15 SMART Sales Goals Examples for 2025: A Comprehensive Guide

Setting and hitting sales goals isn’t just about ambition—it’s about clarity, focus, and having a shared vision for success. When sales teams understand exactly what they’re working toward, they can channel their talent and energy into the right actions.

Still, not every team is hitting the mark. Only 45% of chief sales officers hit their 2024 targets, according to a new Gartner survey of 243 CSOs. This gap usually isn’t due to a lack of talent or effort, but rather a lack of clarity. Sales teams need more from their leadership than a rah-rah cheerleader or motivator—they need a clear narrative for success anchored in clear, attainable goals.

Great retail teams become exceptional when they zero in on the right targets. Whether your retail associates are chasing their first big month or your store is aiming to break last year's records, clear targets show your team exactly where to focus energy and how to measure progress. 

Ahead, you’ll learn how the strategic framework of SMART goals can help you set sales goals that motivate your team and drive real results, from quick wins on the sales floor to strategies that turn first-time buyers into loyal customers.

What are sales goals?

Sales goals are performance targets in retail that tell you what success looks like and how to measure it. They are rooted in metrics like revenue, units sold, average order value (AOV), and conversion rate. 

You can achieve strong results by mapping your goals within the SMART framework. Each objective must be framed as SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) and calibrated to your historical data and market conditions. 

For example, your primary sales goal might be to increase annual sales revenue by 30% year over year (YoY). One way to achieve this could be to raise your average order value by 50% in the next year. 

But you need more than one main goal to succeed. Adding a few short-term goals you can achieve quickly can deliver quick wins, build momentum, and boost team confidence as you work toward your larger sales target. Ever-increasing goals will act as guideposts leading you to that big win at the end.

Why are sales goals important for retail businesses?

Without a clear set of sales goals and an action plan, you and your employees won’t know which target to aim for. If you don’t know where you’re heading, you’ll probably never get there. 

Having clear sales goals contributes to overall business success and will help you: 

• Measure sales performance
• Ensure sales associates feel accountable
• Make sure every member of your team knows what they need to do next 
• Create wins that you and your staff can visualize
• Establish a clear narrative that guides your team toward growth and success 

Understanding SMART sales goals

SMART sales goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Each element sharpens the goal’s focus. Whether you’re hoping to increase monthly sales revenue or units per transaction, or to start more virtual clienteling chats, the SMART goal framework will help you outline, track, and hit those goals. 

Before you set monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals, consider all variables, including:

• Required resources—staff, software, and budget
• Historical sales data
• Sales channels, new products, and seasonal shopping peaks and dips 
• Consumer and market trends that may influence sales 
• Sales promotions and events throughout the year
• Input from your employees 

Doing this will help you set the right retail sales targets for your business and break your larger goals into smaller, achievable objectives.

Let’s say your overall revenue goal for the year is to hit $500,000 in sales. Here’s an example of how you can break this down quarterly into a SMART goal: 

• Specific: Increase online sales revenue in Q4 when compared to Q3 of the same year. 
• Measurable: Q3 sales revenue was $100,000, and the target is a 15% increase ($115,000).
• Attainable: Increasing sales revenue by 15% in Q4 (holiday shopping season) is achievable.
• Relevant: This goal aligns with your overall sales goals. 
• Time-bound: The deadline is set for the end of Q4 to ensure you stay motivated and on track. 

Taking an annual target and dividing it by 12 to set monthly sales goals may seem straightforward, but you’ll need to account for other factors to make your SMART goals both challenging and realistic. 

Types of sales goals

1. Annual goals
2. Quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals
3. Individual goals
4. Team goals
5. Activity goals
6. Stretch goals
7. Waterfall goals
8. Sequence goals

There are many types of sales goals that you can set, depending on your business model and resources. Here are a few common sales goals used by both large retailers and small businesses: 

Annual goals

An annual sales goal sets an overall sales revenue target for your retail business to achieve within one fiscal year. This way, you and your employees can align on objectives and priorities and work backward to set quarterly, monthly, weekly, and even daily goals that lead to the annual target.

An example of an annual sales goal is to make $500,000 in sales revenue by the end of this fiscal year. 

Quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily sales goals 

Annual goals inform your overarching sales strategy, and setting quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals helps break those larger goals into measurable, achievable steps. These smaller goals are easier to reach, which will keep you and your staff motivated throughout the year.

