90+ Manufacturing Inventory Statistics for 2025-2026

• 1. Total US manufacturers' and trade inventories reached $2,680.7 billion in December 2025, up 0.1% from November 2025. (US Census Bureau)
• 2. Year-over-year, manufacturing and trade inventories grew 1.6% from December 2024 to December 2025. (US Census Bureau)
• 3. The total business inventories-to-sales ratio was 1.36 in December 2025, down from 1.39 in December 2024. (US Census Bureau)
• 4. Combined distributive trade sales and manufacturers' shipments hit $1,965.9 billion in December 2025, up 3.2% year-over-year. (US Census Bureau)
• 5. In January 2025, total business sales were $1,896.5 billion, reflecting seasonal slowdown after the December peak. (US Census Bureau)
• 6. By July 2025, combined trade sales and manufacturers' shipments recovered to $1,948.2 billion, up 1.0% from June. (US Census Bureau)
• 7. More than 40% of manufacturers expected inventory levels to shrink in the coming 12 months as of Q1 2024, reflecting post-pandemic overstocking correction. (NAM Outlook Survey)
• 8. Only 17.8% of manufacturers anticipated inventory growth, while the remainder expected no change. (NAM Outlook Survey)
• 9. Manufacturers anticipated inventories shrinking by 1.6% over the following 12 months, per NAM's Q1 2024 survey, part of what McKinsey called "particularly aggressive" inventory reduction goals. (NAM)

• 10. The average inventory turnover rate across all sectors in 2024 was 8.5. (CSI Market)
• 11. Manufacturing-focused small businesses average approximately 5.3 inventory turns per year, with a 6% year-over-year improvement trend. (Netstock)
• 12. Capital goods manufacturing has one of the lowest turnover ratios at 2.44, reflecting long production cycles and high-value items. (CSI Market)
• 13. Fashion and apparel manufacturers see turnover ratios of 6.0 to 12.0, cycling inventory every 30 to 60 days. (Onramp Funds)
• 14. Electronics manufacturers typically achieve turnover ratios of 4.5 to 8.0, with 45 to 80 days in inventory, driven by obsolescence risk. (Onramp Funds)
• 15. Home goods and furniture manufacturers have lower turnover ratios of 2.5 to 5.0, with 75 to 145 days in inventory due to longer purchase cycles. (Onramp Funds)

• 16. Inventory carrying costs typically range from 20% to 30% of total inventory value per year across manufacturing. (NetSuite)
• 17. Manufacturing businesses tend to run carrying costs at 20% to 30%, compared to retailers who often target 15% to 20%. (Finale Inventory)
• 18. The average business holds $142,000 worth of inventory above what's required to meet demand. (Unleashed Software)
• 19. In the construction, machinery, and medical supplies sectors, excess inventory can reach $200,000 to $300,000 per business. (Unleashed Software)
• 20. Global warehousing property costs grew 10.1% in 2023, with rental costs up 11.8% from 2022. (Savills)
• 21. Days inventory outstanding (DIO) is calculated as (average inventory / COGS) x 365, or equivalently, 365 divided by inventory turnover. (CyberStockroom)
• 22. For a business with a 30% gross margin, each $1,000 of shrinkage requires approximately $3,333 in additional sales to offset the loss. (Finale Inventory)
• 23. Labour costs account for 20% of manufacturing revenue on average, up from 19.5% in 2022. SMEs face the highest burden at 27.7% of revenue. (Grant Thornton)

• 24. Global inventory distortion (shrinkage, stockouts, overstock) costs businesses an estimated $1.6 trillion annually. (Meteor Space)
• 25. 35% of businesses have shipped an order late because they inadvertently sold a product that wasn't in stock. (Meteor Space)
• 26. Inventory shrinkage costs businesses in the US over $100 billion annually, according to the National Retail Federation. (EasyReplenish / NRF)
• 27. Nearly 40% of retailers and D2C manufacturers cancel at least 10% of their customer orders due to inventory issues. (Fluent Commerce)
• 28. Reducing stockouts and overstocks can lower overall inventory costs by up to 12%. (Meteor Space)
• 29. 58% of retail brands and D2C manufacturers have below 80% inventory accuracy. (Fluent Commerce)
• 30. The average US retail business has an inventory accuracy of only 66%. (Meteor Space)
• 31. 72% of SMEs experience unpredictable delivery times from suppliers, driving up safety stock requirements. (Netstock)
• 32. Manufacturing profit margins fell by as much as 25% across NZ, Australia, and the UK in Q2 2024, partly due to rising inventory costs. (Unleashed Software)

