Replacement items
Replacement items are items that you can substitute for items that are likely out of stock. For example, you can substitute one brand of pasta sauce for another brand. Or, you can substitute frozen strawberries for fresh strawberries.
High quality recommendations for replacement items improve the fill rate of an order. The fill rate is the number of customer-approved items that a shopper finds divided by the number of items the customer ordered. From both the customer and retailer perspectives, a satisfactory replacement is always preferable to a refund.
You can display lists of replacement items at the following times in the customer's shopping journey:
- Searching for an item
- Adding an item to a cart
- Checking out a cart
Searching for an item
As customers shop, they often use a search bar to search for a branded item. If the item is out of stock or your store doesn't offer it, you can display a list of similar items as possible replacements. The customer is more likely to make a purchase if they are offered suggestions instead of having to repeat their search with a broader search term.
Adding an item to a cart
If the customer adds an item to their cart that has a low stock count, you can suggest that the customer select a replacement and display the replacements list. By selecting a replacement item in advance, the customer increases the chance that they'll get the product or ingredient they need. Replacement items also contribute to a smoother and faster picking experience. The shopper already knows which item to pick if the first choice item is out of stock, which means that they don't need to engage in as many shopper-customer chats about replacements.
Checking out a cart
When the customer checks out, it's possible that one or more low-stock items may no longer be available. At checkout, you can display replacement options for each out-of-stock item.