I am trying to use the same code but it doesnt seem to work. Maybe because i am using 4.1.6 ?
In the product details it shows "out of stock" so i know its out of stock...
{* show message if product is out of stock *}
{if $product.avail eq 0}
<p>this is out of stock</p>
{/if}
{* show message if product is out of stock *}