Grocery inventory turnover.

Where the 14.0x median comes from

The 14.0x figure is the cross-firm median for grocery as of 2026-06-20, derived from the U.S. Census Annual Retail Trade Survey. Top-quartile operators in this category clear 18.5x; the bottom quartile sits at 11.0x.

At the median, average inventory equals roughly 26 days of cost of goods sold. A business under bank-covenant review should compare its trailing-twelve-month ratio against this median first, then against the 18.5x top-quartile mark before setting a working-capital target.

Benchmark band

The band below plots a hypothetical 14.0x ratio against the industry axis. Colour bands flag whether a result is within fifteen percent of the median (caution), above it (healthy), or more than fifteen percent below it (risk).

Five-year trend

The grocery median has moved from 13.2x in the earliest comparable year to 14.0x in the latest pull, a gradual lift of 0.8 turns.

How to use this number

• Pull trailing-twelve-month COGS and the matching average inventory balance from the GL.
• Compute your turnover with the calculator on the homepage. Select the Grocery benchmark.
• If your ratio is below 14.0x by more than fifteen percent, start the playbook at diagnose low turnover.
• If you sit above 18.5x, confirm stock-out frequency before declaring victory. See high vs low turnover.

Try the calculator with the Grocery benchmark