How Often Should a Small Store Take Inventory?

There’s no single right answer, but there is a right answer for your store. It mostly comes down to how much money is sitting on your shelves and how fast it moves.

Count more often when stock is valuable and moves fast

Gas stations, carryouts, drive-throughs, liquor stores and smoke shops carry stock that is small, valuable and easy to walk off with. Cigarettes, vapes and liquor are good examples. For these stores, a monthly or quarterly count lets you catch shrink before it piles up.

Once a year can work for slower stores

A specialty clothing store or a small grocer with slower-moving stock may be fine with a yearly count, often at year end or tax time. Even then, a mid-year count is cheap insurance.

Always count when something changes

No matter your regular schedule, get a count when:

• You buy or sell a store. Inventory is part of the price, and both sides need a number they trust. See inventory for buying or selling a store.
• You change managers. A clean starting number protects everyone.
• Your numbers stop making sense. If sales and purchases don’t match what’s on the shelf, a count tells you where the gap is.
• Your insurance needs it. See inventory counts for insurance.

Why the same counter matters

When you count on a schedule, having the same experienced person do it every time makes the numbers comparable. With me, you get the owner every time. I do every count myself, and your report is ready 15 minutes after I finish.

Want to set up a schedule? Read about monthly and quarterly inventory counts or call or text me.