Nielsen advises the following:

• Manage your out-of-stock and distribution issues quickly and efficiently. When not addressed properly, these factors can be the main blockers to success.
• Protect lost sales and customers through good measurement.
• Be excellent in your store execution so that shoppers find what they need. If they don’t find it fast, they’ll go elsewhere.

* Source: ECR Europe