Inventory turnover ratio ITR definition, explanation, formula, example and interpretation

inventory turnover meaning

This financial metric offers insight into a company’s operational efficiency, sales trends, and potential liquidity issues. Oftentimes, each industry will have an acceptable average inventory turnover ratio. Most businesses operating in a specific industry typically try to stay as close as possible to the industry average.

Inventory turnover is the ratio of the cost of goods sold (COGS) to the average inventory value over a period of time. After all, high inventory turnover reduces the amount of capital that they have tied up in their inventory. It also helps increase profitability by increasing revenue relative to fixed costs such as store leases, as well as the cost of labor.

Industry Benchmarking

On the other hand, a low ITR indicates that products are lingering in stock longer than they should. This could be payback period formula due to overstocking, a dip in demand, or a combination of both factors. To tackle a low ITR, strategies might include launching promotions to boost sales, revising purchasing plans, or expanding the range of products offered to attract more customers. Long lead times can hinder the replenishment of inventory, affecting the turnover rate. Additionally, disruptions in supplier relationships or supply chain issues can result in stockouts or overstock situations, directly impacting the ITR. Smart inventory management also helps prevent losses on outdated or perishable items – a crucial advantage for tech companies or businesses with perishable goods.

Inventory Turnover Rate Definition

  1. This financial metric offers insight into a company’s operational efficiency, sales trends, and potential liquidity issues.
  2. Our work has been directly cited by organizations including Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Investopedia, Forbes, CNBC, and many others.
  3. Useful formulas to know are inventory turnover, which is cost of goods sold ÷ average inventory, and sell-through rate, which is units sold divided by units received over a set period of time.

The purpose of calculating the inventory turnover rate is to help companies make informed decisions about pricing, manufacturing, marketing, and purchasing new inventory. The finished goods inventory turnover rate in manufacturing is critical for developing pricing strategies that maximise customer demand while maintaining profitability. Marketing departments should work with the manufacturing side to match this demand, promote product turnover and prevent any stagnant inventory. Inventory turnover measures whether a business has excessive inventory as compared to how well it is selling. Investors and creditors can use the rate of inventory turnover as an efficiency ratio when comparing businesses in the same industry or when considering whether to extend funding.

Inventory Turnover Rate

It reports a net sales revenue of $75,000 and a gross profit of $35,000 on its income statement for the year 2022. The opening and closing inventory balances are $9,000 and $7,000 respectively. Calculate average inventory, inventory turnover ratio and average selling period for 2022. Inventory turnover ratio is a financial ratio showing how many times a company turned over its inventory in a given period. A company can then divide the days in the period, typically a fiscal year, by the inventory turnover ratio to calculate how many days it takes, on average, to sell its inventory.

inventory turnover meaning

Dividing the 365 the 7 best business debt management companies for 2021 days in the year by 8.5 shows that Walmart turned over its inventory about every 42 days on average. These organizations may carry stock of no more than three days requirements at any given time. A financial professional will offer guidance based on the information provided and offer a no-obligation call to better understand your situation. Someone on our team will connect you with a financial professional in our network holding the correct designation and expertise.

The inventory turnover rate (ITR) is a key metric that measures how efficiently a company sells and replenishes its inventory over a specific period, typically a year. Plus, it improves cash flow, allowing businesses to reinvest in new opportunities swiftly. The inventory-to-saIes ratio is the inverse of the inventory turnover ratio, with the additional distinction that it compares inventories with net sales rather than the cost of sales.

All of our content is based on objective analysis, and the opinions are our own. This metric often fails to reflect seasonal variations in demand, which can skew the understanding of how effectively inventory is managed. Ignoring these costs can lead to less-than-ideal decision-making and impact overall profitability. Moreover, thoughtful planning prevents both overstocking and shortages, enhancing operational efficiency across the board.

Compare listings

Compare