June 8, 2026
Out-of-stocks are one of the most visible execution issues in retail and also one of the most underestimated.
In most trading weeks, they are already a challenge but during major sporting events like the World Cup, they become something else entirely.
A concentrated, time-sensitive revenue risk.
From a commercial perspective, this will feel familiar.
You plan for demand:
The expectation is clear: capture increased demand and drive incremental sales and during events like the World Cup, that demand doesn’t just increase.
It compresses.
When everything is available, these moments can drive significant category growth but when products aren’t on shelf, the impact is immediate.
Out-of-stocks are often measured as a percentage. Typically, brands lose 1–3% of revenue weekly due to availability issues.
During major events, that loss doesn’t spread evenly, it concentrates. A missed restock an hour before kick-off can create a huge marginal dip and once that moment passes, it can’t be recovered.
The sale doesn’t get delayed, it goes to a competitor and in many cases, that switch doesn’t stop at a single purchase.
When a shopper can’t find their preferred brand or format, they choose an alternative. If that alternative meets their expectations, it can start to shift future purchase behaviour.
What begins as a short-term availability issue can quickly become a longer-term share and loyalty challenge.
During high-pressure retail moments, several factors combine:
Even well-planned supply chains come under strain and small execution issues become amplified.
A delay in replenishment.
A missed backroom check.
A prioritised task that shifts focus away from the shelf.
When these pressures combine, even small execution issues can have outsized impact but when availability is maintained, these same moments can become powerful drivers of incremental sales and category growth.
The challenge with out-of-stocks isn’t just that they happen, it’s that you often don’t see them when they matter.
Traditionally, availability is assessed after the event:
But by the time this is understood, the opportunity has passed.
This is part of a broader challenge we explored in our article on why the World Cup is won in store, where in-store execution ultimately determines performance during major retail moments.
More specifically, it reflects the gap between planning and reality in store, something we explored further in From Plan to Reality: Why Major Sporting Events Expose the Execution Gap.
Most organisations already track availability at a high level.
But the question during major events isn’t just:
Was the product available?
It’s:
Was the product available at the exact moment demand peaked?
That level of visibility is rarely captured.
And without it, it’s difficult to:
Out-of-stocks are typically viewed as a loss, but they also represent a clear opportunity.
When availability is maintained during peak demand windows:
Maintaining availability doesn’t just protect revenue in the moment, it helps protect brand preference over time.
And the difference isn’t just supply, it’s visibility.
The most effective teams are shifting from:
Availability → Post-event analysis
To:
Availability → Visibility → Action
This means:
This shift is what turns availability from a reporting metric into a commercial lever.
Out-of-stocks during major events are often seen as inevitable but they don’t have to be.
With the right visibility, they become:
The World Cup doesn’t just increase the risk of lost sales, it increases the value of getting availability right.
Out-of-stocks don’t just impact availability. They directly impact revenue, especially during high-demand retail moments.
Execution Intelligence provides visibility into what is happening across stores, enabling teams to identify availability issues early and act while it still matters.
Learn more about Execution Intelligence
Or if you'd like to explore how this applies to your organisation:
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