Dollars per linear inch calculator
What each inch of shelf earns.
Formula
Dollars per linear inch = total sales dollars ÷ shelf space in linear inches
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Dollars per linear inch
$1,479.17
sales per linear inch
Worked example
$142,000 of sales across 96 linear inches is $1,479.17 an inch. Asking for twelve more inches is a claim that the added facings will hold near that rate, so bring the period and the door count along with the figure.
When you reach for this
How a category manager thinks about space. If you want more facings, this is the number that makes the argument for you.
How to read the number
Retailers optimize for profit per inch, not sales per inch. Bring the profit version to the conversation too, because a high-sales, low-margin item can lose space to a quieter one that earns more.
Metrics that travel with it
Questions operators ask about this metric
Why measure by linear inch?
Because that is the unit the retailer allocates. Shelf conversations happen in facings and inches, so arriving with sales per SKU answers a different question than the one asked.
Over what period should I measure?
Whatever period the buyer’s review uses, and label it clearly. An annual figure and a weekly figure differ by a factor of fifty, and both get quoted as dollars per inch.
Do promotional displays count?
Keep them separate. Endcap volume borrowed from a promotion inflates the in-line number and vanishes the moment the promotion ends.
Why does the buyer prefer the profit version?
Because their store earns margin, not revenue. Two SKUs can turn the same dollars through the same facing and contribute very differently to the department.
Stop calculating this by hand
Every number on this page comes out of data you already have — orders, shipments, inventory, deductions. Endless keeps those in one source of truth instead of four exports, so the metric updates on its own and agents watch it for you.