Collect the matching inputs.
Record daily sellable availability for each active SKU or variant. Exclude intentionally retired items and define backorders and safety-stock rules.
← All ecommerce KPIs
Inventory · AvailabilityStockout rate.
Stockout rate.
Measure the moments you cannot sell.
This guide defines stockout rate as unavailable active SKU-days divided by all active SKU-days. It measures how often an active assortment is unavailable over a period.
Start with your numbers.
Availability calculator
01 / The definitionWhat is
What is
stockout rate?
This guide defines stockout rate as unavailable active SKU-days divided by all active SKU-days. It measures how often an active assortment is unavailable over a period.
An unweighted rate treats a bestseller and a slow mover equally. Add a demand-weighted view to prioritize lost sales, but label it separately.
02 / The measurementA clear formula.
A clear formula.
A useful comparison.
Availability =Out-of-stock active SKU-days ÷ All active SKU-days × 100
Read the result in context.
Compare category, supplier and replenishment lead time. Use hourly availability if daily snapshots miss material stockouts.
Document the comparison.
Keep the reporting dates, population, exclusions and calculation with every result. Show underlying counts as well as the average or rate, so a small sample does not look more conclusive than it is.
Illustrative example
From inputs to insight.
- Out-of-stock active SKU-days
- 150
- All active SKU-days
- 3,000
- Availability
- 5%
5% of active SKU-days were out of stock, such as 150 unavailable days across 100 SKUs over 30 days.
Try your numbers ↑03 / Industry benchmarksContext first.
Context first.
Targets second.
Compare category, supplier and replenishment lead time. Use hourly availability if daily snapshots miss material stockouts.
We have not verified a public industry benchmark that matches the exact definition used on this page. A precise-looking generic range would hide important differences between businesses.
Build your own benchmark
Start with a comparable baseline.
01
Match the population.
Choose the category, channel or customer cohort you can compare consistently.
02
Let the data mature.
Use complete periods and allow the purchase, attribution or returns window in your definition to close.
03
Test a specific opportunity.
Set a target from your economics and observed variation. Keep conversion and contribution in view.
04 / Clerk customer evidenceReal stories.
Real stories.
Clear measurement limits.
We have not verified a published Clerk customer case with a quantified stockout rate result matching this page’s definition.
What would count as useful evidence?
A case reporting out-of-stock active sku-days and all active sku-days, with the time window and comparison method. General revenue growth or a related engagement metric does not establish this result.
Customer stories describe individual implementations. They are not industry benchmarks, guarantees or standardized causal tests.
05 / Put it into practice
Measure the moments you cannot sell.
Keep product data current and offer relevant available alternatives when a shopper’s first choice is unavailable.
06 / Common questionsA little more
A little more
clarity.
How do I calculate stockout rate?
Out-of-stock active SKU-days ÷ All active SKU-days × 100. 5% of active SKU-days were out of stock, such as 150 unavailable days across 100 SKUs over 30 days.
What should I check before comparing results?
An unweighted rate treats a bestseller and a slow mover equally. Add a demand-weighted view to prioritize lost sales, but label it separately.
What is a good stockout rate?
Compare category, supplier and replenishment lead time. Use hourly availability if daily snapshots miss material stockouts.
Does a higher attributed result prove incremental growth?
No. Attribution connects an interaction with an outcome under a reporting rule. To estimate what a change added, compare randomly assigned treatment and control groups using the same eligible population and a predefined measurement window.
Keep learning
Connect the numbers.
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