A Mississippi man went to outdoor supply store Academy Sports for fishing supplies. He noticed several empty shelves and made a suggestion about the store’s stocking strategy. However, not all viewers agree with him in the now-viral video.
In a video with over 110,000 views, TikToker Eric Seale (@ericseale) walks down an aisle at Academy, showing several empty product hangers surrounded by well-stocked shelves.
“When you come down the aisle and see all the stuff that doesn’t move, that’s ’cause nobody is buying it,” he says. “When you come to the spots that are empty, those are the ones we need to restock. They’re empty for a reason.”
He encourages the outdoor supply chain to stop stocking the stuff that customers aren’t buying.
“Take it off the shelf and double up on the stuff that keeps going empty,” he says at the end of the clip.
Is His Stocking Strategy For Academy Really That Simple?
While it seems like a no-brainer to stock shelves with the highest-demand products, it’s not that straightforward.
In a post on the subreddit “Explain Like I’m 5” r/ELI5, another shopper questioned why it seems like stores don’t stock the products that customers want the most.
They noted, “Almost every time I go to the grocery store, something I’m looking for is out of stock.” While the product on their list isn’t in the store, other variations that aren’t as popular never seem to leave the shelf.
They questioned, “If no one buys those, wouldn’t it make sense to stop stocking so much, and order/stock more of the item that constantly sells out?”
Commenters explained that some stores use a “push” strategy instead of a “pull” strategy for stocking items. In a push strategy, companies may pay the store to promote certain items, effectively telling the customers what they need instead of the other way around.
Supply chain also plays a role in what retailers can put on the shelves. If the tackle company is low on stock, chains like Academy won’t be able to replenish their shelves quick enough to keep up with the demand.
What Do Retail Workers Think?
Commenters who work in retail offered other explanations for why his preferred fishing gear isn’t in stock.
“Tell me you’ve never worked in retail without saying you’ve never worked in retail. sometimes the supplier is out and we can’t restock what we don’t have,” one wrote.
Another said, “Wait till this guy figures out most retail stores don’t do their own ordering & it’s all corporate controlled.”
“Sometimes there’s contracts with brands and they get to pick their spot and what products they display. The store cant just move or get rid of stuff whenever they want. Not always, but that is how it goes sometimes,” a third added.
Seale replied in a comment that he’s learned a lot from viewers’ responses. He wrote, “I am learning from the comments that retail isnt based on simple product demand. As best I can tell, it appears that stores are paid by brands to stock product even if it doesnt sell as well as other product.”
Other comments suggested that Seale try out a locally owned tackle shop instead, which may stock based on customer demand.
“Academy is so corporate, they’ll be Walmart soon. Support local tackle shops instead,” a viewer said.
A second suggested, “Or you could just support your local tackle shop I’m sure they’ll actually give a shit about your feedback.” Seale responded, “We have one local shop and they dont sell most of the stuff im looking for.”
@ericseale @Academy Sports + Outdoors @AcademySportsAndOutdoors @Rapala
BroBible reached out to Seale via TikTok direct message and comment and to Academy via email. We will update the story when they reply.