Topic: Inventory Control and Auditing
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The objective is to identify why businesses perform physical checks on their stored goods.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
An inventory audit is an analytical procedure to cross-check the "books" (digital records) against the "shelves" (physical stock).
While valuation (Option B) and identifying slow stock (Option C) are outcomes of an audit, the fundamental purpose of the activity itself is to ensure that the physical quantity present matches the recorded quantity.
This helps in detecting theft, damage, or administrative errors.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The main purpose of an inventory audit is to count and verify the actual inventory quantities.