A daily sales report should show net sales, number of orders, average order value, payment mix, discounts and voids, cash expected versus counted, top items and sales by hour, compared with the same weekday in previous weeks.
A useful daily sales report answers three questions: how much did we sell, how did the day happen, and is anything wrong? The numbers that answer them are net sales, number of orders, average order value, payment mix, discounts and voids, cash expected versus counted, best-selling items and sales by hour, each compared with the same weekday in recent weeks. You do not need dozens of metrics; you need a short set you read every day, in the same order, so changes stand out.
The core numbers
These measures work for almost any business that sells products or services. Each is simple to calculate, and together they explain most of what changes from one day to the next.
| Metric | How to calculate it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Gross sales | Total of all sales before deductions | Raw activity at the till |
| Discounts | Total value of discounts given | How much was given away, and by whom |
| Refunds and voids | Value of sales reversed | Mistakes, returns or problems to check |
| Net sales | Gross sales − discounts − refunds and voids | The number to compare day to day |
| Orders | Count of completed sales | How many customers you served |
| Average order value | Net sales ÷ orders | How much each customer spent |
| Payment mix | Net sales by cash, card, mobile, tab | What should be in the drawer and the bank |
| Cash variance | Counted cash − expected cash | Whether the drawer balanced |
| Top items | Items ranked by units or revenue | What drove the day, and what to restock |
| Sales by hour | Net sales grouped by hour | When you were busy, for staffing |
If you record cost prices and expenses, two more numbers are worth adding: gross profit (net sales minus the cost of the items sold) and the day’s expenses. Together they show whether the day actually paid, not just whether it was busy.
A worked example
Here is one day at a small café, with illustrative figures. The method is the same in any currency.
| Line | Amount | Working |
|---|---|---|
| Gross sales | $2,460.00 | |
| Discounts | − $85.00 | Staff meals and a loyalty offer |
| Refunds and voids | − $40.00 | Two voided orders |
| Net sales | $2,335.00 | $2,460 − $85 − $40 |
| Orders | 118 | |
| Average order value | $19.79 | $2,335 ÷ 118 |
| Cash / card / mobile | $812 / $1,203 / $320 | Adds up to $2,335 |
| Same weekday last week | $2,180.00 | Up 7.1%: ($2,335 − $2,180) ÷ $2,180 |
| Cost of items sold | $790.00 | From item cost prices |
| Gross profit | $1,545.00 | $2,335 − $790, a 66.2% margin |
| Expenses recorded today | $310.00 | Milk delivery and cleaning supplies |
| Left after item costs and expenses | $1,235.00 | $1,545 − $310 |
Reading it takes a minute. The day was 7.1% up on the same weekday last week. Discounts were 85 ÷ 2,460 = 3.5% of gross sales, which is worth checking against what is normal for you. Cash was $812, so the drawer should hold the opening float plus $812, less any cash refunds or paid-outs. With costs and expenses included, the day left $1,235 towards rent, wages and other fixed costs.
Compare with the right day
Comparing today with yesterday is the most natural thing to do and usually the least useful. A Saturday is not a Friday, and a Monday after a holiday is not a normal Monday. The fairer comparison is the same weekday in recent weeks — this Tuesday against the last few Tuesdays — because it removes most of the weekly rhythm.
- Same weekday last week — quick and sensitive to recent changes.
- Average of the same weekday over the last four weeks — smoother, less thrown by one odd day.
- Same date last year — useful for seasonal businesses, once you have a year of data.
- A daily target — what you need to sell to cover costs, from your break-even figure.
When net sales change, check whether it was the number of orders or the average order value that moved. Fewer orders with the same average points to footfall: weather, a local event, a quieter street. The same orders with a lower average points to the till: fewer add-ons, more discounts, or a popular higher-priced item out of stock. Each has a different fix.
Exceptions to check every day
Totals tell you how the day went; exceptions tell you whether anything went wrong. These are worth a glance every evening, because they are much harder to explain a week later.
- Voids and refunds — how many, how much, and by which staff member.
- Discounts — total and by staff member, against what you would expect.
- Cash variance — whether the drawer balanced, and by how much it was over or short.
- Stockouts — best sellers that ran out, which cost sales you will not see in the report.
- Unusual sales — a single very large sale, or a sale far outside opening hours.
- Unpaid balances — new charges to customer tabs, if you offer credit.
One void or one large discount is normal. The same staff member with several voids every shift, or discounts creeping up week by week, is a pattern to discuss. For the cash side, see how to reconcile a cash drawer.
A five-minute daily review
- Read net sales against the same weekday and your daily target.
- Check orders and average order value to see which one moved.
- Confirm the payment mix matches the cash count and the card terminal’s total.
- Scan voids, discounts and the cash variance for anything unusual.
- Look at the top items and anything that ran out; note what to reorder.
- Look at sales by hour and note anything that affects tomorrow’s staffing.
- Write one line about the day — weather, an event, a problem — so the numbers make sense later.
Many tills print an end-of-day summary called a Z report, which covers part of this list. Keep the daily reports, and once a week look at them together: the weekly view shows trends a single day hides, such as a slow mid-week afternoon that is worth a promotion or a shorter shift.
Doing this in SageBizet
The SageBizet dashboard shows today’s takings live, with pace against a usual same weekday, a projected close, a daily goal meter, sales by hour, top items, payment mix and the latest sales. Sales reports and Insights cover any period up to 92 days against the previous period, with net profit after expenses, average order, best sellers, profit by item and staff performance including voids and discounts. The cash drawer records expected and counted cash for each session, so the variance is part of the same day’s record.