• Quarterly sales goal: Achieve $100,000 in sales revenue during Q2.
• Monthly sales goal: Increase monthly sales revenue by 10% month over month (MoM) during Q3 and Q4.
• Weekly sales goal: Aim to sell $5,000 worth of products each week.
• Daily sales goals: Set individual sales targets for each associate to support weekly and monthly objectives.

When setting quarterly goals, remember that sales patterns often fluctuate with the seasons. Just as it's important to assess your seasonal inventory, tailor your quarterly goals to seasonal realities—what works in a bustling Q4 may not suit a quiet Q1.

📌 GET STARTED: Setting goals helps motivate staff and keep your store on target, but using historical data to inform your sales goals helps ensure they’re attainable. To see your store’s sales data for any time period, go to your Shopify admin and select Retail sales reports.

Individual goals

Setting specific goals for yourself or each of your sales associates provides a sense of ownership and accountability. These goals can be set daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. Short-term objectives generally work better for individual goals, as they’re easier to measure and adjust. You’ll want to aim to exceed performance metrics from the period before and review sales history to set realistic goals. 

For example, your sales goal for week one of December might be $5,000, and your goal for week two could be to increase that number by 10% to reach a weekly sales target of $5,500.

Setting goals for yourself and sharing them with your team sets a good example, and can motivate them by showing you’re holding yourself accountable too. 

Team goals

Involving your entire team in setting clear sales goals can boost employee engagement and reveal insights into what your staff can realistically manage. This increases the likelihood of hitting those goals. Do this by holding quarterly, monthly, and weekly meetings, encouraging all employees to provide feedback and help set goals. This promotes teamwork and communication—and a healthy level of competition. 

For example, decide as a team to set a $150,000 gross-sales target for next month; if there are five of you, you’ll each aim to sell $30,000 worth of merchandise to meet your team goal. When you hit that overall target, celebrate the team win, while still taking time to recognize top performers who reached or exceeded their individual goals.

📌 GET STARTED: View your staff sales reports to ensure everyone is helping your store get closer to its goals. To see the total sales by each retail staff for any time period—including their AOV and units per transaction (UPT)—go to your Shopify admin and select Retail sales by staff at register.

Activity goals

Activity goals are the actions you and your sales associates take during the sales process. They are independent of revenue goals, but often contribute to them by improving performance. 

Examples include:

• Give five product demonstrations daily.
• Follow up with 10 recent customers each week via text or email. 
• Schedule three virtual styling sessions per week.
• Make eight personalized product recommendations daily.

These goals build skills and often lead to more sales. 

Stretch goals

Stretch goals push you and your team beyond initial sales targets. These goals typically include incentives or rewards to motivate employees to exceed their quotas. While challenging, stretch goals should remain achievable.

For example, if your Q4 team sales target is $200,000, you might stretch it to $220,000 and reward the team with a special dinner when they reach that stretch goal. For personal stretch goals, you might aim to exceed your weekly sales target of $6,000 by 5% consistently, and reward yourself with a massage at month's end.

Remember, challenging but achievable is key—adding a $500,000 stretch goal on top of a $200,000 target won’t motivate anyone.

Waterfall goals 

Waterfall goals let you build on achievements over time. Rather than setting much larger new targets, you can raise them gradually week over week or month over month. 

For example, if your goal is to increase clienteling chats week over week, don’t try to go from five to 20 in one week. Start with 10 next week, 15 the following, and then 20. 

Using realistic increments helps prevent burnout and maintains quality while steadily increasing output. This approach keeps team motivation high and avoids missed targets.

Sequence goals 

Sequence goals rank targets by their potential impact. This ensures you meet the most important goals first. That way, even if not every goal is met, you’re more likely to hit the ones with immediate sales impact. 

For example, you could prioritize your goals in this order: 

1. Make $3,000 in sales this month. 
2. Send five email campaigns this month.
3. Dedicate one hour each day to engaging with Instagram followers. 

The first goal is prioritized since it has a direct bearing on revenue.

How to set SMART goals

Here are tips for setting your SMART goals: 

1. Analyze your sales cycle

How long does it usually take to convert a lead into a paying customer? This is your sales cycle. If you sell online and in person, review sales cycle data for each channel. Then set goals to shorten that timeline, moving leads through the buying journey (or sales funnel) to speed up the sales cycle and generate revenue sooner. 

