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The Sales Comparison Report helps you analyze sales performance between two different time periods that can go back years. It displays key sales metrics, item-level details, and clear comparisons that highlight growth or decline over time. This report is ideal for spotting trends, evaluating department or vendor performance, and making informed business decisions.

 

How the Report Works

To get to this area, in the main system menu hover over Reports and click View All.

On the main Reports page, find the Sales Reports section and click to open the Sales Comparison Report.

The report is divided into four main sections:

 

1. Filters and Date Ranges

This section controls which sales data is included in the report and the timeframe of those sales. Initially, no data is loaded when the report is first opened. This is to save time and increase performance if the default date selected is not desired. With this report you are able to compare sales data from the past 365 days with sales from as far back as the previous calendar year, if needed.

To configure the report for this comparison, do the following steps:

1. Click in the Primary Date Range filter to open the date picker.
2. Using the options on the left, click Last 365 Days.
3. Click in the Comparison Date Range filter to open the date picker.
4. Using the options on the left, click Previous Year Last 365 Days.
5. On the far right of the Filters area, click the Apply button. The report will load data from the specified ranges for your sales. Depending on how much data you have, it may take some time for the report to load, so please be patient.

The Primary Date Range represents the most recent or current time period you want to analyze. Examples include: This Month, This Quarter, This Year, or a Custom Range. In most cases you will want to select a range within the current year. 

The Comparison Date Range is used to compare results against the Primary period. This automatically defaults to the same time period from the previous year for you. Examples include: If the Primary range is October 2025, the Comparison range will be October 2024. This automation saves time and reduces errors when setting up comparisons.

The report is capable of working with sales data in custom date ranges going back up to three full years.

 

Grouping and Sub-Grouping Filters

These filters determine how sales data is organized in the table:

• Group: The top-level grouping for items (e.g., Department or Category).
• Sub-Group: A secondary grouping nested within each Group.

Example:

If we set the Group to Department and the Subgroup to Vendor, then click the Apply button, the report will show totals by Department, then by Vendor within each Department, and finally it will list individual items. 

 

Advanced Filters

If you click the Advanced Filters link on the right side of the Filters area, you'll see filters for Location (If you have multiple Locations, by default the report uses data from all of them), Till, Department, Website Category, Vendor, Manufacturer, Sales Clerk, Item Type (e.g. Product & Service), and Integrations (e.g. Shopify & Clientbook).

 

2. Key Metrics

Located below the filters, the Key Metrics section displays high-level performance metrics in an easy-to-read card format.

Each card (or “tile”) represents a metric and can be changed to a different metric than the default one by using the down-arrow button in the upper right. You can also used the handle icons on the left to drag and drop the cards into whatever positions work best for you. These metrics take into account the time period you selected as well as any additional filters you might have applied.

Available Metrics:

1. Total Revenue — This is the total dollar amount of sales.
2. Total Units Sold — This is the total quantity of items sold.
3. Transaction Volume — This is the number of completed sales transactions.
4. Average Daily Transactions — This is the average number of transactions per day for the period.
5. Average Transaction Value — This is the Total Revenue divided by the Transaction Volume.
6. Gross Margin — This is the dollar value of the profits for the period after deducting the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) from Total Revenue.
7. Gross Margin Percentage — This is the percentage value of profits after subtracting the Cost of Goods Sold percentage from 100% (Total Revenue).

 

3. Metrics Chart

The Metrics Chart area provides a visual comparison of sales performance over time for your Revenue (this displays by default), Units Sold, Gross Margin, or Number of Transactions metrics.

Dynamic Line Charts Deliver Comparative Insights:

• Each of the available metrics can be displayed as a comparative line chart, showing trends for both the Primary and Comparison date ranges.
• This makes it easy to see whether sales are increasing, declining, or consistent year over year.
• Hovering over data points reveals detailed values for each period.
  

Metric Selection:

• The chart’s Title includes a drop-list in the upper left to select the metric to visualize (e.g., Total Revenue, Units Sold, etc.).
• This allows you to view different metric trends in comparison and to better understand changes in performance over time.

 

4. Sales Comparison Table

The lower section of the report displays a detailed comparison breakdown for the Primary and Comparison periods for their Revenue, Units, and Margin, based on the selected filters.

It shows data for both time periods, along with a comparison metric that highlights percentage growth or decline over the periods.

Each row typically includes:

• Group/Subgroup Totals

• Item-Level Details

• Primary Period Metrics

• Comparison Period Metrics

• Change (%) indicating increase or decrease between periods