Item Sales by Department
Track sales performance across departments, sub departments, and suppliers.
Written by Michael Cook
Updated at June 25th, 2025
Table of Contents
Item Sales by Department Report
What This Report Is
This report shows how well your items are selling. You can group the sales by Shift, Department, Subdepartment, or Supplier, and review the results over a custom or preset date range (like “Last 30 Days”).
Why It Matters
- Shows which products and suppliers make you the most money
- Helps you spot slow-selling items or problem categories
- Helps avoid over-ordering or running out of popular products
- Great for planning promotions, pricing, or supplier deals
What to Look For
| Column | What It Tells You | What to Watch Out for |
|
Department Subdepartment Supplier |
Category or vendor the items belong to | Make sure names are correct and easy to read |
| Quantity | Number of units sold | Low numbers may mean a product isn't moving |
| Sales ($) | Total money made from sales | Look for top-earning categories or items |
| CoGS ($) | Cost of Goods Sold (your cost) | High cost with low profit = low-margin item |
| Profit (%) | How much you actually earned | Focus on the high-profit categories |
| Margin (%) | Profit as a percentage | Anything under 30% might need review |
| QOH | Quantity on Hand (inventory left) | Negative numbers could mean inventory errors |
What to Do
- Check Profits: Look for top departments or suppliers bringing in the most profit. Promote those items.
- Fix Inventory Issues: If you see negative QOH, it may mean scanning or stocking mistakes—check immediately.
- Drop Dead Items: If something sold 0 or very little, consider removing or discounting it.
- Review Margins: Sort by lowest margin and see if pricing or supplier cost needs adjusting.
- Plan Smarter Orders: Use sales + QOH to decide what to reorder and what to skip.