Date of Graduation
5-2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in International Business
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Marketing
Advisor/Mentor
Hofer, Christian
Committee Member/Reader
Williams, Brent D.
Abstract
On-Shelf Availability (OSA) is a key performance indicator for the retail industry, greatly impacting profit and customer loyalty. Strong competition in the industry causes retailers and suppliers to put heavy emphasis on improving performance in an effort to satisfy consumers and keep them coming back to their store or product. Over 40 years of research has been done on OSA and its complement, out-of stock (OOS), however very little progress has been made in improving performance in these areas, leading to the belief that gaps in extant research exist. In order to solve the OOS problem, the key drivers of OOS events must first be identified and then addressed. This paper focuses on identifying the drivers of poor OSA performance through a three step process. First, a comprehensive literature review was performed to identify the drivers of OOS addressed in existing literature. Second, interviews with industry professionals revealed potential drivers of poor OSA performance that have been explored at an industry level. Finally, the two lists were examined against each other and the potential drivers identified in the interviews that had yet to be researched were highlighted. This paper gives strategic direction for future research to help solve the OOS dilemma facing manufacturers and retailers today.
Keywords
Retail environment, out-of-stock, on shelf availability
Citation
Spielmaker, K. (2012). On Shelf Availability: A Literature Review & Conceptual Framework. Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/mktguht/10