Out-Of-Shelf Products Cost Retailers $82B in '21

February 17, 2022

NielsenIQ has launched its one of a kind, on-shelf availability (OSA) barometer in the U.S. The OSA barometer allows retailers to measure and benchmark out-of-stocks to prevent supply chain disruptions and maintain on-shelf availability. With NielsenIQ’s unmatched data and technology, retailers can pinpoint risk areas before they become lost sales.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. consumer packaged goods industry reported record sales in 2020 and sustained growth in 2021. However, 7.4% of sales were not realized due to out-of-stock/out-of-shelf items, costing retailers $82 billion in 2021 alone. With consumers making fewer shopping trips during the pandemic, retailers reducing the number of products sold in stores, and inflation at its highest in years, out-of-shelf products have caused significant disruption for retailers across the CPG industry.

By leveraging an easy-to-use SaaS platform, powered by granular data and advanced algorithms, retailers will be able to determine their position before their competitors, enabling them to gain stronger distribution and preserve revenue.

Key features of NielsenIQ OSA solutions include:

Accurate predictive capabilities: Predict where and when out-of-stocks will happen by merging NielsenIQ data with advanced technology-driven analysis

Timely, actionable insights: Pinpoints where you need to address issues and invest resources so you can act fast.

Broad and detailed coverage: See out-of-stock impact on sales across brands, categories, and retail stores.

“The ability for retailers to identify risks due to out-of-stocks will help retailers not only maintain sales, but increase consumer satisfaction and loyalty,” said Jean-Baptiste Delabre, Vice President, Retail Analytics, NielsenIQ. “By identifying out-of-shelf products at the most granular level, retailers now have the ability to identify and quantify lost sales, prioritize opportunities, and execute on the root causes of out-of-stock products across the supply chain.”