5 Hidden Stockouts That Kill Beverage Velocity

When most founders think “out of stock”, they think empty shelves — but they’d be wrong. If you’re only solving for what you can see, you’re losing velocity in ways you haven’t even identified yet.

Here’s what OOS actually looks like in beverage, and what to do before it takes takes a toll.

1. Shelf OOS

There’s product in the store, but not on the shelf. Retail says you’re fine. The shopper sees a hole. That disconnect is dead velocity, and it won’t show up in your dashboards until it’s already taken a downturn.

What smart brands do: Have a field rep shelf take photos tied to real-time alerts. No photo, no proof of presence.

2. Backroom OOS

The shelf is stocked but backroom is empty, meaning you’re just one busy day away from zero. Velocity looks fine – until suddenly, it doesn’t.

What smart brands do: Monitor shelf-to-backroom transfer rates. If it’s not getting refilled, it’s only a matter of time until you run into a backroom OOS.

3. Distributor OOS

Great, you’ve got demand! But the shelf is empty, the distributor is dry, and you’re not the first call they’re returning. The solution doesn’t come from marketing; it comes from building better workflows.

What smart brands do: Monitor fill rates at the depot level. Set up escalation workflows and prioritize high-velocity SKUs.

4. Micro-OOS (DSD)

This type of OOS is harder to catch. It can be one SKU missing from a cooler or one slot skipped by a DSD driver. Not enough to set off alarms, but just enough to chip at your most profitable moments.

What smart brands do: Cooler checks should be a standard protocol, not a reaction. Ask for SKU-level audits from field reps, and hold DSD drivers accountable.

5. Systemic OOS

The product is there, but it doesn’t scan. Or it’s priced wrong. Or it’s in the wrong place. You’re technically “in stock”, but for any numbers of reasons, you’re not selling. Retailers won’t catch it,, and velocity just seems to vanish into thin air.

What smart brands do: Monitor UPC match errors, validate price files, and run phantom velocity detection weekly.

OOS isn’t one problem — it’s 5

And if you’re not tracking them all, you’re operating on guesswork. But Shopra doesn’t just say “you’re out of stock.” It tells you where, why, and how to fix it before it’s too late.

By monitoring daily stock levels at major retailers and comparing them with distributor inventory, Shopra helps you identify and understand solutions in minutes.

Learn more about Shopra’s capabilities and see how we can help your team automate insights to accelerate growth.