• 33. 39% of small businesses in the US still track inventory manually or not at all. (Meteor Space)
• 34. 63% of supply chain managers still rely on Excel spreadsheets for inventory management. (Meteor Space)
• 35. The global inventory management software market was valued at $3.17 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $4.78 billion by 2030, growing at an 8.56% CAGR. (Mordor Intelligence)
• 36. The inventory management software market is estimated at $4.47 billion in 2026, expected to rise to $10.5 billion by 2035 at a 9.94% CAGR. (Business Research Insights)
• 37. The manufacturing segment accounts for 25.58% of the inventory management software market in 2026. (Fortune Business Insights)
• 38. Asia Pacific inventory management software is the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR of 10.2%. (Grand View Research)
• 39. Only 9% of businesses achieve full supply chain visibility, while 63% struggle with limited visibility. (Meteor Space)
• 40. 27% of manufacturing companies have adopted AI and integrated data systems in their contracting and procurement processes. (World Commerce & Contracting)
• 41. The global logistics automation market is forecast to reach $95 billion by 2030, growing at 13.3% CAGR from 2024. (Meteor Space)
• 42. 44% of companies use daily performance tracking as their primary KPI for supply chain monitoring. (Meteor Space)

• 43. 33% of US small businesses still experienced supply chain delays in 2024, despite improvements from pandemic-era peaks. (Meteor Space)
• 44. 62% of leaders expect labour shortages to be a major short-term challenge affecting manufacturing and supply chain operations. (KPMG)
• 45. 61% of companies believe efficient supply chain management gives them a competitive edge. (Meteor Space)
• 46. Only 26% of companies have a proactive supply chain network, while the majority remain reactive. (Meteor Space)
• 47. Customer lead times in manufacturing improved by as much as 39% in Australia, NZ, and the UK in 2024. (Unleashed Software)
• 48. The global supply chain market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% from 2024 to 2030, reaching nearly $47 billion. (Meteor Space)
• 49. Reducing supply chain costs from 9% to 4% of revenue can potentially double profits for industrial suppliers. (Meteor Space)
• 50. 28% of warehouse leaders cite "improving customer satisfaction" as their number one priority. (AutoStore / Meteor Space)
• 51. 80% of consumers care about the environmental impact of the products they purchase, pushing manufacturers toward sustainable inventory practices. (PDI Technologies)

• 52. Toyota's JIT system helped the company become the world's largest automaker by minimizing inventory holding costs and producing only what was needed, when it was needed. (Toyota)
• 53. At Omark's plant in Mesabi, Minnesota, implementing lean/JIT reduced large-size drill inventory by 92%, increased productivity by 30%, and cut lead time from three weeks to three days. (Wikipedia / Lean Manufacturing)
• 54. JIT manufacturing typically produces defect reductions of 90% or more through precise quality control at each production step. (Autodesk)
• 55. JIT production systems cut inventory costs because manufacturers receive materials and parts as needed and don't have to pay storage costs. (Investopedia)
• 56. Excess inventory is one of the eight wastes identified in lean manufacturing: defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, transportation, inventory, motion, and extra-processing. (MachineMetrics)
• 57. Companies implementing lean manufacturing see space utilization optimization as smaller inventory requirements reduce facility needs, allowing production expansion within existing buildings. (Autodesk)
• 58. The biggest risk of JIT is that no inventory buffer exists. If supplier coordination breaks down, production halts immediately. (Investopedia)

• 59. Food and beverage manufacturers often achieve turnover rates of 10 to 15 due to perishability constraints. (Onramp Funds)
• 60. Automotive manufacturers using JIT systems can achieve turnover rates of 6 to 12, cycling parts inventory monthly. (Netstock)
• 61. Aerospace and defense manufacturers typically operate at turnover rates of 2 to 4, with some programs holding inventory for over six months. (ReadyRatios)
• 62. Industrial machinery manufacturers sit at 2 to 5 turns per year, reflecting long production lead times and custom engineering requirements. (CSI Market)

