An inventory count is how a small shop finds its leaks: shrinkage, theft, supplier shortfalls and the "borrowed" stock nobody returned. Count at cost, not shelf price — the total is an asset on your books and the basis of any insurance claim.
Print the sheet, walk the floor, write the numbers, then enter them here — the total updates live and the dated printout becomes your baseline for the next count. Monthly counts on high-theft categories, quarterly for the rest.
Keep going with these tools — they build on this calculation: Retail Markup Calculator, Markup Vs Margin Calculator and Profit Margin Calculator. When your prices look right, print the menu with the Menu Maker — free templates, PDF & PNG. Want us to set the whole system up for you? Ask about concierge setup.
Cost. Your books and insurance both value inventory at what you paid. Shelf price tells you potential revenue but overstates the asset by the margin you haven't earned yet.
Full count quarterly; cycle counts (one category per week) monthly. Shrinkage found in a quarterly count is recoverable; found at year-end, it's a year of leaks.