It may take a few years, but I think consumers will come to expect store-level inventory data, and so most national chains will support offer it. (“Why should I have to drive down to the mall to buy something and then discover after I’ve driven and parked that the item isn’t in stock?”)

If we’re lucky, the industry will find a common standard for communicating inventory level. Such a format could allow consumers to track inventory themselves (“Note to self: don’t go to supermarket until sure wife’s favorite icecream flavor available”). A common format would also serve to reduce the power of the search engine intermediaries by making their supporting inventory data universally available.