Eli5 How do grocery stores around the world afford to be fully/half stocked in a product 24/7 simultaneously even in small towns where not everything’s bought?

Question

Eli5 How do grocery stores around the world afford to be fully/half stocked in a product 24/7 simultaneously even in small towns where not everything’s bought?

In: 47

Answer 1

Supply chain. Most grocers are big corporations, or they participate in a sort of co-op. The central warehouse has lots everything and ships it out to the stores as they need/order. That’s part of the job of the store manager, to make sure the product is ordered from the warehouse at the correct quantity to minimize waste while maximizing profit. Most stores take a semi truck delivery once a week. Particularly busy stores can see a truck daily.