Success in retail doesn’t happen by chance—it’s driven by data. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide the insights you need to make informed decisions, streamline operations, and understand your customers better. But with so many metrics available, knowing which KPIs matter most can be overwhelming.

This guide breaks down 50 essential KPIs that every retail store should track, explaining how they’re calculated and why they’re critical to your business success.

Speedcurve Performance Analytics

 

Customers

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

Calculation: (Positive Survey Responses / Total Responses) x 100
Why Track: Measures how satisfied customers are with your service, helping improve loyalty and experience.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Calculation: % Promoters - % Detractors
Why Track: Indicates customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend your business.

Customer Retention Rate

Calculation: ((Customers End of Period - New Customers) / Customers at Start) x 100
Why Track: Shows how many customers return, helping you focus on retention strategies.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Calculation: Average Transaction Value x Purchase Frequency x Customer Lifespan
Why Track: Helps to predict future revenue from long-term customers.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Calculation: Total Marketing Cost / New Customers Acquired
Why Track: Evaluates the cost-effectiveness of marketing in acquiring new customers.

Average Transaction Value (ATV)

Calculation: Total Sales Revenue / Number of Transactions
Why Track: Helps identify opportunities to increase customer spend per visit.

Customer Churn Rate

Calculation: (Customers Lost / Total Customers) x 100
Why Track: Reducing churn improves overall customer retention and long-term revenue.

Foot Traffic

Calculation: Number of Store Visitors per Time Period
Why Track: Indicates store performance and helps allocate resources accordingly.

First Response Time

Calculation: Total Time to Respond to Inquiries / Total Inquiries
Why Track: Faster responses improve customer satisfaction and service quality.

Customer Conversion Rate

Calculation: (Number of Sales / Number of Store Visitors) x 100
Why Track: Shows how effective the store is at turning visitors into paying customers.


eCommerce

Cart Abandonment Rate

Calculation: (Abandoned Carts / Initiated Carts) x 100
Why Track: Reducing this rate leads to more completed sales online.

Page Load Time

Calculation: Average Time for Page to Fully Load
Why Track: Slow loading times hurt user experience and search engine rankings.

Bounce Rate

Calculation: (Single Page Visits / Total Visits) x 100
Why Track: Indicates the percentage of visitors who leave without interacting, signalling potential user experience issues.

Checkout Conversion Rate

Calculation: (Completed Checkouts / Initiated Checkouts) x 100
Why Track: Improving this boosts online sales and reduces drop-offs at checkout.

Mobile Traffic Ratio

Calculation: (Mobile Visitors / Total Visitors) x 100
Why Track: Shows the importance of mobile optimisation as more users shop via mobile.

Click Through Rate (CTR)

Calculation: (Clicks / Impressions) x 100
Why Track: Higher CTRs indicate better-performing ads or product listings.

Time on Site

Calculation: Average Time Spent on Website per Visit
Why Track: More time spent on site generally means higher engagement and interest.

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Calculation: Revenue from Ads / Cost of Ads
Why Track: Helps measure the effectiveness of your advertising efforts.

Product Reviews and Ratings

Calculation: Number of Positive Reviews / Total Reviews
Why Track: Positive reviews increase customer trust and encourage sales.

Website Conversion Rate

Calculation: (Conversions / Total Website Visitors) x 100
Why Track: A key indicator of how well the website converts visitors into buyers.


Email

Email Open Rate

Calculation: (Emails Opened / Emails Sent) x 100
Why Track: Indicates the effectiveness of subject lines and timing.

Click Through Rate (CTR)

Calculation: (Clicks / Emails Delivered) x 100
Why Track: Tracks engagement by seeing how many people clicked links in the email.

Unsubscribe Rate

Calculation: (Unsubscribes / Emails Sent) x 100
Why Track: A high unsubscribe rate suggests irrelevant or too frequent messaging.

Conversion Rate

Calculation: (Conversions from Email / Emails Delivered) x 100
Why Track: Shows how successful emails are in generating desired actions, like purchases.

Email Bounce Rate

Calculation: (Bounced Emails / Emails Sent) x 100
Why Track: Helps clean up your email list and improve deliverability.

List Growth Rate

Calculation: (New Subscribers - Unsubscribes) / Total Subscribers x 100
Why Track: Tracks the health of your email list and its potential reach.