• 63. Companies that implement demand-driven replenishment can reduce inventory levels by 20% to 50% while improving service levels. (Netstock)
• 64. Manufacturing SMBs saw a 6% year-over-year improvement in inventory turnover from 2023 to 2025. (Netstock)
• 65. Companies using advanced forecasting models and real-time inventory monitoring can reduce safety stock by up to 30% without increasing stockout risk. (Netstock)
• 66. Item-level RFID tagging can improve inventory accuracy from 66% to over 95% in manufacturing environments. (Meteor Space)
• 67. SKU rationalization (dropping slow-moving SKUs) typically improves overall inventory turnover by 10% to 25%. (Netstock)
• 68. Micro-fulfillment centers are being adopted by 66% of fulfillment teams to reduce inventory transit times and improve delivery speed. (Unleashed Software)
• 69. In-store fulfillment strategies are used by 65% of fulfillment teams to bring inventory closer to the end customer. (Unleashed Software)
• 70. Companies that prioritized new business building, including D2C channels, saw 30% higher shareholder value over 10 years. (McKinsey)

• 71. Global warehousing costs, including rent, service charges, and taxes, grew 10.1% in 2023. (Savills)
• 72. Warehouse rental costs specifically grew 11.8% year-over-year in 2023. (Savills)
• 73. Labour and electricity costs for warehouses both rose in 2023, though diesel costs declined year-over-year. (Savills)
• 74. The rate of warehouse cost increases appears to be slowing, suggesting the market may be stabilizing after post-pandemic spikes. (Savills)
• 75. 28% of warehouse leaders prioritize improving customer satisfaction above all other metrics. (AutoStore / Unleashed Software)
• 76. Order-picking accuracy, order lead time, and on-time shipping rate are the top three efficiency metrics used by warehouse teams. (Unleashed Software)

• 77. Only 25% of manufacturers have actively nearshored or diversified their supplier base, despite years of disruption. (Netstock)
• 78. Unreliable suppliers were the biggest driver of slow delivery times in 2024, followed by long lead times and minimum order quantities. (Netstock)
• 79. McKinsey described post-pandemic inventory reduction goals as "particularly aggressive" as manufacturers work to unwind excess stockpiles built during supply chain disruptions. (McKinsey)
• 80. Companies diversifying suppliers to reduce single-source dependency can reduce supply chain risk by up to 40%, according to supply chain resilience frameworks. (Meteor Space)

• 81. The inventory management software market is projected to grow from $3.17 billion (2025) to $4.78 billion (2030), an 8.56% CAGR. (Mordor Intelligence)
• 82. Manufacturing accounts for 25.58% of the global inventory management software market in 2026. (Fortune Business Insights)
• 83. The UK inventory management software market is forecast to advance at 13.7% CAGR from 2026 to 2036. (Future Market Insights)
• 84. AI-driven demand forecasting is expected to reduce forecast errors by 30% to 50%, enabling leaner inventory positions. (Netstock)
• 85. The top drivers for technology adoption in manufacturing contract management are improving operational performance (72%), reducing cycle times (49%), and reducing costs (47%). (World Commerce & Contracting)
• 86. Over one-third of companies that launched D2C channels saw greater revenue outcomes than companies that prioritized other growth strategies during COVID-19. (McKinsey)
• 87. 71% of consumers would choose a sustainably made product if priced the same as an equivalent unsustainable product, pressuring manufacturers to rethink packaging and materials inventory. (PDI Technologies)
• 88. The average supply chain cost for industrial suppliers remains above 9% of revenue, with companies targeting 4% to potentially double profits. (Meteor Space)
• 89. The inventories-to-sales ratio improved from 1.39 (December 2024) to 1.36 (December 2025), indicating manufacturers are getting leaner. (US Census Bureau)
• 90. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region for inventory management software, at a 10.2% CAGR, as rapid industrialization drives demand. (Grand View Research)

If you'd like to cite statistics from this page, use the following format:

You're welcome to use any data on this page with attribution. A link back to this page is appreciated but not required.