This comes via the ever enjoyable read of the Harvard Business Review.
I agree with a lot of what's said, but I have to take an issue with the article. His 'stockout' example at the beginning is important to point out, however the author incorrectly identified the problem. He mentioned that a customer walks in, doesn't see the item they want, and walk out. His solution? Make sure you have the employees on hand to point them in the right direction. I think he misidentified the problem. In my experience, the customer can't find the product because the product is in a bad spot. Replace the customer with an employee; how many times have you seen (or been) an employee who can't find the item you're looking for either for a price check, helping the customer find the item, putting up/taking down sale signage, etc. I blame over reliance on end caps, bulk stacks, and tiny hooks that sit along shelving for this problem, but I don't expect the retail industry to fix this any time soon.
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