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The time it takes to restock a product is a strategic indicator for the retail market. When a shopper arrives at the shelf and cannot find what they want to buy, not only is the sale lost but the retailer also risks the customer’s trust.
The latest OSA Barometer from AECOC measures precisely this factor and the results place Spain among the most efficient markets. On average, products return to shelves in 2.8 days – well below the 4.1 days in the United States, 3.9 days in France, or 3.6 days in the United Kingdom.
The conclusion of this report, based on daily sales of 30 product categories in 1,800 mass-market stores, is that consumers find what they are looking for 95.6 percent of the time, although there are notable differences depending on the category. The highest availability rates are found in household and personal care (98 percent), fresh products (97.7 percent) and packaged food (97.4 percent). Beverages show the lowest shelf availability at 92.4 percent – including high-turnover items such as beer and soft drinks where stockouts are most common.
These results can be seen as a success for Spanish retail, but it is important to recognize that the achievement is shared by all actors in the logistics chain. Reducing the time a product remains out of stock is the result of coordination among manufacturers, distributors and logistics operators. This synchronization ensures the supply network functions in full alignment – from detecting a stockout to restocking the store – and it naturally includes the responsiveness provided by transport and warehousing.
The Deloitte Retail Planning 2025 report sheds light on where time is gained and lost in product replenishment. Its findings point out that the most significant challenges are not at the store level but in logistics infrastructure and supply planning.
The study highlights several examples that explain why a company may face delays in this process:
Deloitte identifies three areas where logistics decisions become a source of competitive advantage for retailers:
The location of distribution centers is critical. The report emphasizes that the goal is not to have more centers, but to have them strategically placed. It also highlights that segmenting inventory according to demand speed and volatility allows each category to be managed differently – a high-turnover soft drink cannot be handled the same way as a household product with more stable sales.
The challenge, according to Deloitte, is finding the right balance. Excess stock ties up capital and raises storage costs, while insufficient stock leads to shortages. The key is to define inventory policies tailored to each product segment, with clear objectives for service levels and working capital.
Deloitte stresses the importance of choosing the right mix of modes and operators, as well as analyzing routes to cut unnecessary transfers. Well-planned transport translates into faster replenishment. The report concludes that the more stable the transport chain is (with secure routes, well-designed multimodality and visibility in transit) the lower the risk of delays in restocking.
One of the keys to shortening replenishment times is having warehouses well located near consumption centers. Rhenus’ TRW (Transport-Related Warehousing) services give retailers this advantage by providing storage space in strategically positioned facilities. This setup enables immediate response to stock issues and ensures products reach shelves with greater speed and reliability.
Andreu Gutiérrez, Country Sales Director Road at Rhenus Logistics in Spain, highlights that the main advantage of TRW is that “it redefines the timelines in which any retailer operates without the need to invest in its own warehousing infrastructure. We make our facilities available to retailers, with the advantage of being integrated into our dense transport network, which allows us to provide highly flexible replenishment aligned with the most suitable timing for their business.”
He adds: “Replenishment time has become a true logistics KPI and at Rhenus we can improve it because we can deliver rapid restocking from our TRW centers instead of waiting for goods to arrive from a distant platform. This responsiveness minimizes the impact of stockouts on the customer experience.”
Do you have any questions about our TRW services? Get in touch with our team of experts to learn how we design transport and warehousing as an integrated solution for retail companies.
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