2. Identify a collective goal

Setting goals as a sales team encourages associates to work together to achieve them. It also improves motivation and gives your staff a sense of ownership. Consider offering an incentive only if everyone meets the goal. 

For example, set a goal for all team members to sell at least $1,000 worth of merchandise this week. If implementing virtual selling, make it a goal for each person to start at least three virtual clienteling chats.

If the goals are met collectively, the reward could be a team dinner, happy hour, or fitness class, depending on team preference. 

3. Use data to set your goals 

Simply jotting numbers in a spreadsheet won’t get you the results you want. But using historical data to predict future business performance ensures the goals you set are both accurate and achievable. The most effective way to do this is to view your store’s sales performance for a period of time. 

Next, organize your sales data by store location, year, quarter, and month. Once this is done, calculate your monthly and yearly growth rate. This will give you a clear picture of how your sales fluctuate throughout the year and whether your sales are growing from one year to the next. 

💡 PRO TIP: To calculate your growth rate from one time period to the next, subtract the previous time period’s value from the current time period’s value. Next, divide the difference by the previous time period’s value. Finally, multiply the result by 100 to get your growth rate.

Equipped with that historical information, you can create annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and even daily sales goals. Share those goals with sales managers and have them set daily, weekly, and monthly goals for store associates to ensure your store’s performance stays on track.

4. Calculate your break-even point

Your business’s break-even point is the point at which you’re selling enough to cover your fixed and variable costs—you’re not profiting or losing. Knowing how to calculate your break-even point will help you identify how much you need to sell before your business starts profiting. This is key when setting sales goals. 

15 sales goals examples

Here are sales goals you can set to help your business grow:

1. Increase your monthly, quarterly, or annual sales revenue 

Growing your sales revenue is at the heart of your retail business. That’s why it’s important to make revenue targets the foundation of your sales goals. These long-term objectives guide all the other short-term strategies you use to increase sales and grow your business. 

Start with your annual revenue goal and then break it down into smaller time frames to help you stay on track and build a sense of progress. Having a big goal to look forward to at the end of the year is a great way to keep your employees motivated. 

SMART goal example: Increase year-over-year sales revenue by 15% by creating strategies to boost and measure performance on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. The goal is specific, measurable, and attainable (15%), as well as relevant (increasing revenue) and time-bound (one year).

2. Increase AOV

Increasing your average order value can incorporate strategies such as product bundling, upselling, and using cross-merchandising to sell similar or complementary products. The objective is to increase the average amount each customer spends per purchase. Doing this ultimately leads to higher overall sales revenue. 

To calculate your store’s AOV, divide your total sales revenue from a given period by the total number of purchases in the same period.

For example, if you sold $4,000 worth of products last month and there were 150 purchases, your AOV is $4,000 divided by 150, which comes out to roughly $26.

In-store, you can use visual merchandising strategies to leverage store layout to spotlight products with the most revenue-generating potential, and a merchandise marketing calendar to regularly refresh your in-store product assortment and market new products as they become available (or earlier to generate buzz). This can help improve new product discovery and lead shoppers to spend more during each visit to your retail store. 

Online, you can use post-purchase notifications to upsell similar or complementary products, add a section to the cart page that suggests additional items to add, or implement a high shipping threshold to encourage customers to spend a bit more to enjoy free shipping. 

SMART goal example: Increase your ecommerce AOV in Q3 by 10% by adding an upselling feature to the shopping cart page of your website. Evaluate performance at the beginning of Q4 and make adjustments to improve the customer experience, if necessary. 

💡Case study: Bedding company Parachute switched to Shopify and unified their online and physical store, which helped increase AOV by 12%. This new system enabled convenient options like ship-from-store and in-store pickups, which encouraged larger purchases and gave staff opportunities to make personalized upsells. 

3. Increase customer lifetime value

Customer lifetime value (CLV) is the total amount a person spends at your retail business over the entire period of their relationship with your brand. 

You can use this formula to measure CLV:

Customer revenue per year x length of relationship in years – total cost to acquire the customer = CLV

Let’s do the math with an example: If one customer spends $5,000 per year over three years and the initial cost to acquire that customer—known as customer acquisition cost (CAC)—is $45, their CLV is $14,955.

