Sales Trends Analysis

The Sales Trends Analysis report provides comprehensive insights into your sales performance over time, helping you identify patterns, track growth, and make data-driven business decisions.

Overview

The Sales Trends report displays:

• Total sales revenue by period
• Sales quantity trends
• Invoice count analysis
• Average order value calculations
• Growth rate comparisons
• Period-over-period performance

Accessing the Report

1. Navigate to Accounting → Reports
2. Click on Sales Trends
3. Select your desired date range
4. Click Generate Report

Report Filters

Date Range Selection

• From Date: Starting date for the analysis
• To Date: Ending date for the analysis
• Default Range: Current year (January 1 to today)

tip

For meaningful trend analysis, select a range of at least 3-6 months to identify patterns.

Report Columns

The Sales Trends report displays the following information:

Period

The time period for the data point (daily, weekly, or monthly grouping based on date range selected)

Date

Specific date or date range for the period

Total Sales

Total revenue generated during the period

• Calculated from all paid and partially paid invoices
• Excludes draft and cancelled invoices
• Displayed in your business currency

Total Quantity

Total number of items/units sold during the period

• Sum of all line item quantities from invoices
• Helps track volume trends

Invoice Count

Number of invoices created during the period

• Useful for understanding order frequency
• Compare with total sales to identify bulk vs. individual orders

Average Order Value (AOV)

Average revenue per invoice

• Formula: Total Sales ÷ Invoice Count
• Helps identify changes in customer spending patterns
• Track impact of pricing strategies

Growth Rate

Percentage change compared to previous period

• Shows period-over-period growth or decline
• Positive values indicate growth
• Negative values indicate decline
• Calculated automatically for trend analysis

Understanding the Data

Interpreting Growth Rates

• Positive Growth: Sales increased compared to previous period (greater than 0%)
• Negative Growth: Sales decreased compared to previous period (less than 0%)
• Zero Growth: Sales remained stable (0%)

Average Order Value Insights

• Increasing AOV: Customers buying more per transaction
• Decreasing AOV: Customers making smaller purchases
• Stable AOV: Consistent purchase patterns

Common Use Cases

Monthly Performance Review

1. Set date range to current month
2. Compare with previous month data
3. Identify any significant changes
4. Analyze growth rate trends

Seasonal Analysis

1. Set date range to cover entire year
2. Look for seasonal patterns
3. Identify peak and slow periods
4. Plan inventory and staffing accordingly

Product Strategy

1. Review sales quantity trends
2. Correlate with average order value
3. Identify popular products or services
4. Adjust pricing and promotions

Business Planning

1. Analyze historical growth rates
2. Project future sales based on trends
3. Set realistic revenue targets
4. Make informed inventory decisions

Exporting Data

The sales trends data can be exported for further analysis:

• Excel (.xlsx): For detailed analysis in spreadsheet software
• PDF: For printing and presentations
• CSV: For importing into other systems

Best Practices

✅ Do:

• Run reports regularly (weekly/monthly)
• Compare trends across different periods
• Look for patterns and anomalies
• Use data to inform business decisions
• Export data for long-term record keeping

❌ Don't:

• Draw conclusions from very short date ranges
• Ignore unusual spikes or drops (investigate them)
• Compare different business models without context
• Forget to account for seasonality

Troubleshooting

No Data Shown

Problem: Report shows no data

Solution:

• Verify invoices exist in the selected date range
• Check that invoices are paid or partially paid (drafts don't count)
• Ensure you're viewing the correct business
• Try expanding the date range

Unexpected Growth Rates

Problem: Growth rates seem incorrect

Solution:

• Verify previous period had sales data
• Check for one-time large orders that skew the data
• Ensure all invoices are properly dated
• Review for any voided or cancelled invoices

Missing Periods

Problem: Some periods show no data

Solution:

• This is normal if no sales occurred during that period
• Check if business was operational during that time
• Verify invoice creation dates

Related Topics

• Payment Report
• Invoices Overview
• Products Overview
• Dashboard Metrics