Why Retailers Must Address Phantom Inventory Issues

Retail Insight survey shows majority of shoppers experienced in-store out-of-stocks in past year

As omnichannel shopping grows and flourishes in the grocery industry, retailers must make moves to ensure loyalty and repeat purchases among their customers. One of those moves, according to software provider Retail Insight, is to identify and correct inaccurate inventory records to ensure unexpected out-of-stocks remain at bay.

 

Retail Insight surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. shoppers and found that “ghost” or “phantom” inventory is negatively impacting sales and long-term loyalty. That discrepancy between stock listed on retailers’ systems and what items are actually available in store is causing many shoppers to either abandon their shopping trip or choose alternate retailers to complete it.

Some 78% of respondents said they had experienced out-of-stocks in brick-and-mortar stores during the past 12 months, while 73% reported the same issue online. Additionally, half of the respondents reported items being listed as in-stock online but unavailable when they arrived in store, and 37% had experienced store associates not being able to find a product even though they believed it was available in the store.