Year-over-Year (YoY)
Definition
Comparing a period's results with the same period last year, which removes seasonal swings from the comparison.
Want a deeper explanation?
Formula
YoY Growth % = (This Period − Same Period Last Year) ÷ Same Period Last Year × 100For seasonal e-commerce brands, comparing November with October tells you little. Comparing it with last November tells you how the business is really trending.
Adjust for calendar shifts, like which week Black Friday falls in. Watch for: YoY comparisons using books that were restated or cleaned up, which can make growth look different than it was.
Example
November sales of $380,000 versus $310,000 last November is 22.6% YoY growth.