Published online by Cambridge University Press: aN Invalid Date NaN
This chapter examines availability – the likelihood that a consumer finds the desired item across channels – as a decisive driver of satisfaction and conversion. Using Nike as illustration, it distinguishes physical availability, informational transparency, and network coverage. Mismatches between inventory and demand lead to lost sales, substitutions, or channel leakage, especially in omnichannel environments. The chapter reviews preventive tools such as forecasting, safety stock, and allocation optimization, alongside reactive measures like rebalancing and rerouting. Data-rich signals and machine-learning forecasts now enable more precise, real-time availability management. Availability becomes a service promise requiring calibrated trade-offs among working capital, risk, and customer experience.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.