ORIGINAL RETAIL RESEARCH

Your inventory system says it’s in stock. Your shopper says it isn’t. Who’s right?

New independent shopper research reveals a surprising disconnect:

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

The Retail Findability Gap

33%

of “out of stock” items were in the store

Sunseed Research · 2026

1 in 3

shopper-reported out-of-stock items checked was actually available on the shelf.

What does that mean for lost sales, shopper loyalty, and store operations?

Download The Retail Findability Gap to uncover what retailers may be missing.

FREE REPORT

Get the Report

Research commissioned by Oriient and independently conducted by Sunseed Research.

WHAT’S INSIDE

Available ≠ Findable

Your inventory data can be right. The sale can still be lost.

A product can be on a shopper’s list and in stock, yet never make it into the cart.

Inside the report, discover:

The hidden findability gap

Why some reported out-of-stocks aren’t stockouts at all.

The cost of an unsuccessful search

What shoppers do when they can’t find what they came to buy.

The loyalty connection

How out-of-stock experiences relate to shopper satisfaction and recommendations.

The operational impact

What these experiences may mean for store associates and their time.

What retailers should be asking

Five questions to help uncover potential findability problems in their own stores.

Preview of The Retail Findability Gap report page What shoppers do next, with the figures hidden

Research commissioned by Oriient and independently conducted by Sunseed Research at two Oklahoma grocery stores, July 2026. Findings are not nationally representative.