Shopify Product Sales by Year Template

The Product Sales by Year template creates a year-over-year Shopify product sales spreadsheet. Every row represents one product, while separate annual columns show how Net Sales and Gross Sales changed over time.

Use it when you need a long-term product view without adding every year and metric by hand.

What year-over-year product data tells you

Most product reports show a single lifetime total, which flatters anything that sold well once and hides which direction things are heading now.

Laying years side by side answers the questions a total cannot:

• Which products sell dependably year after year, and deserve to anchor the assortment
• Which have declined for several years running and are candidates to drop
• Which grew fast enough to build more range around
• Whether a strong lifetime total came from steady demand or one exceptional year

That last distinction matters most at buying time. A product with a big lifetime number driven entirely by one good year three years ago is not the safe reorder it appears to be.

What the template creates

The template creates two worksheets:

Net Sales Report

• Product Title
• Handle
• Net Sales All Time
• One Net Sales column for each available calendar year from the current year back through 2018

Gross Sales Report

• Product Title
• Handle
• Gross Sales All Time
• One Gross Sales column for each available calendar year from the current year back through 2018

The current-year column contains the available year-to-date activity. Completed prior-year columns contain the full calendar year.

Create the Product Sales by Year spreadsheet

1. Install Mixtable Analytics Spreadsheet
2. Click Create Spreadsheet
3. Search for or select Product Sales by Year
4. Create the spreadsheet

Mixtable creates both worksheets and begins calculating the annual analytics columns from your Shopify orders.

How to use the report

Find durable products

Look for products that remain strong across several completed years. A product with consistent Net Sales is usually a more dependable assortment anchor than one driven by a single exceptional year.

Find products losing momentum

Compare recent completed years before using the current year. If Net Sales has declined for several years, review inventory, pricing, product-page quality, competition, and whether the product still fits the assortment.

Separate demand from deductions

Gross Sales reflects original merchandise value before discounts and returns. Net Sales reflects merchandise revenue after those deductions.

If Gross Sales stays strong while Net Sales weakens, investigate discounts and refunds rather than assuming demand disappeared.

Calculate year-over-year growth

Add a formula column beside two annual values:

(Current Year - Previous Year) / Previous Year

Format the result as a percentage and name it clearly. Use two completed years for a fair full-year comparison.

Compare the current year fairly

The current calendar year is incomplete until December 31. Do not compare a partial current year directly with a completed prior year without acknowledging the difference.

For a like-for-like comparison during the year:

1. Add two Net Sales columns with matching fixed date ranges
2. Use January 1 through today’s equivalent date in each year
3. Calculate the change in a formula column

See Shopify analytics timeframes for matching-period guidance.

Add supporting Shopify data

Useful product fields include:

• Vendor
• Product type
• Product category
• Status
• Tags
• Inventory context

Useful analytics additions include Orders Count, quantities sold, Total Discount Amount, and Total Refund Amount Excluding Tax.

For a more detailed recent view, use the Product Sales by Month template. For a compact lifetime scorecard, use the Product Sales Metrics template.