In this episode of Five Minute Friday, we’re continuing our Know Your Numbers series by breaking down another retail metrics—your turn—and how it directly impacts your cash flow and profit.

If you’ve ever had great margins on paper but no cash in the bank, this episode will show you how to calculate your turn, understand how quickly your inventory “spoils,” and apply strategies to move product faster so you can keep money flowing through your business.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Understand What Turn Really Means

• Learn the definition of turn rate and how it measures how many times you sell through your inventory in a given period.

• Understand why a high margin doesn’t always mean more cash—and why turn is a better cash flow indicator.

How to Calculate Your Turn

• Use the simple formula: Total Sales ÷ Average Inventory at Retail.

• Identify your category benchmarks (e.g., women’s fast fashion: 5–6 turns/year; luxury: 3.5–4.5 turns/year; home & gift: slower turns).

Prevent “Spoiling” Inventory

• Learn the expiration dates for your category’s inventory and when to take markdowns to free up cash.

• Recognize when merchandise is aging past its prime and how to move it before it becomes dead stock.

Pro Strategies to Improve Turn

• Track your on-hand inventory monthly to know exactly how much cash is tied up on the floor.

• Invest in faster-turning categories to improve ROI.

• Use marketing tools—social media, email campaigns, store placement—to push slow movers before resorting to markdowns.

Not a member yet? These are the kinds of strategies and tools waiting for you inside the Hub to help you grow smarter.

Want more? Join the Boutique Hub: https://tbhub.co/podcastjoin

What makes a gift feel truly unforgettable? Today I’m joined by Holly Hachman of Little Red Bird Gifts, who joins the show to share her journey of building a joyful, story-driven retail space. Inspired by her mother's love for shopping, Holly chose to focus on meaningful gifts over apparel, creating a warm, inviting shop. She opens up about the power of storytelling in retail, how it shapes customer experience, and the role of signature lines in connecting with shoppers.

Resources:

• Holly Hachman: Website | Facebook | Instagram
• Join The Boutique Hub
• Ashley Alderson: Instagram
• The Boutique Hub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok | YouTube

In this episode of Five Minute Friday, we’re continuing our Know Your Numbers series by showing you how to find the most important retail metrics inside your POS, financial reports, and analytics tools.

Before you can improve your numbers, you need to know where to find them. This episode gives you the step-by-step to locate data like inventory, markdowns, traffic, and sales—so you can confidently apply the formulas that drive profit.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Know Where to Find Your Metrics

Learn how to locate your on-hand inventory at cost and retail inside your POS or inventory reports.

Find your operating expense % inside your Profit & Loss statement and calculate your markdown % using sales by discount reports.

Get Clear on Traffic and Transactions

Use Google Analytics to track e-commerce visitor data and a door counter for in-store foot traffic.

Pull your daily transactions, sales by units, and total dollars from your POS sales reports.

Prep for the Profit-Driving Formulas Ahead

Discover how to calculate average inventory at retail and get the foundational numbers you’ll need for metrics like IMU, inventory turn, and more.

Pro tip: Use Shopify’s ABC Product Analysis Report or Inventory Snapshot to get both cost and retail values in one place.

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Not a member yet? These are the kinds of resources waiting for you inside the Hub to help you grow smarter.

Want more? Join the Boutique Hub: https://tbhub.co/podcastjoin