Inventory discrepancies: Retail’s most costly blind spot

In 2025, the German retail sector lost 5.11 billion euros due to inventory discrepancies alone – a trend that has been on the rise for years. Theft is the single largest cause, accounting for about 85 percent of losses, but the underlying problem is at least as critical: For most days of the year, many retailers’ system inventory does not match reality. Studies estimate that up to 60 percent of inventory records at the SKU level are inaccurate – with consequences for nearly every operational process, from demand planning to click-and-collect to price management.

Our white paper shows you how to systematically reduce inventory discrepancies using artificial intelligence: from risk-based cycle counting to anomaly detection in point-of-sale data to legally compliant vision systems at self-checkout – with a business case that typically pays for itself within a few months.