How to estimate monthly sales from Best Sellers Rank

Sales rank is not a sales figure, but with some care you can turn it into a useful estimate.

Rank is relative

Best Sellers Rank compares a product with the others in its category. A rank of 5,000 in a large category means many more sales than a rank of 5,000 in a small one, so the category matters as much as the number.

Use it as a range

Estimates from rank are approximations at best. Treat them as a range: a product might sell around 30 to 60 units a month, not exactly 42. Plan your purchases around the low end.

Look at the average, not today

Rank moves up and down every day. Use the average over 30 or 90 days, because a single good week can make a slow product look like a bestseller.

Divide by competition

If a product sells 60 units a month and six sellers share the Buy Box, a fair estimate of your share is about 10 units. That number, not the headline one, should decide your order size.

Check the estimate against reality

Once you are selling, compare your actual sales with the estimate and adjust your assumptions for the category. Wholesale Analyzer shows the estimated monthly sales for each product, and the figure is clearly labelled as an estimate so that it is never mistaken for fact.