N
The Daily Insight Hub

What is meant by merchandising inventory?

Author

Daniel Santos

Updated on January 02, 2026

Merchandise inventory is goods that have been acquired by a distributor, wholesaler, or retailer from suppliers, with the intent of selling the goods to third parties. This can be the single largest asset on the balance sheet of some types of businesses.

What is merchandise inventory example?

Merchandise inventory is finished goods acquired for sale by retail or wholesale traders. Another example, retail firms’ hardware stores purchases hammers, nails, wrenches, and bolts etc. for ready sale. Other goods are purchased that require some minor finishing or assembling to make them ready for sale.

What should be included in merchandise inventory?

Merchandise Inventory

  1. its cost of goods on hand at the start of the period (beginning inventory)
  2. the net cost of purchases during the period.
  3. and the cost of goods on hand at the close of the period (ending inventory).

What are the types of merchandise inventory?

Methods of Merchandise Inventory Valuation

  • Periodic Inventory. Periodic inventories do not maintain an ongoing balance of the quantities and overall valuation of the inventory on hand.
  • Perpetual Inventory.
  • FIFO Method.
  • Moving Average Method.

    Is inventory a debit or credit?

    Merchandise inventory (also called Inventory) is a current asset with a normal debit balance meaning a debit will increase and a credit will decrease.

    How do you start merchandise inventory?

    Multiply your ending inventory balance with the production cost of each item. Do the same with the amount of new inventory. Add the ending inventory and cost of goods sold. To calculate beginning inventory, subtract the amount of inventory purchased from your result.

    What type of account is inventory?

    Inventory is accounted for as an asset, which means it will show up on a company’s balance sheet. An increase in inventory is recorded as a debit while a credit signifies a reduction in the inventory account. When it comes to retail or distribution, inventory involves the purchase of goods for sale to customers.

    Is inventory a credit account?

    Merchandise inventory (also called Inventory) is a current asset with a normal debit balance meaning a debit will increase and a credit will decrease. To determine the cost of goods sold in any accounting period, management needs inventory information.

    Is merchandise inventory an expense?

    Merchandise inventory is not an income statement account. It’s an asset, and its ending balance is reported as a current asset on your balance sheet. The cost of any merchandise inventory sold during an accounting cycle is reported as an expenditure on the income statement for the cycle in which the sale was made.

    What is merchandise inventory end?

    Ending inventory is the value of goods still available for sale and held by a company at the end of an accounting period. The dollar amount of ending inventory can be calculated using multiple valuation methods.

    What is the 3 main categories of merchandise inventory?

    Goods you’re making (manufacturing) Manufacturers deal with three types of inventory. They are raw materials (which are waiting to be worked on), work-in-progress (which are being worked on), and finished goods (which are ready for shipping).

    Is merchandise inventory an asset?

    Is merchandise inventory a debit or credit?

    Merchandise inventory is the cost of goods on hand and available for sale at any given time. Merchandise inventory (also called Inventory) is a current asset with a normal debit balance meaning a debit will increase and a credit will decrease.

    Who are the only businesses with merchandise inventory?

    Typically, retailers and wholesalers are the only businesses with merchandise inventory. Manufacturers produce inventory, but they don’t purchase it and resell it. Thus, a manufacturer’s inventory isn’t considered merchandise inventory.

    Where does merchandise inventory go on an income statement?

    Merchandise inventory. If these goods are sold during an accounting period, then their cost is charged to the cost of goods sold, and appears as an expense in the income statement in the period when the sale occurred. If these goods are not sold during an accounting period, then their cost is recorded as a current asset,…

    Which is the most common form of inventory?

    Merchandise Inventory is the most common form of inventory or the inventory that everyone knows. In simple words, it is the inventory that a company has in hand for sale at a given time. Merchandise inventory is the finished goods that a distributor, wholesaler, or retailer acquires from the supplier, who may be a manufacturer.

    Why is the ending inventory of one period the beginning of the next?

    Since the ending inventory of the one period is the beginning inventory for the next period, management already knows the cost of the beginning inventory. Companies record purchases, purchase discounts, purchase returns and allowances, and transportation-in throughout the period.