$5,000 (per year) x 3 (years) – $45 (CAC) = $14,955 (CLV)

💡 PRO TIP: Shopify POS customer profiles help you see how much each of your customers spends at your store. To get started, select Customers from the POS app’s main menu. From there, you can select a customer profile and see their purchase history. You can also bulk-import customer profiles into other loyalty apps, or export them into a CSV file if you prefer working in spreadsheets.

But what strategies can you use to increase CLV? 

SMART goal example: Increase CLV (relevant) by 15% (specific, measurable, attainable) next year (time-bound) by sending automated post-purchase upselling emails showing related products to online and in-store customers, encouraging them to make repeat purchases. Set up this email flow by the end of this year and review performance monthly to make improvements. 

Another SMART goal could be to increase CLV by 10% next year through a customer loyalty program. Implement the program by the end of January and aim to have at least 10 customers join the program each month. 

4. Decrease customer churn 

An important corollary to increasing CLV is decreasing customer churn—because if you lose a customer forever, their CLV isn’t growing one cent more! Customer churn happens when your customers stop buying products, stop visiting your store or website, and switch to buying from one of your competitors because of a lower price or better experience. 

One way to decrease customer churn is to ask customers for feedback through email surveys or in-store conversations. This way, you’ll know which areas need improvement. The engagement itself helps the customer feel valued, and when you make improvements based on their input, you may win a customer for life. 

To calculate your customer churn rate, divide the total number of customers you lost over a given period by the number of customers you had on the first day of the same period. 

The recommended customer churn rate in retail is 5% to 7%. Aiming for less than 5% is a good goal, but if your churn rate exceeds 10%, it’s time to reevaluate. If you’re losing a larger number of customers than you’re gaining, it will be difficult to grow and sustain your business. 

SMART goal example: Let’s say your current customer churn rate is 7.5%. You can set a goal to decrease customer churn by .05%, month over month, until it’s down to 5% per month. Then aim to maintain a 5% customer churn rate. Do this by surveying customers to understand how you can improve your products and customer experience, and do everything possible to resolve their issues quickly. 

5. Reduce customer acquisition costs

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is the amount you spend on sales and marketing to acquire a new customer. You can calculate it by dividing the cost of sales and marketing by the total number of new customers acquired. 

For example, if you host a popup shop and spend $2,000 on the space, sales staff, and marketing efforts and acquire 100 new customers during the event, your CAC is $20.

Sales and marketing costs for the popup ($2,000) / new customers gained at the event (100) = $20 CAC per customer

Lowering your CAC can directly impact profitability and help you meet other sales goals, too, such as shortening sales cycles. And it’s key to make sure your CLV outperforms your CAC to run a profitable business.

Lowering CAC doesn’t always mean spending less—it’s about the efficiency of each marketing dollar. For example, switching from a $2,000 marketing tool to one that costs $1,000 isn’t lowering your CAC if cheaper version nets you 20 new customers (CAC = $1,000/20 = $50) and the more expensive one, which offers better segmentation and targeting, nets you 80 (CAC = $2,000/80 = $25).

SMART goal example: Decrease your average CAC by 5% next quarter by using historical customer data to target the right audience via social media ads. 

6. Reduce sales cycle time

Sales cycle time is the amount of time it takes to convert a lead into a paying customer. The average customer journey from discovery to consideration to purchase varies depending on the industry, as well as each business and customer. It’s a complex process with many touchpoints. 

List all touchpoints where potential customers engage with your business. Then identify ways you can speed up the process by reducing the number of steps required—for example, by offering more information at key points to make the buying decision easier. 

This list can include touchpoints before, during, and after the sale. For example: 

Before the sale

• Social media
• Customer reviews
• Advertising

During the sale

• Retail store, popup shop, or website 
• Virtual clienteling 
• Point-of-sale

After the sale 

• Post-purchase notifications
• Thank you messages/cards
• Follow up to ask for product reviews

An example of shortening your sales cycle would be to focus more energy and strategy on a great popup event that converts scores of new customers on the spot, eliminating weeks for follow-up emails you used after the previous year’s less successful popup. 

SMART goal example 

Reduce the sales cycle time by 5% next month by being available via Instagram direct message to answer customer questions. Do this by scheduling specific times each day to check and respond to messages. 

