In a company I once worked we sole FMCG products including soap variants. We had a flagship soap variant that was the fastest moving product line, when we faced a product scarcity we matchedthe benefits of other products to customers needs and sold the other products. We sold the product benefit of the remaining variants to customers untill we had a more robust stock inventory of the flagship product. Generally speaking if faced with inventory shortages from one product, other products should be sold to replace that scarce product.

At first, I'd communicate openly with customers about stock availability and estimated restocking times. Next, I'd offer alternative products or substitutes, providing comparable solutions. I'd also provide pre-order or backorder options, ensuring customers can secure desired items. Additionally, I'd leverage digital channels to notify customers about inventory updates, using email, SMS, or social media. To prevent future shortages, I'd analyze sales trends, adjust inventory forecasting and optimize supply chain logistics. By prioritizing customer communication, offering flexible solutions and improving inventory management, I'd maintain customer satisfaction, loyalty and trust despite supply constraints.

When faced with inventory limitations, Rajesh, a Kanpur-based retail the business owner, turned to inventive methods to satisfy client expectations. As his Retail Business Mentor, I advised him to speak openly with consumers about stock difficulties, providing alternatives and special orders wherever available. Implementing a strong back ordering system enabled him to manage expectations and fulfill requests as soon as inventory was refilled. Despite inventory constraints, these techniques not only pleased customers but also fostered trust and loyalty.

If inventory is falling short, it's better to suggest alternate models with better features. Only sell the demand model if the customer is adamant about buying that particular model. In this case, you increase your upsell as well as control the demand inventory before it goes to zero. This gives the retailer time to get more stock for the demand inventory.