In this guide I will deal with your Wet Stocks, sometimes called Liquor Stocks, although the same type of analysis can be applied to your Food (Dry) Stocks. Some of the elements discussed are also useful in the management of other stocks such as cleaning and janitorial supplies.
If, after you have read this guide, you need detailed assistance with your stock take reports then please contact us. Details of the services we can provide are on the Consultancy Services page.
To analyse a Stocktake Result you need to identify some key pieces of information. Whilst all stock take reports vary in format or lay-out there will be key pieces of information and key points of analysis you will need to undertake to make sure your pub is as profitable as possible.
The Stock Summary
Every stock report will include some sort of Stock Summary Sheet for the period. The stock period will include all sales from the last time a stock was taken up to the point of the next stock take and is usually expressed as a number of days.
The key product areas of stock that you sell are traditionally listed as: Spirits, Fortified Wines, Table Wines, Draught Ales (Bitter), Draught Lagers, Bottled Beers, Ciders and Minerals. You may wish to ask your stock taker to evaluate other items separately, for instance if you sell a lot of Cask Conditioned Ale (Real Ale) or Snacks/Tobacco.
Every stock take will list all the information out on a line by line basis and it is this detailed analysis that will help you improve your stock management and profitability. For instance you may set a target of 49% margin on all keg products, but by looking at all lines individually you may be able to tweak things to achieve or exceed this target.
Like any financial report they are historic and the quicker you act on the information they contain the better you will be able to control the profitability of your business.
Key Information
Days Held
This is the number of days stockholding on hand on the day of the stock take at the rate of sale over this stock period. This will aid in maximising the stock that need to have available for sale and help identify products that are over or under stocked.
Allowances
These are the retail (sales) value of products given away, product sold at a reduced price, slops and spillage or the value of the beer wasted when cleaning the lines.
Estimated Receipts
This is a calculation of the retail (sales) value of the stock consumed by the business during the stocktaking period less allowances made as above.
Actual Receipts
The retail (sales) income over the stock taking period recorded by your tills/ books of account
Surplus/Deficit
This is the calculation of the value or actual receipts less the estimated receipts. Is the result as expected? A deficit shows real problems somewhere. Is the surplus not a big as it should be? Again, this may be an indication that there is something amiss.
% Surplus/Deficit
This shows the cash result (the difference between actual and estimated sales) as a percentage of the takings and is an indication of comparative performance.
Yield
This measures the efficiency of the pub in turning estimated receipts according to pricing into actual receipts expressed as a percentage. The higher the % yield the greater the efficiency of the business and so the greater the profit from its operations.