Theory of Constraints has been applied in many disciplines, from its start on the manufacturing floor to the entire supply chain and into sales, finance, project management, etc. The last leg of the supply chain in many systems is the retail store, where the ultimate pull happens: a customer buys the product. Of course, there is a TOC-based solution for retail that has the same goal as other parts of the supply chain: the right thing, in the right place, at the right time.
An article from the Salt Lake Tribune briefly describes a pilot implementation at the state-owned liquor stores in the area, Three Utah liquor stores are test driving new retail technology that could improve selection:
Three Wasatch Front liquor stores are trying out new retail technology that tracks customer buying patterns. It is data that could be used to customize the products at individual stores, while at the same time keeping selections fresh and preventing items from running out.
The retail solution is interesting, based on what I've seen in conference presentations and other conversations. Brick-and-mortar stores almost always have the challenge that there is always more depth of selection than they can possibly make available in their stores. And for popular items, there must be plenty of that type on hand, so that people can buy it and take it home. And which items are popular change with the fashions, with the season, etc, so you can't always just stock the same items. The TOC retail solution does a nice job of covering the needs of the retailer to have good revenue from the fast movers as well as a fresh stock to keep customers coming back to the store.
Disclaimer: I've been working with Goldratt Consulting (the company working on this project), though I am not involved in this particular project.