7. Boost conversion rates

Conversion rates can be broken down into different types based on your goals: online or in-person sales, adding products to cart, capturing email addresses, and social media shares are all examples of conversions. Sales conversions are the most commonly referenced conversion metric because of their direct correlation to revenue growth and customer acquisition.

To calculate your retail sales conversion rate, divide the total number of sales in a given period by the total number of visitors in the same period. 

Let’s say last weekend your ecommerce site had 2,000 visitors, and 40 of them made a purchase. Here’s how you can calculate your store’s conversion rate:

(40 / 2,000) x 100 = 2%

The average conversion rate for Shopify stores is 1.4%, depending on the products you sell. Use this as a benchmark to set realistic goals. If you have under 0.5%, you likely have room to improve, and if you are above 3.3%, your ecommerce conversion rate is strong, placing you in the top 20% of Shopify stores. 

SMART goal example: Boost your in-store conversion rate by 5% in Q3 by running a limited-time discount on bestselling products. An online SMART sales goal could be to increase your ecommerce conversion rate from 1% to 2% in Q3 by adding a live chat feature to your website to give more information to shoppers and guide them toward a purchase. 

💡Case study: Ryzon, a German triathlon apparel brand, adopted a unified commerce solution with Shopify POS. The brand seamlessly integrated their online store with physical flagship stores and popup shops at expos. This allowed them to solve several key challenges and ultimately increase their in-store conversion rates by over 40%.

8. Increase lead generation 

Generating more qualified leads through email subscription forms lets you keep in touch with prospective customers who don’t convert after their first engagement with your business. 

By keeping in touch, you can educate shoppers about your products, share customer reviews, and provide incentives to convert more leads into paying customers. 

An example of a lead-generation tactic is to offer prospective customers 10% off their first online purchase in exchange for providing their email address. Simply providing their email doesn’t cost them a thing, and even if they plan to unsubscribe after they make that initial purchase, you still have a chance to make a real impression and get some of them to stick around.

SMART goal example: Collect 50 new email addresses month over month by adding a newsletter popup form to your website and incentivize website visitors to subscribe by offering 10% off their first online order.

9. Improve gross profit margins 

Calculating your gross margin helps you analyze how much money your retail business is making after covering the cost to make or buy products. 

It’s shown as a percentage, and the formula is:

Gross margin = (total sales revenue – cost of goods sold) / total sales revenue

Increasing your gross profit margin means you’re keeping more money from each sale. With higher margins, it becomes easier to run a profitable business. 

In retail, profit margins generally range from 5% to 20%. In ecommerce, a good profit margin target is around 45%. You can use Shopify’s profit margin calculator to help you set a profitable retail price for a single product. Plug in numbers to figure out the right selling prices to make sure you’re profiting on each product sold. Then use this data to identify other ways to improve profitability.

Here are a few tips to help you increase your gross profit margins: 

• If you run promotions, make sure you’re not slashing your profits.
• Stop discounting completely. 
• Raise your retail prices.
• Negotiate with suppliers or brands you buy products from to reduce your cost of goods sold (COGS).
• Reduce your operating expenses. 

Note that it may take analysis and testing to find the perfect pricing plan for your products. If you sell a dog toy for $20 and it costs you $15, you’re not going to raise the price to $100 to dramatically increase margins—you won’t profit from something that never sells. Analyzing market trends is part of your pricing strategy, as is tracking the performance of your products as you try different prices. 

SMART goal example: Increase gross profit margins by 5% in Q4 by reducing the number of promotions you run from four to two in Q4. 

10. Increase sales per channel

If you run an omnichannel retail business, setting sales goals to increase sales per channel is a great way to increase your overall revenue. Let’s say you have an ecommerce store and two brick-and-mortar locations, and sales are steadily increasing online and at one store, but lagging at the other.

You can put short-term goals in place to increase sales at your second location. What works for one store might not work for another, so it’s important to test different strategies and measure metrics like sales per square foot for each location. You can also access traffic patterns and economic data that could impact the underperforming store, or interview managers at each location to ensure everyone maintains the same standards of customer service.

SMART goal example: Increase sales revenue at your second retail store MoM by 10% by running a biweekly promotion on new arrivals to encourage local shoppers to visit more often and increase their AOV. Share this promotion via social media, email campaigns, and in-store signage. 

