Glossary

What is Vendor Price Creep?

Last updated: July 7, 2026

Vendor price creep is the gradual, often unannounced increase of supplier prices across individual invoice line items. Because each increase is small — a few cents per unit — it routinely goes unnoticed, but compounded across hundreds of SKUs and multiple locations it silently erodes margins.

Vendor Price Creep example with real numbers

A $0.40/lb increase on chicken at a group buying 2,500 lbs/week across 4 locations costs $52,000/year — invisible on any single invoice.

How multi-unit restaurant groups manage vendor price creep

Vento audits every invoice line item against price history and flags increases the day they appear, turning price creep from an annual surprise into a same-week supplier conversation.