Sell Through Rate Calculator
Enter the units sold and the units received to find the sell through rate and how much stock is left.
Updated
Sell Through Rate Calculator
Our Sell Through Rate Calculator shows how much of the stock you received has been sold. Enter the number of units sold and the number of units received, and it gives the sell through rate as a percentage along with the units still unsold. It is made for store owners, ecommerce sellers, buyers and inventory managers who want to see how well a product is moving.
Quick answer
Sell through rate is units sold ÷ units received × 100: 150 sold out of 200 received is 150 ÷ 200 × 100 = 75%.
- Higher: the product is selling quickly relative to the stock bought.
- Lower: excess stock, weak demand, or a pricing or display problem.
- Same period: count sales and receipts for the same product and period.
- Very high: you may be ordering too little and running out.
What Is Sell Through Rate?
Sell through rate (STR) is one of the core measures in retail and ecommerce inventory management. It compares how much of a product you have sold with how much you originally received, as a percentage:
= Units sold
÷ Units received × 100
- Units sold: the number of units sold in the period.
- Units received: the number of units received from the supplier for that period or shipment.
A higher rate generally means the product is selling at a strong pace for the stock held. A lower rate may point to excess inventory, low demand, or a need for better merchandising or pricing.
How to Calculate Sell Through Rate
You received 200 units of a new skincare product and sold 150 in the first month:
- Count the units sold. 150.
- Count the units received. 200.
- Divide and multiply by 100. 150 ÷ 200 = 0.75, and 0.75 × 100 = 75%.
A 75% sell through suggests the product is performing very well. You can decide whether to reorder, promote it further or widen the range.
Sell Through Rate Examples
| Sold ÷ Received | Rate |
|---|---|
| Skincare product 150 ÷ 200 | 75% |
| Winter sweaters 32 ÷ 80 | 40% |
| Water bottles 120 ÷ 500 | 24% |
Clothing boutique. A boutique ordered 80 sweaters for winter and sold 32 in two months, a rate of 40%. Whether that is acceptable depends on the price point, the season and the turnover target, but it gives a clear number on which to base a price change, a new display or a promotion.
Outdoor equipment store. A store received 500 insulated water bottles for spring and sold only 120 in the first weeks, a rate of 24%. That is much slower than expected, so it may be time to discount, improve the display, invest in marketing or cut future orders.
How to Interpret Sell Through Rate
| If the rate is | It may mean |
|---|---|
| Very high | You are under-ordering and may run out of stock. |
| Very low | You are over-ordering, or demand is weak. |
| Uneven across categories | The product mix needs adjusting. |
| Changing by season | You can plan next year's cycles more accurately. |
A good rate varies by industry, season and product type, and by how long the product has been on sale. Compare a product with similar products over the same length of time.
Why Track Sell Through Rate
Without this measure it is easy to tie up capital in slow-moving products, which costs shelf space and margin. Tracking it regularly helps you:
- Avoid over-ordering and excess stock.
- Improve purchasing accuracy.
- Adjust prices before products become dead stock.
- Protect profit margins.
- Identify winning and underperforming items.
- Forecast seasonal trends and understand customer demand.
- Allocate inventory across locations or channels.
When to Use the Calculator
- Before reordering products.
- When assessing sales at the end of a season.
- While preparing a sale or promotion.
- When evaluating a new product launch.
- When deciding whether to discontinue slow-moving items.
- For monthly, quarterly or year-end reviews.
It is also useful for ecommerce sellers on platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Amazon or eBay, who often manage inventory in batches or shipments.
Sell Through Rate vs Inventory Turnover
| Metric | Measures |
|---|---|
| Sell through rate | The share of received units that sold in a period. Best for one product, shipment or season. |
| Inventory turnover | How many times the average inventory was sold and replaced, usually over a year and in cost terms. |
Common Mistakes
- Swapping the inputs. Units sold go on top: sold ÷ received, not received ÷ sold.
- Mixing periods. Sales from one month and receipts from another give a meaningless rate.
- Mixing units and money. Use units for both numbers, or value for both.
- Counting returns as sales. Subtract returned units from units sold.
- Comparing different time spans. A product on sale for a week cannot be compared with one on sale for three months.
Key Terms
- Sell through rate
- Units sold ÷ units received × 100.
- Units received
- Stock delivered by the supplier.
- Dead stock
- Inventory that is no longer expected to sell.
- SKU
- Stock keeping unit: one distinct product.
- Inventory turnover
- How many times inventory is sold and replaced in a period.
How to Use the Sell Through Rate Calculator
- Enter the units sold. Type the number of units sold in the period, such as 150. Commas are fine.
- Enter the units received. Type the number of units received from the supplier, such as 200.
- Read and copy the result. The sell through rate appears as you type, with the working, the units unsold and a bar showing the sold and unsold shares. Press Copy to copy it, or Clear or Esc to start again.
Example: 32 units sold and 80 units received. The result is 40%, from 32 ÷ 80 × 100 = 40%, with 48 units unsold.
Who Can Use This Calculator?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you calculate sell through rate?
Divide the number of units sold by the number of units received, then multiply by 100. Sell through rate (%) = units sold ÷ units received × 100.
What is the sell through rate if 150 units sold out of 200 received?
It is 75%. 150 ÷ 200 × 100 = 75%, which leaves 50 units, or 25%, unsold.
What is a good sell through rate?
It varies by industry, season and product type. Higher percentages indicate stronger product performance, and a rate above about 70% is often treated as strong, while low percentages may signal slow-moving inventory. Treat any single figure as a rough guide.
How often should I check sell through rate?
Most retailers and ecommerce sellers check it weekly or monthly. Seasonal businesses may review it more often, especially during major sales periods or product launches.
Why is sell through rate important for inventory planning?
It shows how quickly products are selling, which helps you avoid overstocking or understocking. That leads to better decisions about reordering, pricing and stock allocation.
What is the difference between sell through rate and inventory turnover?
Sell through rate is the share of received units sold in a period, usually for one product or shipment. Inventory turnover counts how many times the average inventory was sold and replaced, usually over a year.
Can sell through rate be more than 100%?
Not for a single shipment, because you cannot sell more units than you received. If your numbers give more than 100%, the sales probably include stock from an earlier period, so add that stock to the units received.
Is the Sell Through Rate Calculator free?
Yes. It is completely free, needs no sign-up, and can be used as many times as you like.
Sources
- Shopify. Sell-Through Rate (STR): How to Calculate and Improve It.
- Corporate Finance Institute. Sell-Through Rate.
- Wall Street Prep. Sell-Through Rate: Formula and Calculator.
- Wikipedia. Sell-through.
- Wikipedia. Inventory turnover.
Try our Sell Through Rate Calculator to see how fast your stock is moving.