Quick Answer: Online sellers overrate their stock availability: 77% of online brands believe shoppers are impressed by clear inventory availability, but only 54% of shoppers agree, in Deloitte Digital research reported by Practical Ecommerce (2024). The figures are US data from 2023 and reported second-hand. Close the gap by showing accurate stock and keeping one central count behind every channel.
Most online sellers think their shop experience is better than shoppers do. This guide looks at the gap in numbers, using Deloitte Digital research as reported by Practical Ecommerce, plus 2025 small-retailer stock data. Treat the Deloitte figures with care: they come from a US survey in late 2023, reported second-hand in January 2024.
In this article
- Do brands overestimate how well they show inventory availability?
- Is the same true for returns and exchanges?
- What about delivery updates?
- What about search and discovery?
- How many brands think their shopping experience impresses?
- Does a consistent experience pay?
- How many stores have site search problems?
- How do small retailers usually find out an item is gone?
- How many customers are lost after a shortage?
- What does inventory distortion cost?
Do brands overestimate how well they show inventory availability?
Yes. 77% of online brands believe shoppers are impressed by clear inventory availability, but only 54% of shoppers agree, according to Deloitte Digital research reported by Practical Ecommerce (2024). That’s a 23-point gap on the most basic promise a shop makes.
Practical Ecommerce says readers should check the original Deloitte research, so use these numbers as a direction, not a benchmark for your own store.
Is the same true for returns and exchanges?
Yes. 80% of brands think easy returns and exchanges impress shoppers, against 59% of shoppers, according to the same research. The gap is 21 points.
Returns are part of the stock story. A shopper who can’t tell whether an exchange size is available is judging your availability, too.
| Experience area | Brands who think it impresses | Shoppers who agree |
|---|---|---|
| Clear inventory availability | 77% | 54% |
| Easy returns and exchanges | 80% | 59% |
| Proactive delivery updates | 78% | 59% |
| Accurate search and discovery | 79% | 63% |
What about delivery updates?
78% of brands think proactive delivery updates impress shoppers, against 59% of shoppers. Shoppers want to know where the parcel is, not be told that it’s coming.
If you promise a delivery date for an item that turns out to be out of stock, no update can rescue the order. Availability comes first.
Customers spend 37% more with brands they find deliver consistent, positive commerce experiences (Deloitte Digital, via Practical Ecommerce, 2024).
What about search and discovery?
79% of brands think accurate search and discovery impresses shoppers, against 63% of shoppers. That’s the smallest gap of the four, but it’s still 16 points.
Search matters to stock too. If your search shows items you can’t ship, shoppers see availability as your failure, not the supplier’s.
Related: How to stop overselling across your website, Shopee and Lazada
How many brands think their shopping experience impresses?
About 80% of online brands believe shoppers are impressed, but fewer than half of consumers actually are, according to the research reported by Practical Ecommerce. The belief is widespread, and the reality is lower.
In plain terms, don’t assume your shop is doing better than average. Ask a few customers what they found frustrating, and look at your own abandoned carts and returns.
77% of online brands believe shoppers are impressed by clear inventory availability, but only 54% of shoppers agree (Deloitte Digital, via Practical Ecommerce, 2024).
Does a consistent experience pay?
Yes. Customers spend 37% more with brands they find deliver consistent, positive commerce experiences, according to Deloitte Digital’s survey of 1,000 American consumers, as reported by Practical Ecommerce. It’s a US survey, so treat the size of the effect as indicative.
Consistency is a stock issue as much as a design one. A shop that shows “in stock” and then cancels the order is the opposite of consistent.
Related: WooCommerce stock settings explained: low stock alerts, hold stock and backorders
How many stores have site search problems?
42% of the 133 major e-commerce stores Baymard Institute reviewed had site search issues, according to Practical Ecommerce’s report. It’s a review of large stores in 2022, so it may not match a small shop.
Even so, search is a good place to look for availability problems. Search for ten of your own products and check whether sold-out items still show up.
How do small retailers usually find out an item is gone?
Nearly one in four small retailers only learn an item is out of stock when a customer tries to buy it, according to the Global Payments 2025 Retail Inventory Report of 200 small retailers. The report is small, so treat it as a pointer.
That’s the gap in action. The shop believes it’s showing accurate stock, and the customer discovers it isn’t.
Nearly 1 in 4 small retailers only learn an item is out of stock when a customer tries to buy it (Global Payments, 2025).
How many customers are lost after a shortage?
16% of small retailers say up to half of their customers never return after a shortage, according to Global Payments (2025). That’s the share of retailers reporting it, not the share of customers lost across the board.
A shopper who sees “in stock”, pays and is then told the item is gone is less likely to come back than one who’s told up front.
What does inventory distortion cost?
Out-of-stocks cause 65.6% of the roughly US$1.7 trillion lost to inventory distortion each year, or 6.2% of retail sales, according to IHL Group figures reported by Retail Insight Network (2026). These are global figures, not a Singapore number.
The fix starts with one central count behind every channel, so what the shopper sees matches what’s on the shelf. Asalta eCommerce links an online store and marketplace listings to central stock, and it’s one option to compare. You can read more on the Asalta eCommerce page.
Key Takeaways
- Assume a gap: 77% of brands think availability impresses, but only 54% of shoppers agree.
- Check the whole journey: delivery, returns and search each show a gap of 16 to 21 points.
- Keep it consistent: customers spend 37% more with brands that are consistent.
- Find out early: nearly 1 in 4 small retailers only learn of a stock-out at the sale.
- Use one count: out-of-stocks cause 65.6% of inventory distortion.
Yes. 77% of online brands believe shoppers are impressed by clear inventory availability, but only 54% of shoppers agree.
80% of brands think easy returns and exchanges impress shoppers, against 59% of shoppers.
78% of brands think proactive delivery updates impress shoppers, against 59% of shoppers.
79% of brands think accurate search and discovery impresses shoppers, against 63% of shoppers.
About 80% of online brands believe shoppers are impressed, but fewer than half of consumers actually are.
Customers spend 37% more with brands they find deliver consistent, positive commerce experiences, according to Deloitte Digital’s survey of 1,000 American consumers.
42% of the 133 major e-commerce stores Baymard Institute reviewed had site search issues.
Nearly one in four only learn an item is out of stock when a customer tries to buy it.
16% of small retailers say up to half of their customers never return after a shortage.
Out-of-stocks cause 65.6% of the roughly US$1.7 trillion lost to inventory distortion each year.
References
- Practical Ecommerce (2024). Online Shoppers Expect More from Sellers (reporting Deloitte Digital and Baymard Institute research). Source
- Global Payments (2025). 2025 Retail Inventory Report. Source
- Retail Insight Network (2026). How overstock, stockouts and returns cost retail $1.75tn (citing IHL Group). Source