Sell-through rate calculator.
Units sold ÷ units received. Tells you which orders worked and which are clogging the back room. The buyer's most useful number.
For this product / order
Defaults assume a small retail SKU after 6 weeks on shelf.
Sell-through rate
Sell-through is the "did this order work?" number.
Sell-through rate is the % of a product order that's sold in a defined period. It's the most useful number for buyers — better than units sold (which doesn't account for what you ordered) and better than revenue (which doesn't account for time).
The formula
Sell-through % = units sold ÷ units received
Always measure over a defined period — 4 weeks, 6 weeks, season. Without time, the number is meaningless.
What's a good rate
Under 40% at 4 weeks: the order was wrong. Mark down to clear, and reduce the next order. 40-60% at 4 weeks: normal. Monitor weekly. 60-80% at 4 weeks: strong. Reorder if possible. Over 80% at 4 weeks: you under-ordered. Lost sales likely. Re-up immediately if supplier allows.
Why "estimated days to sell out" matters
It tells you the urgency. 200 days of stock left = mark down now or you'll be holding it through next season. 14 days left of a hot item = reorder now or you'll stock-out and customers go elsewhere.
The seasonal adjustment
Sell-through targets are higher for seasonal items. A 60% sell-through on summer dresses by August is acceptable. A 60% sell-through on basics by week 4 is alarming — basics should approach 100% before reorder.