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How to calculate sell-through rate in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=B2/A2✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Units Received | Units Sold |
| 500 | 340 |
=B2/A2→0.68
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Step by step
- 1In A2 enter units received (total inventory available at the start of or during the period). In B2 enter units sold in the same period.
- 2In C2 enter =B2/A2 and format as a percentage (Ctrl+1 > Percentage in Excel; Format > Number > Percent in Sheets).
- 3For multiple SKUs, put each product in its own row with received in column A and sold in column B, then copy =B2/A2 down column C.
- 4Guard against division by zero when a SKU had no inventory: use =IFERROR(B2/A2,"") or =IF(A2=0,"",B2/A2).
- 5Add a conditional column to flag poor performers: =IF(C2<0.6,"Review","OK") — adjust the threshold to your category benchmark.
Tips
- Sell-through rate can exceed 100% when units sold include inventory from a prior period. In that case, use beginning inventory plus received as the denominator.
- Compare rates across categories only when shelf life and reorder cycle are similar — fast fashion and consumer electronics have very different healthy benchmarks.
- Track sell-through weekly rather than monthly to catch velocity changes early enough to reorder or run promotions.
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Frequently asked
What is considered a good sell-through rate?
It depends heavily on category. General retail targets 80%+ in most categories; fashion aims for 80-85% within-season. Below 60% typically signals overbuying or weak demand.
How is sell-through different from sell-in?
Sell-in is what a retailer buys from a brand (the purchase order). Sell-through is what a consumer buys from the retailer — the truer measure of actual demand.