Forbes Reports 2 Billion 'Out of Stock' Messages in October Alone

November 17, 2021

(Watch Post): Forbes Magazine recently published an article claiming that "US consumers received over 2 billion out-of-stock messages in October while shopping online." That number came from shopping data provided by the Adobe Digital Economy Index.

“Consumers are beginning to understand the real impact of the supply chain challenges” with the dramatic increase in out-of-stock notices from online retailers, Taylor Schreiner, director of Adobe Digital Insights said.

Let that sink in. More than 2 billion out of stock flags in the US alone, during a one month time frame. For comparison, this number was 325% higher than the number in October of 2019, just two short years ago.

Not surprisingly, online spending is up too. Total spend for October was $72.4 billion this year, which is an 8% increase from 2020. Year to date online sales total about $680 billion (through the end of October), which is up 9% from the same time period in 2020, and up 57% from the same time period in 2019.

It's not difficult to read between the lines. In 2019, prior to the so-called pandemic, fewer people were making online purchases. In 2020, most retailers saw a boom in online sales because of pandemic lockdowns and closures. Now, in 2021, with rising prices caused by both inflation and the economic principle of supply and demand, spending is even higher.

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