Dive Brief:
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While many retailers were faced with bloated inventories this season, some are dealing with disappointed customers due to out-of-stocks.
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Toys especially are a category that in certain cases have run out, notably “hot toys” like Barbie Dream House, Paw Patrol and Shopkins items, and the Pie Face game.
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And omnichannel efforts by retailers, which have made it easier for shoppers to buy online or in-store without much of a pivot, may be helping to clear out store and warehouse shelves.
Dive Insight:
As retailers struggle to master offers like click-and-collect and keep a steady handle on inventory, the holiday season is proving to be quite a test of omnichannel efforts.
Some patterns are emerging, notes the Washington Post, including the fact that online orders spike on Mondays and play havoc with inventories. That could mean that while people may hit stores on the weekends, they surf the web or consult their phones more often when they’re back at work.
Either way, while customer orders make logistics difficult by buying this way one day and that way the next, some retailers are struggling to be so nimble, especially while also dealing with the high demand of the short holiday season.
“With each step forward [in omnichannel], we uncover problems of the past that retailers just haven’t fixed yet, and inventory placement is a big one that retailers have not fixed,” Steve Osburn, retail supply chains expert at consultancy Kurt Salmon, told the Washington Post.