Anonymous
The JIT supply system was created to avoid waste and accumulation of unused resources. Now it is pushed to the extreme to show that the balance sheet of the companies are in better shape than they really are.
This explanation was working for me until recently but now, paying more attention to what I see around the stores, it seem a little shaky. While the empty shelves seem common in the food section at Walmart, I see a lot of excess supplies in other departments, especially seasonal items that end up sold at 75% discount just to clear the stock. That seem strange considering that an extra box of pasta will sell tomorrow for the same price it sells today. Not so much for Halloween decorations. Either there is some accounting voodoo going on or something is not right on the supply side.