Shop owners can now order from their Booker branch with a smaller risk of out-of-stocks thanks to a new ‘real-time stock updates’ feature.
Confirming the new feature to Better Retailing, a Booker spokesperson explained: “Following a successful trial, we’re delighted to offer our customers real-time stock updates for all Booker branches via our website. Customers can see if a product is available, low in stock or out of stock following high demand, making it even easier for them to shop with us.”
Better Retailing understands the stock levels are updated every 15 minutes to give customers the best possible knowledge of the latest availability in each branch. The presence of coloured labels for each line confirm if they are either ‘in stock’ or ‘low stock’.
The labels also appear on Booker’s ‘Shopping List’ tool, cutting the amount of time it takes retailers to check and place orders for delivery, click and collect or to shop in branch. The wholesaler added it would allow retailers and caterers to “shop with confidence”.
How do retailers feel about the real-time stock updates?
Nilesh Patel, of Nils Convenience Store in Ilford, east London, uses Booker’s Dagenham branch. “It’s really good to hear,” he told Better Retailing.
“There’s lots of choice of wholesalers here, so knowing you can check what you need first will save a lot of time. Our depot has gone much more over to catering ranges, so it is important we can keep up to date with what they have.”
John Parkinson, of John’s Broadway News in Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, told Better Retailing: “We go to our closest Booker four or five times per week. Plus all the way to Chester once per week for their promotions. Knowing what’s in stock before we go will be really helpful.”
Click-and-collect services incur a £10 charge from Booker, and are offered to retailers at a minority of its depots. Deliveries incur a £34.95 charge for non-Booker symbol stores and the service is much more widely available to retailers.
Analysis by Better Retailing of the 650 soft drinks lines listed online at one Booker branch using the new tool showed 59% were marked as ‘in stock’. Nearly all of the remainder carried no indication of availability.
Other wholesalers have introduced similar tools in recent years. Bestway’s indicates whether a line is in stock and shows how many cases have been sold in the past week.
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