Inventory Turnover › Grocery
Grocery Inventory Turnover Benchmarks 2026
Conventional US grocers run 13x to 15x inventory turnover. Specialty produce formats (Sprouts) push above 18x. Perishables shorten the cycle; centre-store dry goods sit longer.
Named retailer 10-K data
| Retailer | Fiscal Year | Turnover | COGS | Avg Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kroger(KR) | FY24 (ended Feb 2025) | 14.6x | $118.4B | $8.11B |
| Albertsons(ACI) | FY24 (ended Feb 2025) | 14.1x | $58.9B | $4.18B |
| Sprouts Farmers Market(SFM) | FY24 (ended Dec 2024) | 18.7x | $5.21B | $0.279B |
| Weis Markets(WMK) | FY24 (ended Dec 2024) | 13.9x | $3.62B | $0.260B |
Per-retailer notes
Kroger (KR)
14.6x turnoverLargest pure-play US grocer. Perishables drive a 14x base; fresh categories cycle in days, not weeks.
Source: Kroger 10-K, fiscal 2024
Albertsons (ACI)
14.1x turnoverMulti-banner grocer (Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco). Comparable turnover to Kroger reflects similar perishables mix.
Source: Albertsons 10-K, fiscal 2024
Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM)
18.7x turnoverSpecialty produce-led format. Higher perishable share drives turnover well above conventional supermarkets.
Source: Sprouts 10-K, fiscal 2024
Weis Markets (WMK)
13.9x turnoverRegional Mid-Atlantic grocer. Lower scale, comparable per-store turnover to national peers.
Source: Weis Markets 10-K, fiscal 2024
Within-store category breakdown
Grocery is not monolithic. A typical conventional supermarket carries 30,000 to 50,000 SKUs across categories that cycle at very different speeds. The blended store turnover (~14x) masks a wide internal range.
| Category | Typical Turnover | Days on Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh produce | 52-104x | 3-7 |
| Fresh meat / seafood | 73-104x | 3-5 |
| Dairy | 36-52x | 7-10 |
| Bakery (in-store) | 120x+ | 1-3 |
| Centre store dry grocery | 12-18x | 20-30 |
| Frozen | 10-15x | 24-36 |
| Health and beauty / general merch | 4-8x | 45-90 |
Category ranges derived from operator presentations and FMI / NACS retail benchmarks. FMI supermarket facts.
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