Balancing seasonal stock a growing issue for fashion retailers - research

Balancing seasonal stock is becoming a growing problem for fashion retailers, according to new research by order management specialist OneStock.

The company’s annual benchmark report on summer sales stock availability, which analysed the websites of 40 prominent omnichannel fashion retailers, found that over half (55 percent) had up to 20 percent fewer products available to online shoppers than they did at the same time in 2018. The number of stock keeping units (SKU) missing from brands’ websites had risen on average by seven percent compared to the previous year.

The research also revealed that 18 of the 40 retailers had more end-of-season stock available in their online shops than during the same period in 2018, with average levels rising by eight percent.

Commenting on the research in a statement, CEO of OneStock, Romulus Grigoras, said: “Omnichannel fashion retailers are increasingly struggling to juggle stock evenly across channels throughout each season. Brands need to ensure all products are visible to shoppers all of the time to prevent end-of-season stockouts and the need for unnecessary markdowns of surplus items.”

OneStock’s latest research was undertaken on 13 June 2019.

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