UK grocery stores are losing loyalty and sales at the shelf edge, with new research from Pricer, showing that stockouts and poor on-shelf execution are now among the most powerful drivers of shopper behaviour.
A survey of over 1,000 UK grocery shoppers by the retail technology company found that an average of 16 per cent of desired items are unavailable in-store.
Two-thirds (67%) said they are more loyal to stores with well-stocked shelves, while 58 per cent actively avoid retailers that are regularly out of stock. Four in ten shoppers (42%) sometimes leave the store without buying anything because they cannot find what they came for.
The findings show that availability failures are particularly damaging among younger and high-income shoppers. Among households earning over £125,000, more than two-thirds (68%) sometimes abandon their shop due to stockouts and over eight in ten say they are more loyal to well-stocked stores and avoid retailers that frequently run out of core items.
“Empty shelves are a loyalty and profit killer,” said Finn Wikander, Global CPO at Pricer. “Shoppers will forgive a less flashy store, but they will not forgive being unable to complete their shop. The data is clear: retailers win loyalty by fixing real-time availability at the shelf-edge.”
When asked what would improve the shelf-edge experience, the number one answer was technology that alerts staff when shelves are empty (46%). When shoppers were shown a list of potential in-store technologies, this same feature rose to the top again, with 53 per cent saying shelf-empty alerts would be the most helpful form of smart in-store tech.
Expectations are also higher than ever as 86 per cent of shoppers say they expect core grocery items to be available every time they visit. At the same time, 61 per cent believe there are fewer staff in-store than a year ago, and half (50%) say this decline is negatively affecting their experience.
When asked how to improve productivity, shoppers put better workforce management systems first (55%), followed by smart shelf technology (34%), underlining the need to connect digital tools directly to on-shelf availability and staff efficiency.
Pricer said the research highlighted how modern Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) and digital shelf-edge solutions can address these tensions. Camera systems trigger real time alerts when shelves are empty and link directly into workforce management systems to enable staff, using ESL pick-by-light technology, to replenish rapidly and efficiently.
Shoppers are also asking for richer, more reliable information at the shelf. Over half (53%) want more product details beyond price and 55 per cent say they are more likely to buy when information is easy to find. Almost four in ten (39%) have avoided buying because they could not find enough information, while half (50%) are frustrated when in-store information does not match what they see online.
Appetite for digital shelf features is strongest among younger and more affluent shoppers. Over half of all shoppers (52%) want real-time price comparisons at the shelf, rising to more than 80 per cent among households earning over £125,000.
One in four (25%) already say they would like electronic shelf labels with live pricing, with interest rising sharply among 18-34 year olds and higher income groups. Shoppers also show growing demand for digital signage, recipe guidance, and sustainability information at the shelf edge, particularly in affluent catchments.
“Retailers are operating in a two-speed market,” added Wikander. “Price pressured shoppers simply need shelves to be full and prices to be clear. Affluent, digitally savvy shoppers demand even more - real-time availability, transparent pricing, richer product information and seamless alignment with what they see online. Electronic Shelf Labels give retailers a single, scalable way to deliver all of that at the shelf-edge.”