5 Keys To A Successful Shopping Experience For Your Customers

The months after the busy Christmas holiday season are an excellent time for retailers to evaluate the successes and failures of their supply chains. The fundamentals that drive retailers to make sure they are prepared for this all-important selling season also apply to other busy times in the year.

No one wants to reserve shelf space for the hot product and then not be able to stock it, or deliver it quickly and efficiently. Sure, there is a certain distinction that comes with having the "hot" and in-demand product. But unless you can close the logistics gap, shoppers will go right to your competitors if you don't have something in stock. Industry studies find that 40 percent of consumers will leave a store if they can't find the products they want on the shelf.

Understanding that threshold – and adjusting the supply chain in response to those market drivers – is a balancing act that challenges even the most savvy retailers. While retailers may never face a product shortage as long-lasting as the Nintendo Wii, for example, the threat to the bottom line of not meeting consumer demand is very real.