In thinking that if the display model of an item in a shop has a big sign on it saying 'available to take away today' ....

[doglikescheeseontoast]

..... then the customer might be correct in assuming they could take one away today?

Yanbu

It seems like a reasonable conclusion to make. Shops make "mistakes" though - accidentally or otherwise.

Wouldn't it mean that the item is in stock and available to take away, rather than the actual display model?

Well, yes. I'd expect to take it away today. What's happened?

Do you mean the display model, or a boxed one? It only means the latter.
But - mistakes happen, and if this is a complaint because someone checked and politely apologised that the last boxed one had been sold and the sign wasn’t removed, then you would be unreasonable to be annoyed about that. Mildly irritated but not take it out on staff though, yes.

It probably means the product can be bought "off the shelf" rather than having to order in. However stockrooms are not a TARDIS so stock will run out sometimes before they have received the replacement stock.

Meh. What it really means is: 'If this model is in stock, it may be both purchased and taken away, today.' There's extensive case law about no automatic right to buy a display model. Or indeed anything at all.

It's a set of garden furniture - no one will die if I don't get it, and when I posted I was a bit disgruntled (really quite grumpy), but I have since had a word with myself and got over it.

I didn't want to buy the display model necessarily, although I would have if it had been offered.

This is a bit of a pointless post - sorry.

I think it means "we usually have these in stock to take away the same day but someone might have not ordered enough in or we might have had a sudden rush on so do ask us if we have any in stock and we'll see"