1. Ward
  2. /
  3. KPI glossary
  4. /
  5. MD%
KPI · MD%

Markdown Rate

Revenue sold at discount vs original price.

See how Ward moves MD% → Talk to advisory

Formula

Markdown $ / Original retail $ x 100

Benchmark

5-10% grocery, 20-40% fashion

→
ActionHow Ward works

How Ward uses MD%

Ward tracks markdown timing vs sell-through velocity.

✓
SolutionThe payoff

Fixes that move MD%

The insight types that improve markdown rate when running on Ward.

Pricing
Price Optimization
Price on elasticity you can measure.
Promos
Promo Effectiveness
Know which promos actually work.

Who tracks MD%

The roles that lean on this metric to run their teams.

VP / Director
VP Merchandising
Merchandising

Other KPIs Ward monitors

Fill Rate
On-Shelf Availability
Percentage of expected SKUs physically present and available for purchase.
SSS
Same-Store Sales
Year-over-year revenue comparison for stores open 12+ months.
ATV
Average Transaction Value
Revenue per transaction. Measures basket size and upsell effectiveness.
UPT
Units Per Transaction
Average item count per basket. Key cross-sell and adjacency indicator.
Shrinkage
Inventory Loss Rate
Percentage of inventory lost to theft, damage, spoilage, or admin error.
GMROI
Gross Margin Return on Inventory
Gross profit per dollar invested in inventory.
ITR
Inventory Turnover Ratio
How many times inventory is sold and replaced in a period.
Promo Lift
Promotional Uplift
Incremental sales from a promotion vs baseline, net of cannibalization.
NPS
Net Promoter Score
Customer loyalty metric. Promoters minus detractors.
CVR
Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors who purchase.
BP
Basket Penetration
Percentage of baskets containing a specific category/SKU.

Two ways to start.

Run a fixed-fee pilot on your data, or talk to advisory about a broader engagement.

Get a demo → Talk to advisory

See what your stores are hiding.

Margin leaks, shrinkage patterns, promo misfires, the problems are in your data right now. Ward finds them and explains why. First insight cards in 48 hours.

Get a demo → Take the 3-minute assessment

Read-only to start · your LLM keys · SOC 2 Type II underway · or book a call directly

Get started

Find out what your data has been hiding.

Tell us about your operation. We’ll show you the problems Ward catches, and the ones your current tools miss.

Step 1 of 3
What are your goals?
Step 2 of 3
About your operation
Step 3 of 3
Your contact info