How to calculate Sell-Through Rate

Formula

Sell-through % = units sold ÷ units received × 100

SQL query

This example assumes: receipts(product_id, received_at, units), sales_lines(product_id, sold_at, units). It is written in PostgreSQL syntax; date functions differ slightly in MySQL, BigQuery and SQLite, and your column names will differ from these.

SELECT r.product_id,
       r.received,
       COALESCE(s.sold, 0) AS sold,
       COALESCE(s.sold, 0) * 100.0 / NULLIF(r.received, 0) AS sell_through_pct
FROM (SELECT product_id, SUM(units) AS received FROM receipts
      WHERE received_at >= DATE '2026-08-01' GROUP BY product_id) r
LEFT JOIN (SELECT product_id, SUM(units) AS sold FROM sales_lines
           WHERE sold_at >= DATE '2026-08-01' GROUP BY product_id) s
  USING (product_id)
ORDER BY sell_through_pct;

Common mistakes that make Sell-Through Rate wrong

• Define the period from the receipt of stock; mixing seasons compares unlike things.
• Units sold from older stock inflate the figure for a new delivery.
• Variants (size, colour) of one product need grouping to judge the line.

Ask for Sell-Through Rate in plain English

Instead of writing the query yourself, you can type the question. SchemaChat turns it into SQL against your connected database or uploaded file, runs it, and shows the SQL and the figures it used so you can check the answer before you share it. It does not replace your judgement about the definition: check that the query matches the formula your business uses.

• Which products have the lowest sell-through since delivery?
• What is the sell-through of the autumn range?