Sales, stock and supplier records support decisions about staffing, purchasing and store operations. Projects can cover a single store, several locations or a business supplying other retailers.
Forecast store visits and product demand
Sales and visit records can be compared with weather, season and local events to estimate demand for a coming week. Forecasts of visits and category sales help managers plan staff schedules, prepare stock and place orders. Comparison with later sales and recent averages provides a way to assess accuracy.
Demand can differ by category. Hot weather may increase purchases of cold drinks and outdoor supplies. A local game may increase sales of prepared food or clothing. Rain may reduce total visits while changing what customers buy. An expected range helps purchasing staff account for uncertainty in demand.
Forecast store visits and sales
Set the weather, season and games for a coming week. Compare predicted store visits and sales across five product categories.
- Predicted visits
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- Predicted sales
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Predicted sales by product category
The thin marker shows baseline sales. Percentages show the predicted change.
Compare sales and profit
Higher revenue can come with larger discounts, more returns or higher product costs. A report of net sales and gross profit by category, location or period makes those differences visible. It can separate changes in the number of items sold, prices and product mix.
Freight and fulfillment costs can be included where the records are available. Consistent cost definitions make comparisons across locations and reporting periods more useful.
Review stock, purchasing and deliveries
Low sales may reflect low demand or an unavailable product. Sales history and stock records help distinguish the two. Purchasing estimates can account for stock on hand, supplier delivery times and expected demand.
The details vary by business. Clothing has sizes and seasonal ranges. Food has shelf life. Wine may be purchased by the case and sold by the bottle. Consistent units make inventory reports and forecasts easier to use.
For several locations, the work can include store transfers, stock held in distribution centers and orders split across deliveries. Comparing promised and actual arrival dates shows the frequency of delays and incomplete orders.
Improve product records and internal software
Product descriptions, supplier codes and selling units need to agree across ordering, stock and sales systems. An import process can check missing details, match duplicate entries and identify errors before an update is applied.
Internal software can track stock requests, damaged goods and returns, including the responsible person and next action. Searchable product documents and procedures give staff access to the information needed for daily work.