How benchmarks are computed?

Created by Shopalyst Manager, Modified on Thu, 12 Mar at 5:26 PM by Shopalyst Manager

Benchmarks allow you to compare your current performance against historical data. By selecting a benchmark, PRISM calculates the Percentage Change (%) and Delta ( $\Delta$ ) between your current date range and a previous period.

Benchmark Option	What it does	Best for...
Preceding Period	Compares your selection to the immediate previous block of days.	Momentum: Understanding if you are doing better this week than you were last week.
Same Period Last Year	Compares your selection to the exact same dates one year ago.	Seasonality: Comparing holiday sales or seasonal trends while ignoring month-to-month fluctuations.
YTD (Year to Date)	Compares your selected period against the cumulative data starting January 1st.	Pacing: Seeing how your current month contributes to your total annual goals.
Previous Year	Compares your current selection against the entire previous calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31).	High-Level Growth: Seeing how your current performance stacks up against last year's total average.

Real-World Examples

1. Tracking Short-Term Growth

Scenario: You are running a 14-day marketing campaign from Feb 1 – Feb 14, 2026.
Benchmark: Preceding Period
Comparison Dates: Dec 18, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026 (The 14 days immediately prior).
The Goal: To see if the campaign caused a "spike" compared to the two weeks before it launched.

2. Evaluating Seasonal Trends

Scenario: You want to analyze performance for December 2025.
Benchmark: Same Period Last Year
Comparison Dates: Dec 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024.
The Goal: To see if this year’s holiday performance was stronger than last year’s, accounting for the fact that December is always busier than November.

3. Analyzing Annual Pacing

Scenario: You are reviewing Q1 results (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
Benchmark: Previous Year
Comparison Dates: Jan 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025.
The Goal: To see if your current quarterly "run rate" is higher or lower than your total performance across all of last year.

Pro-Tips for Accurate Analysis

Day-Count Parity: When using Preceding Period, PRISM automatically calculates the exact number of days in your current selection and looks back that same number of days to ensure a fair "apples-to-apples" comparison.
The Weekend Effect: When comparing small windows (like 3 days), remember that consumer behavior changes on weekends. Use Same Period Last Year to ensure you are comparing similar days of the week.