How the Right Merchandising Can Reduce Out-of-Stocks

How the Right Merchandising Can Reduce Out-of-Stocks. If businesses themselves are annoyed by the occasional stockout, then imagine how frustrating it must be for customers who are struggling to track down an item the very much want or need. These out-of-stocks can occur at any time throughout the supply chain, but consumers notice them more quickly on the retail end of things, which is why those business owners experiencing them need the help of Presence from Innovation to help eliminate them and improve their overall retail merchandising experience.

Reducing out-of-stocks starts with the following changes:

It used to be that having accurate counts of a certain item was enough to meet the demands of customers, but these days the reality of inventory management is a little more complex. It is a bit of a mindset change to shift away from straight-up inventory management and toward merchandise availability, but doing so is a much more effective way of ensuring customers have access to the items they desire.

One problem businesses have had since the dawn of commerce is a discrepancy between what the inventory says should be available and what actually is available. Theft, naturally, is big cause for this, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for potential buyers that believe an item is in stock, only to be turned away because of inventory numbers not matching up. Even worse, the items that are stolen most often tend to the best most profitable items for stores and retail pop displays , so investing in proven theft solutions can help decrease the likelihood of shrinkage.

Here at PFI, we do most of our best work through the analysis of data, which is one of the best ways to reduce retail out-of-stocks. There is so much data available these days thanks to some really incredible software, but sifting through that data and determining what to do with it can be incredibly challenging for those who don’t know what to look for. That, of course, is where we can be of assistance, since using that data is a great way of cutting back on those stockouts.

One thing we are seeing through the use of this data is businesses experimenting with test systems designed to get a hold on out-of-stocks, both in custom retail display cases located in brick-and-mortar stores, and within the individual departments of those stores. Analytics can help people determine what sorts of things are and are not working, so playing a few different options and keeping meticulous records of the results is one excellent way to get the information a business needs to see the changes they desire in terms of tracking inventory and decreasing out-of-stocks.

There is no question that out-of-stocks are a constant annoyance both to business owners and their customers, but here at PFI we want to help reduce these stockouts through an analysis of usable data. Businesses looking to solve this problem need only contact us here at Presence from Innovation for the sorts of solutions that could help make out-of-stocks a thing of the past.