Retail floor planning (also referred to as floorplanning or inventory financing) is a type of short term loan used by retailers to purchase high-cost inventory such as automobiles. These loans are often secured by the inventory purchased as collateral. Floor planning is commonly used in new and used car dealerships. Contrary to common perceptions, most car dealers do not pay cash for the vehicles on their lot. Even smaller dealerships can have an inventory of vehicles representing millions of dollars of capital investment.