Inventory Turnover Ratio

The inventory turnover ratio measures how fast the company replaces a current batch of inventories and transforms them into sales. A higher ratio indicates that the company's product is in high demand and sells quickly, resulting in lower inventory management costs and more earnings.

The inventory turnover ratio varies from industry to industry. For example, a clothing retailer company's turnover can be 5 to 8, whereas an automotive parts company may have an inventory turnover of 45 to 50.

• The inventory turnover ratio determines how quickly the company can replace and transform a batch of inventories into sales. 
• A higher ratio means the company's product is in high demand and sells rapidly, which may result in lower inventory management costs and more earnings. Moreover, it varies from industry to industry.
• There are fewer chances of obsolescence when the inventory turnover ratio is high. 
• When the company'scompany's inventory turnover is low, the products often need to be sold in the market. Consequently, the company inventory could be faster, resulting in higher costs and fewer profits.

The inventory turnover ratio helps assess how efficiently a company uses its inventory against the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). Having a clear picture of how the inventory is being used helps businesses make more informed decisions, be it related to pricing, marketing, production, etc.

The ratio indicates the efficient handling and utilization of assets, which shows how effective a company is in managing its resources and functioning smoothly. It tells stakeholders, both internal and external, how many times a business or a company has sold its inventory or replenished the same over a period.

The inventory turnover ratio formula is:

Inventory Turnover Ratio = Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory

Let us take a simple example to illustrate how to calculate the inventory turnover ratio:

Example 1 – Calculation Example

Cool Gang Inc. has the following information:–

• Cost of goods sold - $600,000
• The beginning inventory - $110,000
• The ending inventory - $130,000

Find out the inventory ratios.

The average inventory of Cool Gang Inc. would be = (The beginning inventory + the ending inventory)/2 = ($110,000 + $130,000)/2 = $240,000/2 = $120,000.

We can get the inventory ratio as –

• Inventory ratio = Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventories
• Or, Inventory ratio= $600,000 / $120,000 = 5.

By comparing the inventory turnover ratios of similar companies in the same industry, we would conclude whether the inventory ratio of Cool Gang Inc. is higher or lower.

Example 2 – Colgate’s Real-Life Scenario

Below is the snapshot of inventory turnover calculations. You may download this excel sheet from Ratio Analysis. Colgate's inventory consists of three types of Inventory - raw material and supplies, work in progress, and finished goods.

Historically, Colgate’s inventory turnover has been in the range of 5x-6x. However, if we observe closely, Colgate’s inventory turnover was slightly lower from 2013 to 2015. It indicates Colgate is taking a bit longer to process its inventory into finished goods.

When the inventory turnover ratio is high, it depicts that the company has been managing its inventory quite well, with lesser holding costs and fewer chances of obsolescence. Hence, a high figure will mean a good inventory turnover ratio.

On the other hand, when the inventory turnover ratio is low, it signifies that a company’s inventory turnover is very low, and its products are often not sold in the market. As a result, the company’s inventory becomes a slow-moving inventory, which leads to higher inventory costs and fewer profits.

One can understand whether the ratio is high or low by looking at the inventory ratio of similar companies in the same industry. They can notice the base if they take an average inventory turnover ratio. Based on this, they can measure whether the inventory ratio of a company is higher or lower.

To improve its ratio, the company can adopt the following strategies: -

• Review strategies relating to the pricing of products.
• Try to improve sales by using marketing techniques.
• Analyze the fast-moving inventory and slow-moving inventory.
• Improve bargain power and review the purchase price regularly.
• Understand the customers' needs and try to get an order from customers well in advance.

Inventory turnover is a great indicator of how a company handles its inventory. If an investor wants to check how well a company is managing its inventory, she would look at how higher or lower the company’s inventory turnover ratio is.

This article is a guide to what is Inventory Turnover Ratio. We explain its formula with calculation examples, interpretation, how to improve, and importance. You may also have a look at these articles below to learn more about financial analysis: -

• Profit vs. Turnover
• Inventory Ratio
• Example of WIP Inventory
• Ratio in Excel