Today’s consumers demand effortless, intuitive shopping experiences. They want to find what they’re looking for quickly, discover products they didn’t know they needed and trust that their purchases will be available when and where they need them.
For brands, this means optimizing every stage of the product discovery process while ensuring inventory and availability meet expectations. The challenge is significant, but the payoff is transformative.
In this article, you’ll learn how to master the twin forces of product discovery and availability, and what success looks like.
The rising importance of product discovery
Every purchase starts with product discovery. It’s a competitive space, with high expectations and big risks for brands that get it wrong:
- Almost one-third of online shoppers abandon purchases due to poor online search functionality, costing retailers an average of $115 per customer.
- Over half (53%) of shoppers expect retailers to recommend products that match their preferences and needs.
Whether customers are searching online, browsing in-store or engaging with personalized recommendations, their journey must feel seamless and intuitive.
Core strategies for product discovery success
Here are three core strategies that leading retailers use to elevate product discovery and drive measurable results:
1. Search optimization
Search is often the first step in the product discovery journey. Brands must ensure search functionality goes beyond basic keyword matching to deliver contextually relevant results.
Brands can implement two best practices to achieve this:
- Natural language processing (NLP). Use AI-powered tools to interpret user intent and deliver accurate results.
- Faceted search. Allow users to filter results by attributes like size, color, or price to narrow down their choices.
Implementing AI, in particular, can transform search results. When Home Depot incorporated AI functionality, for example, they saw a 20% increase in product findability and a significant boost in online sales.
2. Personalized recommendations
Product recommendations are the cornerstone of modern discovery. By leveraging AI and machine learning, brands can offer suggestions that feel personalized and timely.
Personalized recommendation engines rely on two core components:
- Behavioral analysis. Track user interactions to recommend products based on past behavior.
- Real-time data. Use dynamic algorithms to update recommendations in real-time based on browsing activity.
Combine both and you have a powerful revenue driver. Case in point, Amazon’s recommendation engine is responsible for 35% of its revenue. It sets the gold standard in personalization by providing highly relevant suggestions throughout the shopping journey.
3. Optimized product information management (PIM)
Inconsistent or incomplete product information can be a major barrier to discovery. A robust PIM system ensures accurate, detailed and consistent product data across all channels.
Here are two features brands should look for when choosing a solution:
- Centralized data management for all product attributes.
- Integration with search, e-commerce and inventory systems to provide real-time updates.
For brands operating across global markets, a PIM is a must. When Coca-Cola implemented a global PIM system to streamline product data, for example, they reduced time-to-market by 30%.
The availability equation: Meeting demand in real time
The success of discovery experiences hinges on product availability. Even the best-designed system fails when customers can’t buy items.
It’s a tough balancing act, though. On the one hand, 43% of shoppers say they are more likely to ditch a product after experiencing two or more stock-outs and 65% say they tried a new brand because of an out-of-stock item.
On the other hand, excess inventory leads to markdowns, wasted resources and reduced profitability. Availability, then, is not just about having stock. It’s about creating visibility and trust.
Key strategies for optimizing availability
Brands may not be able to eliminate stockouts completely — especially if a product goes viral on social media — but they can use the following strategies to optimize inventory levels.
1. Real-time inventory visibility
Customers expect to know if a product is available before they make a purchase. Brands can meet this expectation by integrating real-time inventory data into their platforms — significantly enhancing trust and reducing friction in the process.
Walmart is already doing this across its stores. The website’s “store availability” feature lets customers see whether items are in stock at their local store, driving both online and in-store traffic.
2. End-to-end order management systems (OMS)
A modern OMS ensures seamless integration between inventory, e-commerce and fulfillment. By streamlining these processes, brands can meet customer demands while minimizing inefficiencies.
An OMS also:
- Delivers accurate inventory updates across channels.
- Accelerates fulfillment and delivery times.
- Reduces reliance on manual stock checks.
3. Predictive analytics for demand planning
By analyzing historical data and market trends, predictive analytics tools help brands forecast demand more accurately. This reduces stockouts, prevents overstocks and ensures better allocation of resources.
Fashion retailer Zara is a great example of how predictive analytics can drive profitability. The brand uses AI-driven demand forecasting to optimize inventory allocation, resulting in fewer stockouts and reduced waste.
Emerging trends in product discovery and availability
Retail is constantly changing. As brands optimize discovery and availability strategies, they’ll also need to take into account these three emerging trends.
1. Marketplace integration
As marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart and Alibaba dominate, brands must adapt their product discovery and availability strategies to thrive in these environments. This includes optimizing listings, leveraging sponsored search and ensuring inventory availability for marketplace orders.
2. Augmented and virtual reality
Augmented and virtual reality are transforming how customers discover products. AR apps like IKEA Place allow users to visualize furniture in their homes, making the discovery process interactive and engaging.
3. Voice and visual search
With the rise of smart speakers and mobile cameras, voice and visual search are becoming integral to product discovery. ViSenze reports that 62% of Gen Z and millennial consumers prefer visual search over traditional text-based methods.
Mastering product discovery and availability for competitive growth
In retail and CPG, product discovery and availability are the twin pillars of a seamless customer experience. Together, they determine how customers find, evaluate and trust your brand to meet their needs.
To thrive in this space, brands must focus on:
- Optimizing search and recommendations. Leverage AI to deliver relevant, personalized experiences.
- Building real-time visibility. Ensure customers can trust your availability through real-time inventory and order management.
- Adopting emerging technologies. Embrace AR, voice search, and marketplaces to stay ahead of customer expectations.
The brands that master these strategies will not only drive revenue but also build loyalty and trust in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Let’s work together to make product discovery and availability a growth engine for your business.
