How Forecasts Work
Compass analyzes your historical sales data and builds a prediction model for each product variant (SKU). The model considers:
- Sales history — past patterns and trends
- Seasonality — recurring patterns (holiday spikes, summer lulls, etc.)
- Recent velocity — whether sales are accelerating or decelerating
Forecasts update automatically as new data is uploaded or pulled from your connected stores.
Forecast Status Cards
The three cards at the top of the Forecasts page tell you about your forecast health:
Forecast Status
Whether your forecasts are current:
- Up to Date (green) — your data is fresh and forecasts are reliable
- Needs Refresh (amber) — your data is getting stale; upload newer sales data for better accuracy
- Outdated (red) — forecasts are based on old data and may not reflect current demand
Products Forecasted
The total number of product variants with active demand predictions.
Latest Forecast
The date of the most recently generated forecast. If this is more than a week old, consider uploading fresh data.
Reading the Forecast Table
The table shows each product with:
- Product — the product name
- SKU — the unique identifier for the variant
- Expected Demand — the predicted number of units that will sell in the look-ahead period
- Look-Ahead — how far into the future the prediction covers (typically 7-30 days)
- Forecast Date — when this prediction was generated
Products are sorted by expected demand (highest first) so you can quickly see what's going to sell the most.
Using Forecasts Effectively
Inventory Planning
Compare forecasted demand to your current inventory levels. If a product is predicted to sell 50 units in 14 days and you have 20 in stock, it's time to reorder.
Avoiding Stockouts
Focus on products where forecasted demand exceeds your current supply. Stockouts don't just cost you sales today — they can hurt your search rankings and buy box eligibility.
Optimizing Cash Flow
Don't over-order on products with low predicted demand. Use the forecasts to right-size your inventory investment.
Seasonal Preparation
Look for products with rising demand forecasts ahead of seasonal peaks. Getting inventory in place early avoids rush shipping costs and supplier stockouts.
Improving Forecast Accuracy
Forecasts get better with more data. To improve accuracy:
- Upload regularly — weekly or bi-weekly data uploads keep forecasts fresh
- Include history — the more historical data Compass has, the better it can detect patterns
- Cover all products — upload data for your full catalog, not just top sellers
- Connect your stores — automated data collection from connected marketplaces provides the freshest data