Revenue per Email

Calculation: Total Revenue from Email Campaign / Number of Emails Sent
Why Track: Important for understanding the ROI of email marketing campaigns.

Spam Complaint Rate

Calculation: (Spam Complaints / Emails Delivered) x 100
Why Track: High complaint rates harm your sender reputation and email deliverability.

Re-engagement Rate

Calculation: (Re-engaged Subscribers / Total Subscribers) x 100
Why Track: Helps reactivate inactive subscribers, maximising email campaign effectiveness.

Email Deliverability

Calculation: (Delivered Emails/ Total Emails Sent) x 100
Why Track: A key indicator of how well your sender reputation is perceived by email service providers.


Marketing

Return on Investment (ROI)

Calculation: (Net Profit / Marketing Costs) x 100
Why Track: Shows how effective marketing efforts are in generating profits.

Cost per Click (CPC)

Calculation: Total Ad Spend / Total Clicks
Why Track: Helps manage paid marketing budgets by tracking the average cost for each click.

Impressions

Calculation: Total Number of Times an Ad is Displayed
Why Track: Tracks brand visibility and awareness in paid or organic campaigns.

Social Media Engagement Rate

Calculation: (Total Interactions / Total Followers) x 100
Why Track: Higher engagement reflects better audience connection and brand impact.

Brand Awareness

Calculation: Surveys or Mentions in Social Media/Press
Why Track: Essential for understanding the public’s awareness and perception of your brand.

Lead Conversion Rate

Calculation: (Leads Converted into Customers / Total Leads) x 100
Why Track: Tracks the success of lead nurturing and marketing effectiveness.

Cost per Acquisition (CPA)

Calculation: Total Marketing Spend / Number of Acquisitions
Why Track: Reducing CPA helps increase overall profitability.

Influencer Engagement Rate

Calculation: (Likes + Shares + Comments) / Followers x 100
Why Track: Measures the success of influencer partnerships and content effectiveness.

Search Engine Ranking

Calculation: Position on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
Why Track: Higher rankings drive more organic traffic and improve brand visibility.

Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI)

Calculation: (Revenue from Marketing / Marketing Spend) x 100
Why Track: Ensures that marketing investments generate a positive return.


Inventory

Stock Turnover Rate

Calculation: Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory
Why Track: Indicates how efficiently inventory is being sold and replenished.

Inventory Days

Calculation: (Average Inventory / Cost of Goods Sold) x 365
Why Track: Shows how long inventory stays in stock before being sold, crucial for cash flow.

Inventory Accuracy

Calculation: (Physical Stock Count / Recorded Stock Count) x 100
Why Track: Ensures inventory records are aligned with actual stock, avoiding discrepancies.

Return Rate

Calculation: (Number of Returns / Total Sales) x 100
Why Track: Tracks product quality and customer satisfaction, minimising costly returns.

Supplier On Time In Full (OTIF)

Calculation: (On-Time & Complete Deliveries / Total Deliveries) x 100
Why Track: Measures supply chain reliability, ensuring orders are fulfilled accurately and on time.

Pick and Pack Rate

Calculation: Number of Items Picked or Packed / Hour
Why Track: Tracks warehouse efficiency, helping to optimise labour and processes.

Order Cycle Time

Calculation: Time from Order Placement to Shipment
Why Track: Shorter cycle times indicate a faster, more efficient fulfilment process

Lead Time

Calculation: Time from Purchase Order to Inventory Arrival
Why Track: Helps in planning stock levels and managing supplier performance.

Minimum Stock Levels Required

Calculation: Average Daily Usage x Lead Time in Days
Why Track: Ensures you have enough stock to meet demand in case of supply delays.

Order Picking Accuracy

Calculation: (Accurate Orders Picked / Total Orders Picked) x 100
Why Track: Measures how accurately items are picked in the warehouse, reducing returns and errors.


KPIs are more than just numbers; they reveal the strengths and weaknesses in your retail operation. By focusing on the right metrics, you can optimise everything from customer satisfaction to inventory management and marketing performance. This level of insight empowers you to make strategic decisions that lead to increased sales, better resource allocation, and improved customer loyalty. Understanding your KPIs and acting on them can transform your business and set it up for long-term success.


Why OnMetrix?

At OnMetrix, we provide the tools and expertise to help you track, analyse, and act on your most important metrics. Ready to take your retail business to the next level? Book a call with us today and let’s work together to turn your data into actionable insights that drive growth and profitability.