White Paper: Shelf Intelligence Report: Rebuilding Retail Relationships Through Automation

IHL recently conducted a study of major US retailers. This study specifically focused on grocery, drug stores, mass merchants, large hard goods retailers, and department stores with annual revenues over $500 million. Overwhelmingly, the responses focused on segments with challenging merchandise for many traditional inventory technologies like food, liquid or high metal content shelving and products. Specifically, it was focused on larger format stores and includes many of the largest retailers in the world, some of which are also the fastest growing.

What is clear in this targeted group: Retail is facing a relationship crisis that most executives do not fully grasp. What appears to be a simple inventory management problem has evolved into an existential threat to the retailer-brand ecosystem that drives modern commerce according to a new IHL research study. Worldwide, the cost of out-of-stocks and overstocks is more than $1.7 trillion worldwide or about 5% of retail revenue globally depending on the retail segment.

The stark reality? Two-thirds of retailers are dealing with inventory issues weekly or daily that directly impact their brand partnerships, indicating broken promises that