For your online sales channels, a SMART goal could be to recover 15% (specific, measurable, attainable) of abandoned shopping carts (relevant) in Q4 (time-bound) by creating compelling email automations, including a 10% discount to encourage customers to complete their purchase. 

11. Reduce abandoned cart rate

Using abandoned cart emails to recover lost sales is a great customer retention tactic that can help you reach your sales goals. Abandoned cart emails remind customers who considered buying but didn’t complete checkout to revisit their shopping cart and finish the online ordering process. Customizing the emails with product images, special offers, and a prominent call-to-action (CTA) button can bring shoppers back to checkout and boost ecommerce sales. 

The average abandoned online shopping cart rate is just over 70%. Here are a few of the most common reasons for cart abandonment:

• 48% of shoppers abandon their cart due to extra costs being too high (shipping, taxes, fees).
• 24% leave because the site required them to create an account.
• 22% say the delivery time is too slow.
• 18% say the checkout experience is too long or complicated.

Strategies such as free shipping, guest checkout, and offering additional order fulfillment options like buy online, pick up in-store can reduce cart abandonment. But you can also set goals to earn back a certain percentage of lost sales during a given period.

Remember, these shoppers already came pretty close to making a purchase, so they may only need a little nudge. Don’t offer free shipping for life when you may be able to win them over by sharing specific, personalized details about why your product is the right choice. 

SMART goal example: Step one could be to reduce the abandoned cart rate next month by 5%. You could do this by streamlining the checkout flow so it takes three steps instead of five, for example. 

12. Increase buy online, pick up in-store orders 

Offering buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) is a great way to increase both digital and physical sales. Once BOPIS is set up, customers can choose the pickup option at checkout. They can select their preferred location and receive notifications when their order is ready for pickup. You can win new customers who prefer to make their choices online, but are discouraged by the cost of shipping.

When customers pick up their online orders in-store, they can make additional impulse purchases, increasing your AOV. Making BOPIS a seamless experience provides a faster, more convenient fulfillment option. 

SMART goal example: Increase BOPIS adoption by 15% in Q2 by offering exclusive in-store discounts for BOPIS customers. Create compelling BOPIS-exclusive discounts such as 10% off next in-store purchases, design targeted email campaigns that emphasize convenience, and develop social media content that showcases the easy pickup process. 

Monitor weekly progress toward the 15% target and train staff on efficient order handling to maintain customer satisfaction.

13. Reduce returns 

Returns can impact your bottom line through lost sales, shipping costs, and processing time. While some returns are inevitable (the average return rate in retail was 16.9% in 2024), you can minimize them by providing detailed product information, high-quality photos, and clear policies. 

Setting up a quality control process and analyzing reasons for returns can reveal patterns and show where product descriptions or photography need improvement. If multiple customers return apparel and say the sizes run large, you can improve sizing information and add more detailed descriptions of the garment’s fit—if designed for a loose fit, style it that way in product photos.

SMART goal example: Reduce return rate from 15% to 12% by the end of Q3 by implementing detailed product videos, updated size guides, and improved packaging standards. Monitor weekly return rates and reasons, gathering customer feedback to refine product information and handling procedures continuously.

14. Improve sales by product

Understanding your product performance at both the broad category and individual SKU levels provides insights for inventory management and marketing decisions. By analyzing sales patterns across your product range, you can identify top performers, spot seasonal trends, and improve your sell-through rate.

Regularly monitoring product sales metrics reveals valuable patterns in customer preferences and purchase behaviors. Some products might perform exceptionally well during specific seasons or alongside certain promotions, while others maintain steady sales throughout the year. Some products may “sell themselves,” while others may need a new marketing strategy.

SMART goal example: Increase sales of your top 10 SKUs by 25% in Q4 by optimizing their placement in search results, featuring them in targeted email campaigns, and adjusting inventory levels based on historical demand patterns. Review product performance weekly, tracking both individual SKU sales and their contribution to total revenue to ensure balanced growth across the product range.

15. Reduce checkout times

Long waits, whether at the cash register or the online checkout process, reduce revenue. Baymard Institute research shows 18% of US online shoppers abandon carts due to long or complicated checkout. 

