What Is the Sales by Product Variant (Existing SKUs) Report?
The Sales by Product Variant (Existing SKUs) report shows how individual product variants performed over a selected sales period. Instead of grouping all sizes, colors, or other options under one product, it lets you review each variant using its product title, variant title, SKU, quantity sold, and sales amounts.
This premade report focuses on products and variants that still exist in your Shopify product catalog. Deleted products and variants are not included, even if they had sales in the past. That makes the report useful for decisions about your current range, but not a complete historical record of every SKU ever sold.
Use it to compare the variants shoppers are buying, review the effect of discounts, and share a consistent variant-level sales view with the people responsible for merchandising and reordering. The report does not show stock on hand, unit costs, or profit.
Report Overview
- Report type
- Product & Variant Reports.
- Reporting period
- A sales date range selected when running the report.
- Included data
- Product and variant names, SKU, net units sold, gross sales, discounts, taxes, and net sales.
- Best for
- Comparing currently available product variants and deciding which options warrant attention.
- Export and delivery
- Download supported file formats or schedule recurring delivery in Data Export.
What Can You Learn from Variant-Level Sales?
1. Which Sizes or Colors Sell Best
Compare Net Quantity Sold across Variant Title and SKU for one product. This shows whether demand is concentrated in a particular option rather than evenly distributed across the product.
Example: In a hypothetical shirt range, medium sells 90 units while extra-large sells 18.
What you can do: Review reorder priorities for the better-selling sizes using a separate stock check.
2. Which Variants Drive Sales Value
Net Quantity Sold and Total Net Sales let you distinguish high-volume options from those contributing more sales value. An expensive variant may bring in more net sales without selling the most units.
Example: A hypothetical premium lamp variant sells fewer units than a basic model but brings in more net sales.
What you can do: Use both measures when choosing which existing variants to feature or promote.
3. Where Discounts Deserve a Closer Look
Review Total Discount beside Total Gross Sales and Total Net Sales to see which variants have substantial discount amounts. The report does not establish whether those discounts were profitable.
Example: A hypothetical shoe size shows higher gross sales but also much larger discounts than other sizes.
What you can do: Check the promotional rules for that SKU before repeating the same offer.
4. Which Sales Figures Need Reconciliation
Total Taxes and Total Net Sales provide additional figures for checking the variant-level sales picture. These are sales report amounts, not a payout statement or a ready-to-file tax report.
Example: A hypothetical skincare variant shows net sales and a separate tax total for the same period.
What you can do: Share the figures with your bookkeeper alongside the relevant order and tax records.
What Should You Check First in This Report?
Start with four checks that directly use the supplied fields:
- Variant Title and SKU: Confirm you can distinguish each size, color, or option before comparing sales.
- Net Quantity Sold: Sort variants by units sold to find the strongest sellers among the rows returned.
- Total Gross Sales, Total Discount, and Total Net Sales: Look for variants where discounts materially change the sales picture.
- Total Taxes: Review tax totals for unusual differences, then check the underlying order records if necessary.
When Should You Use This Report?
| When to Use It | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Comparing sales across existing variants | Compare performance by individual variant instead of relying only on product-level totals. |
| Reviewing demand for listed sizes or colors | See which currently listed sizes, colors, or configurations sell more units or generate more net sales. |
| Preparing SKU-level reorder decisions | Use sales by SKU as an input to reorder planning, together with a separate inventory report. |
| Checking variant results after a promotion | Review which existing variants generated net sales during a promotion and how much discount was recorded. |
| Reviewing variant sales and tax figures | Receive consistent variant-level gross sales, discount, tax, and net sales figures for follow-up review. |
For example, after a seasonal promotion, a merchant can sort the current variants by Net Quantity Sold to decide which options deserve a stock review before the next campaign.
How to Create This Report in Data Export
Start with the premade report instead of building the eight-column layout from scratch.
- Open the premade report: In Data Export, find Sales by Product Variant (existing skus) under Product & Variant Reports.
- Choose the reporting period: Select the dates you want to review, then open the report preview.
- Check the columns: Review Product Title, Variant Title, SKU, Net Quantity Sold, Total Gross Sales, Total Discount, Total Taxes, and Total Net Sales. Adjust supported sorting or filters if needed.
- Save and export: Save the prepared report and download it in the format you need, such as Excel or CSV.
- Set up delivery if useful: Use Data Export scheduling to send the report daily, weekly, or monthly to an available destination, such as email or Google Sheets.
Make the Most of This Report
A few habits make your variant-level export easier to interpret and use.
01 / PERIOD
Compare like-for-like periods. Use the same date range when reviewing sales before and after a promotion.
02 / IDENTIFIERS
Check variant titles and SKUs. A product may have several options that should not be combined.
03 / CATALOG SCOPE
Remember that deleted products and variants are excluded. Do not treat missing old SKUs as evidence of zero historical sales.
04 / DELIVERY
Share a focused Excel or CSV export. Schedule it only as often as your team needs a fresh report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this report include deleted products or variants?
No. It is designed for products and variants that still exist in the Shopify catalog. Sales attached to deleted product or variant records may be absent, even when they fall within the selected date range.
Why can one product appear on multiple rows?
Each variant is evaluated separately. A product with several sizes or colors can therefore have several rows, each with its own title, SKU, quantity, and sales values.
Does “existing SKUs” mean every row must have a filled-in SKU?
“Existing” means products and variants that still exist in Shopify. Check the report settings if you need to exclude variants with empty SKU values.
Can I use this report to decide how much stock to reorder?
It shows net units sold, which can help identify demand by SKU. It does not include current inventory, incoming purchase orders, or reorder points, so check stock separately before placing an order.
Can I export or schedule this report?
Yes. After saving the report, you can export it in a supported format and use Data Export scheduling for recurring deliveries. Available formats and destinations depend on your report setup.
