We discovered in Oracle's global research that consumers are not only hooked on deals, but they expect in-stock inventory, making accurate retail planning more important than ever. The research found that 71% of consumers think compelling promotions and offers are important to continue shopping at a retailer. Another 47% reported out-of-stock inventory is a deal-breaker, and 63% said they would try a new brand or go elsewhere instead of waiting for a restock.

In addition to using insight from consumer research, Oracle Retail's customer discussion groups are critical to solution development and evolution. Our retail community includes some of the world's largest retailers across all verticals – fashion, hardlines, specialty, grocery, etc.

This article recaps our retail customer participation in supply chain conversations regarding next practice trends in inventory planning.