Understanding Retail Data

Interesting definitions of Retail Data used for reporting on Retail Stores from Activemedia-Guide

  • Same Store Sales
  • Sales per Square foot
  • Gross Margin return in inventory investment (GMROII)

Same-Store Sales are sales dollars generated only by those stores that have been open more than a year and have historical data to compare this year's sales to the same time-frame last year. Also Known As: Comp Store Sales, Comparable Store Sales, Like-Store Sales.

Sales per square foot is a standard and usually the primary measurement of store success. The unit of area is usually square metres in the metric system or square feet in U.S. customary units. Square feet are also widely used in retailing in the United Kingdom, but there are signs of a trend towards use of square metres.

Gross Margin Return on Investment is an inventory profitability evaluation ratio that analyzes a firm's ability to turn inventory into cash above the cost of the inventory. It is calculated by dividing the gross margin by the average inventory cost and is used often in the retail industry.