What Is the Sales by Vendor Report?
The Sales by Vendor report in Data Export shows how products from different vendors contribute to your Shopify store’s sales. Instead of reviewing individual products one by one, you can compare vendor-level figures using the Product Vendor field.
For your chosen reporting period, the report brings together Net Quantity, Gross Sales, Discount, Returns, Net Sales, Shipping, Tax, Total Duties, and Total Sales. It helps you see which vendors contribute the most sales and where discounts or returns deserve a closer look.
Use these figures to review your product mix, prepare vendor discussions, and make better-informed restocking decisions. This is a sales report, not a calculation of vendor profit, inventory on hand, or payments received.
Report Overview
- Report type
- Sales & Order Reports; vendor-focused sales summary.
- Reporting period
- Choose the date range you want to review.
- Data included
- Product Vendor plus nine quantity and sales-related measures.
- Best for
- Comparing vendor sales, discounts, returns, and sales volume.
- Export and automation
- Export the saved report or arrange recurring delivery using available Data Export settings.
What Can You Learn from Vendor Sales Data?
1. Identify Vendors Driving the Most Sales
Compare Net Sales across Product Vendor entries to see which vendors account for larger sales amounts. Check Net Quantity alongside it so a high-value vendor is not mistaken for the one selling the most units.
Example: Vendor A has more net sales than Vendor B, although Vendor B sells more units.
What you can do: Prioritize vendor reviews based on sales value and unit demand, rather than either number alone.
2. Spot Where Discounts Have the Biggest Effect
Read Discount next to Gross Sales and Net Sales. This helps you spot vendor groups where promotional reductions make the reported net sales notably lower than gross sales.
Example: Two vendors have similar gross sales, but one shows a much larger discount amount.
What you can do: Review discounting decisions for that vendor’s products before planning the next promotion.
3. Check the Impact of Returns by Vendor
Use Returns with Net Sales to identify vendor groups that warrant a closer look. The report shows return amounts, but it does not explain return reasons or establish product quality on its own.
Example: A vendor with strong gross sales also has a relatively large return amount.
What you can do: Investigate the underlying orders or products before drawing conclusions about the vendor.
4. Compare Vendor Performance Across Periods
Run the same report for equivalent date ranges, such as this month and last month, to see whether a vendor’s net quantity or net sales is rising or falling. Keep your filters consistent for a fair comparison.
Example: Vendor C records fewer net units in the current month than in the previous month.
What you can do: Check recent demand before changing a reorder plan or supplier discussion.
What Should You Check First in This Report?
Start with the values that give you the clearest view of each vendor’s contribution:
- Net Sales: Rank vendor groups by sales amount after the reported discounts and returns.
- Net Quantity: Compare unit volume to distinguish high-volume from high-value vendors.
- Returns: Look for unusually large return amounts relative to the vendor’s sales.
- Gross Sales and Discount: Check whether promotions change the apparent vendor ranking.
Review Shipping, Tax, Total Duties, and Total Sales separately when your task needs the wider sales breakdown; do not treat them as costs or profit measures.
When Should You Use This Report?
| When to Use It | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Comparing sales contribution by vendor | See which vendors contribute the largest sales amounts and unit volumes. |
| Preparing a supplier or replenishment review | Use vendor sales and net quantities as one input to supplier and restocking decisions. |
| Reviewing vendor discounts after a promotion | Compare discount patterns across vendors when reviewing promotions. |
| Investigating returns within vendor groups | Identify vendor groups where returns merit further order-level investigation. |
| Preparing a periodic vendor sales summary | Export a consistent vendor-level sales summary for periodic internal review. |
For example, before a vendor review meeting, export the most recent month and compare Net Sales, Net Quantity, Discounts, and Returns for the vendors under discussion.
How to Create This Report in Data Export
The Sales by Vendor premade report already includes the listed fields, so you can start from its prepared layout.
- Open Data Export and find the Sales by Vendor premade report under Sales & Order Reports.
- Open the report and review Product Vendor, Net Quantity, and the sales amount columns.
- Select the reporting period. Add any supported vendor filter or adjust the columns and sorting if needed.
- Click Save to keep the configured report, then export it in a supported format when needed.
- If you need regular updates, use the available scheduling settings for daily, weekly, or monthly delivery to your chosen supported destination.
Make the Most of This Report
Use these four checks to make the vendor comparison more reliable and useful.
01 / PERIODS / Use equivalent date ranges. A full month versus a partial month can make vendor performance look misleading.
02 / VENDOR NAMES / Check Product Vendor labels. Different spellings or naming conventions can separate results that belong together.
03 / INTERPRETATION / Keep sales and profit separate. This report does not include vendor costs, so Net Sales is not a profit figure.
04 / SHARING / Send a focused export. Keep only the fields your team or supplier discussion actually needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Sales by Vendor report show?
It summarizes sales using Product Vendor and the listed quantity and sales fields. You can compare vendor groups by Net Sales, Net Quantity, Gross Sales, Discounts, Returns, and the other included amounts.
Can I identify which vendor has the highest sales?
Yes. Sort the report by Net Sales or Total Sales to compare the reported amounts for each vendor. Be consistent about which measure you use.
Can I see returns and discounts for each vendor?
Yes. Returns and Discount are included in the premade field list. You can review them alongside Gross Sales and Net Sales to understand their effect on reported sales.
Does this report show vendor profit or current stock?
No. The specified fields do not include product cost, profit, or inventory on hand. Net Quantity refers to units sold, not stock available.
Can I export or schedule the Sales by Vendor report?
Yes. After saving the report, export it using a supported file format or configure recurring delivery in Data Export. You can choose a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule and an available destination such as email, Google Sheets, Google Drive, or FTP.
