Full price sell-through by category: what share sold at full price
The short answer
Divide the units each category sold at full price by all units it sold, and you have its full price sell-through for the period. Rank categories over a year, then check which customers buy each one at full price, since a high share usually rests on a loyal group of full-price buyers.
Full price sales percentage, worked through
Why it matters
Total sell through can look healthy while most units leave on markdown. The full-price share shows how much of each category's volume earns planned margin, which tells finance where buying depth or pricing needs to change.
The question to ask
Copy this into Lexi as written.
How to work it out
1. Define full price. Count a unit as full price only when no markdown, promotion or member discount applied at checkout.
2. Calculate by category. Divide full-price units by total units sold for each category over the year, net of returns.
3. Check the buyers. For each category, count customers who bought it at full price and how many of them buy it again.
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for an apparel retailer. It divides full-price units by total units sold for each category over the year.
- Denim: 70% full-price sell-through
- Knitwear: 45%
- Dresses: 45%
- Swimwear: 30%
What the data shows
Denim earns planned margin on most units. Swimwear sells 70% of its units on markdown.
What it means
Swimwear's buy was likely too deep or launched too late. Knitwear and dresses tie at 45%, but knitwear's full-price buyers return each winter while dress buyers rarely repeat.
What to do
Buy swimwear shallower and earlier, and protect knitwear depth for its loyal buyers.
Want me to show the customers behind each category's full-price sales?
Frequently asked questions
Is full price sell-through the same as sell through rate?
No. Sell through rate divides units sold by units received, so it measures how much stock cleared. Full price sell-through, as used here, measures what share of units sold went at full price. Some retailers instead divide full-price units by units received, so state which version a report uses.
Why can a high sell through rate hide a margin problem?
Sell through counts every unit that left, whatever the price. A category can clear 90% of its stock and still sell most of it on deep markdown. Pairing sell through with the full-price share shows whether stock cleared at planned margin or was discounted out the door.
What lowers full price sell through rate?
Buying too deep, launching late in the season, pricing above what core customers will pay and running frequent promotions all push units into markdown. Customer mix matters too, since categories bought mostly by discount shoppers sell less at full price. Check which of these applies before changing price.