Janan Knust

Inventory audits may be one of retail’s most overlooked revenue opportunities. Every large retailer has invested in software that predicts demand, triggers replenishment, and manages shelf space with precision. Almost none of that software questions whether the inventory number it’s reading is actually correct. A recent study in the Journal of Business Logistics suggests that blind spot is expensive, and that fixing it is one of the more overlooked levers a retailer has for growing sales. The researchers, working with a major UK grocery chain, examined roughly 24,000 products across 11 stores to understand why inventory records drift from what’s physically on the shelf, a problem known in the industry as inventory record inaccuracy. They then ran a field experiment to measure what happens to sales when a store corrects those records through a full audit. The results reframe a task most retailers treat as a nuisance into something closer to a growth strategy. Start with why the records go wrong in the first place. The study found that products carrying more inventory and products replenished more often were significantly more prone to inaccuracy. That makes intuitive sense: every case broken down, every unit moved from backroom to shelf, is…

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Did you catch all the episodes? If not, you can check them all out here: We kicked off the week with This Week in Business History, where Scott looks back at some of the biggest historical events in business history for the week ahead. Supply Chain Now · “This Week in Business History for June 29th: The U.S. Interstate Highway System”   Then on Tuesday, Scott and Greg welcomed Cynthia Curry with the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Jasmine Crowe with Goodr to the podcast for a conversation about redirecting excess prepared food and so much more.   Supply Chain Now · “Feed More & Waste Less: Jasmine Crowe with Goodr”   On Wednesday, we continued our new series, TECHquila Sunrise with Greg White, where Greg shares the latest investments, acquisitions, innovations, and glorious implosions in Supply Chain Tech every week.   Supply Chain Now · “Top 25 Startup Ecosystems, Inclusive Investing, & Big Deals: TECHquila Sunrise with Greg White”   On Thursday we published the Supply Chain Buzz, where Greg and Scott discussed the top supply chain news of the week.   Supply Chain Now · “Supply Chain Buzz for June 29th:…