To track progress, record your current average checkout duration:

• Online: Seconds from clicking “Begin checkout” to order confirmation
• In-store: Queue wait time + POS processing time per transaction

You can implement tactics like enabling one-tap wallets like Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Or trim form fields to just the essentials (Baymard recommends eight or fewer). For in-store, you can deploy Shopify’s Tap to Pay so associates can conveniently ring customers up anywhere on the sales floor with a handheld device. 

Providing your customers with a more convenient checkout experience helps secure the first sale and increases the likelihood of future purchases. Even if a customer has already decided to buy your product, an unpleasant checkout experience can discourage repeat visits. Conversely, if they can quickly enter your store, select an item, and have an associate check them out in seconds, they are more likely to return when they need to make a quick purchase.

SMART goal example: Reduce average online checkout time from 3 minutes to 1.25 minutes by the end of Q3 by activating Shop Pay, cutting required form fields from 12 to 8, and enabling guest checkout. 

💡Case study: Tomlinson's slashed their checkout time by 56% by replacing their inefficient point-of-sale system with the more streamlined Shopify POS. 

The biggest improvement was a custom-built app that automated all complex promotional and membership discounts, eliminating the slow steps previously required by staff. This automation, combined with a fully integrated payment processor and a 46% reduction in required taps, created a faster and more pleasant checkout experience for everyone.

Leveraging technology to achieve sales goals

AI and automation

Artificial intelligence is well past the hype stage in sales. McKinsey found that 78% of companies now use AI in at least one business function, up from 55% the previous year. Sales and marketing are two of its most popular uses. 

Generative AI can automate many tasks like:

• Writing product descriptions 
• Creating dynamic pricing schemes
• Running fraud checks
• Restocking fast-moving SKUs
• Preparing demand forecasts

Tools like Shopify Magic generate sales materials, while Shopify Flow builds automated workflows with no coding skills needed. 

Customer data platforms 

Customer data platforms (CDPs) pull every click, purchase, and POS swipe into one profile. The CDP market is projected to reach $7.39 billion in 2025, with a CAGR of 29.2%, and is expected to continue growing to $23.98 billion by 2029.

On Shopify, first-party data from both ecommerce and in-store purchases flows into one unified customer profile, letting you see lifetime spend, channel preferences, and product affinities. Retailers using this customer data across channels see 9% higher revenue on average.

Some ways to use a CDP include:

• Connect an app like Nosto to create personalized shopping experiences for customers. 
• Add Shopify Audiences to build lookalike lists and retarget shoppers most likely to buy. 
• Create an omnichannel loyalty program and offer perks and discounts to members. 
• Send an email to VIP customers who spend the most with your brand.

Sales analytics tools

Sales intelligence provides insights and forecasts performance. You can use it to analyze sales activities, discover high- or low-performing sales staff and products, and improve sales strategies. 

With Shopify, your POS and your online store share the same data “brain,” with every sale, return, and inventory change flowing automatically into one analytics layer. That means the retail reports reflect all channels in real time, with no CSV stitching, no separate business intelligence (BI) fees—just a single source of truth for making sales decisions.

How to track and measure sales goals

Regular performance monitoring is essential to achieving retail sales goals. After creating your SMART goals, you can use Shopify analytics to measure progress on a short-term and long-term basis. 

Some key features include:

• Sales reports: View total sales, sales by product, and sales over specific periods to track progress toward goals.
• Customer insights: Analyze customer behavior and demographics to understand who your buyers are and how they interact with your store. Use this data to optimize everything from marketing to store design to better appeal to your customers.
• Traffic analysis: Track where your visitors are coming from and how they navigate your store.
• Live view: Monitor real-time activity on your store, including current sales and visitor counts, to take timely actions that boost sales.
• Attribute revenue accurately: View sales by rep in the “POS total sales by staff member” report in Shopify Analytics, identify top performers, understand their strategies, and share them with others. 

Sales goals and objectives are long-term overarching goals that drive overall retail growth. But analyzing shorter-term sales performance metrics is vital to make sure you’re on track to reach your annual goals. 

Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) or target metrics helps define the steps and strategies needed to achieve sales goals. 

Put your SMART sales goals into action

Now that you understand how to create an action plan and outline SMART sales goals for your retail business, it’s time to put them to work. 

Start small by testing one or two strategies at a time, then expand based on what works. Ultimately, realistic sales goals should lead to one main goal—working together as a team to reach milestones and build a profitable business with dedicated customers and strong growth potential.