A stand with empty pockets or hooks where products were located can be off-putting to shoppers.
Messages they could take away from seeing this is: oh the best items have been sold or the business can’t afford to top up their stock or that’s a messy & incomplete stand.
My experience is a full stand works better than a half empty stand. This is why it is good practical to keep a stand of good-selling items at ear full capacity.
A full stand also presents a more positive vie wot the business.
While I understand the challenges of managing cash and that it can be necessary to not always order when we want, it is important to prioritise the buying that will give you the best return. This is where knowing your business performance data comes in.
I took this photo in a newsagency where they had delayed ordering replenishment stock for items that had sold out in a few weeks because they had spent money on new speculative items. Replenishing the items on this stand would have provided a more certain return on their investment.