100 per cent

100 per cent

100 per cent

100 per cent

In the third quarter of the ECR UK On-Shelf Availability survey. a record number of eleven products scored full marks, including three new produce lines.

Produce represents the majority of the top achievers across the 350 stores included in the IGD-managed study. Bananas and oranges were two of four products that maintained their availability for the second quarter in a row, alongside tinned chopped tomatoes and Heinz cream of tomato soup, while carrots, tomatoes and onions joined the leaders’ board.

Two drinks achieved 100 per cent availability for the first time in the survey’s history with Tropicana orange juice the first fruit-based drink to achieve the feat.

The study measures on-shelf availability from the consumers' viewpoint to provide a benchmark for retailers and suppliers. As well as the 11 perfect marks, some 44 lines achieved above 99 per cent and 112 scored between 95 and 99 per cent. Only 13 products failed to hit 90 per cent.

The fresh produce category as a whole achieved the second highest score for the fourth quarter running, maintaining its 98.9 percent availability. Only the cigarettes category can top that, and it stays top for the fifth month with 99.9 per cent

Base line availability improved for both retailers and manufacturers this quarter - retailers by one per cent point and manufacturers by five percentage points.

Friday was the best-stocked day of the week with 97.4 per cent on-shelf availability and Monday the worst, slipping from 96.5 per cent to 95.9 per cent.

ECR On-shelf Availability group co-chair, Diane Carter, central retail operations director at Sainsburys, said: “Overall the results are very positive with the highest number of products in the life of the survey scoring 100 per cent for the second quarter in a row and most categories improving. New categories and brands have joined the 100 per cent club this quarter, which is great news and with overall availability among manufacturers improving by five per cent there is clearly some great work going on in the background.”

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