{"name":"My Inventory Items research reference compilation","reviewed":"2026-10-11","methodology":"Curated summaries of independent primary publications. Each entry retains its period, geography and scope. Operational takeaways are editorial interpretations; values do not measure My Inventory Items customer outcomes.","facts":[{"id":"cloud-adoption","value":"52.7%","label":"of EU enterprises used paid cloud computing services in 2025","geography":"European Union","period":"2025","published":"2026-02-03","source":"Eurostat · ICT usage in enterprises","url":"https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260203-1","scope":"Survey covers enterprises with at least 10 employees or self-employed persons in specified sectors. Measures any paid cloud service, not inventory software adoption.","implication":"When evaluating a cloud inventory system, compare access, migration and data-export requirements as well as price."},{"id":"cloud-erp","value":"30.1%","label":"of EU enterprises using paid cloud services used cloud ERP software in 2025","geography":"European Union","period":"2025","published":"2026-02-03","source":"Eurostat · ICT usage in enterprises","url":"https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260203-1","scope":"The denominator is paid-cloud users in the survey, not all businesses. ERP includes broader functions than inventory alone.","implication":"Decide whether you need a focused inventory and billing workflow or a broader enterprise system."},{"id":"retail-shrink","value":"$112.1B","label":"estimated US retail shrink losses for financial year 2022","geography":"United States","period":"FY 2022","published":"2023-09-26","source":"NRF · National Retail Security Survey 2023","url":"https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/shrink-accounted-over-112-billion-industry-losses-2022-according-nrf","scope":"Historical industry estimate from the 2023 survey. Shrink includes multiple causes; this is not a theft-only measure or a current global loss total.","implication":"Record adjustments with reasons and compare physical counts with expected stock to investigate differences."},{"id":"late-payments","value":"28%","label":"of UK businesses affected by late payments each year in 2025 research","geography":"United Kingdom","period":"2025 research","published":"2025-07-31","source":"UK Small Business Commissioner · London Economics research","url":"https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/late-payments-research-2/","scope":"UK research commissioned by the Department for Business and Trade and the Small Business Commissioner. Not a global rate or a product result.","implication":"Link payment receipts to invoices and keep due dates and balances clear."},{"id":"late-balances","value":"£26B","label":"estimated outstanding late payments to UK businesses at any given time","geography":"United Kingdom","period":"2025 research","published":"2025-07-31","source":"UK Small Business Commissioner · London Economics research","url":"https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/late-payments-research-2/","scope":"An estimated outstanding stock of late payments, not annual revenue or annual loss.","implication":"Review outstanding balances alongside stock commitments before planning new purchases."},{"id":"chasing-payments","value":"86 hours","label":"average annual time spent chasing late payments per affected business in UK research","geography":"United Kingdom","period":"2025 research","published":"2025-07-31","source":"UK Small Business Commissioner · London Economics research","url":"https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/late-payments-research-2/","scope":"The research reports an average for affected businesses. It does not measure hours saved by billing software.","implication":"Keep invoice references, due dates and payment allocation visible to support follow-up."},{"id":"barcode-pilots","value":"48 countries","label":"were testing the GS1 2D barcode transition in its June 2024 announcement","geography":"Countries participating in GS1 pilots","period":"June 2024 announcement","published":"2024-06-26","source":"GS1 · Industry transition announcement","url":"https://www.gs1.org/resources/articles/leading-companies-retail-and-consumer-goods-industries-support-transition-qr-codes-gs1","scope":"Counts reported pilot countries, not completed deployments. The end-of-2027 goal is an industry ambition, not a universal legal deadline.","implication":"Test both scanner decoding and product lookup before depending on a barcode at checkout."},{"id":"digital-merchant-payments","value":"42%","label":"of adults in low- and middle-income countries made a digital merchant payment in 2024","geography":"Low- and middle-income countries","period":"2024","published":"2025-07-16","source":"World Bank · Global Findex 2025","url":"https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/07/16/mobile-phone-technology-powers-saving-surge-in-developing-economies","scope":"Measures adults making an in-store or online digital merchant payment. It is not the share of all transactions or an India-only figure.","implication":"Keep the payment method and actual transaction reference with each receipt."},{"id":"cash-pos","value":"52%","label":"of euro-area point-of-sale transactions were paid in cash by number in 2024","geography":"Euro area","period":"2024","published":"2024-12-19","source":"European Central Bank · SPACE 2024","url":"https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2024/html/ecb.pr241219~172b929461.en.html","scope":"Transaction count, not payment value. Consumer payment behavior in the euro area is not a universal checkout benchmark.","implication":"Reconcile cash tendered, change and recorded payment separately from invoice charges."},{"id":"food-waste-total","value":"1.05 billion tonnes","label":"estimated global retail-and-consumer food waste in 2022","geography":"Global","period":"2022","published":"2024-03-27","source":"UNEP · Food Waste Index Report 2024","url":"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-squanders-over-1-billion-meals-day-un-report","scope":"Includes inedible parts and waste from households, food services and retail. Not a measure of restaurant purchases, supply-chain loss or software savings.","implication":"Measure your own waste consistently by unit and cause before evaluating changes."},{"id":"food-service-share","value":"28%","label":"of estimated global retail-and-consumer food waste came from food services in 2022","geography":"Global","period":"2022","published":"2024-03-27","source":"UNEP · Food Waste Index Report 2024","url":"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-squanders-over-1-billion-meals-day-un-report","scope":"Share of the total waste estimate, including inedible parts. Does not mean each restaurant wastes 28% of purchases.","implication":"Keep ingredient counts and waste reasons separate from purchase quantities."},{"id":"retail-food-waste-share","value":"12%","label":"of estimated global retail-and-consumer food waste came from retail in 2022","geography":"Global","period":"2022","published":"2024-03-27","source":"UNEP · Food Waste Index Report 2024","url":"https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-squanders-over-1-billion-meals-day-un-report","scope":"Share of estimated global food waste, including inedible parts. Not the share of a retailer’s inventory lost and not a shrinkage rate.","implication":"Review dated food stock and record spoilage separately from unexplained count differences."},{"id":"medicine-quality","value":"1 in 10","label":"medicines in low- and middle-income countries were estimated to fail quality tests in WHO’s 2017 estimate","geography":"Low- and middle-income countries","period":"2017 estimate, restated in 2024","published":"2024-12-03","source":"WHO · Substandard and falsified medical products","url":"https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/substandard-and-falsified-medical-products","scope":"Historical quality-test estimate, not an expiry rate or a pharmacy stock-loss percentage. Inventory records cannot determine medicine authenticity or clinical suitability.","implication":"Maintain supplier documentation and evaluate traceability requirements with qualified pharmacy staff."}]}