Product availability has overtaken price as the biggest driver of customer loyalty in UK grocery retail, with stock-outs putting an estimated £2.1bn in sales at risk, according to new research from DHL supply chain and Retail Economics.

The new report, titled ‘The Availability Effect: Why trust, margin and loyalty start at the shelf edge’, draws on in-store audits, a survey of 2,000 UK households and economic modelling to assess the scale and behavioural impact of stock gaps.

The study found that one in five grocery trips involves at least one missing item, which equates to around 930m shopping visits a year affected by out-of-stocks. Across the sector, this translates into roughly £2.1bn in displaced sales.

The research also found that 44 per cent of consumers have switched or added another supermarket in the past year due to stock availability issues. Among shoppers under 45, that figure rises to almost two-thirds.

Meanwhile, early six in ten consumers (59 per cent) said availability is a key reason they shop across multiple retailers, with one in three now prioritise product availability over price.

Convenience stores appear to be particularly exposed, with the research showing that while the format accounts for around one-fifth of total grocery sales, it represents almost half of all displaced spend linked to stock-outs.

Availability in convenience typically sits in the low-to-mid 80 per cent range, compared with more than 90% in supermarkets and hypermarkets, leading to 63 per cent of shoppers believe availability is worse in convenience stores.

“The research shows that even small stock gaps can have a significant impact on how shoppers feel about a retailer. Despite the pressure on shoppers’ wallets, loyalty is being driven by more than price,” DHL supply chain convenience and consumer MD Nick Archer.

“In a market where customers can switch stores with ease, availability is much more than an operational metric. Being competitive in today’s market requires precision. Retailers and their partners need to be able to predict disruption, integrate data and execute efficiently.”

Retail Economics chief executive Richard Lim: “In today’s environment of busy lifestyles, hybrid working and smaller, more frequent shopping trips, customers expect to find what they need quickly and easily.

“This is not only limited to grocery, but in all retail sectors, from fashion to beauty. Convenience comes down to having products there when the customer needs them, and availability has become the clearest sign of reliability. Retailers who get it right will be the ones who earn trust and lasting loyalty.”

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