Empty Shelves = Lower Brand Loyalty: How Are You Preparing for the Holiday Season?

It is no secret that empty shelves can wreak havoc on brand loyalty. When a customer heads to your store intent on making a specific purchase but finds that particular item unavailable, their first instinct is always going to be looking for it somewhere else. If this happens often enough, you could be facing a significant decrease in overall sales as customers consistently choose your competitor (with shelves well stocked) over you. 

Walmart is one such company currently dealing with the ill effects of empty shelves. According to a Bloomberg News report, people quickly notice those empty shelves and are no longer staying quiet about the issue: people noticed “that many items were not being replenished, leaving some shelves bare. Hundreds of e-mails poured in from once-loyal customers complaining they could no longer find what they were looking for and so were shopping elsewhere.”

One of the biggest reason for these empty shelves? Well, according to Walmart employees, merchandise has been left piling up in aisles and in the stock room largely because the corporation doesn’t have enough people to ensure it is where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.

The issue of empty shelves becomes even more essential to deal with during this seriously busy time of year. Holiday shopping often necessitates an increase in your overall staff, and to ensure sufficient stocking capabilities this is really important.

So what are your options? Last week we spoke to the pros and cons of hiring seasonal workers. As much as this may seem like the only viable option – it isn’t. Hiring additional people support from a merchandising company – a team of retail experienced, professional, fully trained, and available on short notice for a short period of time, gives you the best of all worlds – without the cons. If you are concerned about keeping shelves stocked during the holidays, this might be something to seriously consider.

For more about keeping store shelves well stocked over the busy holiday season, or throughout the entire year, please contact Storesupport today. We have the people support that makes dealing with stock issues, quickly, easy. Call us today at 905.847.6513.