Visualizing Taobao Sales Data in Spreadsheets for Trend Analysis and Strategy Optimization
Introduction
With the rapid growth of e-commerce platforms like Taobao, data-driven decision-making has become essential for merchants. This article demonstrates how to analyze Taobao product sales data (including sales volume, revenue, and customer ratings) using spreadsheet tools like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. Through pivot tables, line charts, and bar graphs, sellers can uncover trends and adjust strategies to improve performance.
Data Collection and Preparation
- Data Sources:
- Key Metrics:
- Data Cleaning:
- Key Metrics:
Visualization Techniques
1. Pivot Tables for Category Analysis
Summarize sales by product category or subcategory to identify top performers:
Pivot table setup → Rows: "Product Category" | Values: "SUM(Sales Revenue)"2. Trend Analysis with Line Charts
Plot daily/weekly sales to detect patterns (e.g., spikes during promotions):
- Highlight seasonal trends (e.g., 11.11 Shopping Festival).
- Compare YoY growth with backward-looking data.
3. Comparative Bar Graphs
Visualize metrics like "Sales vs. Customer Ratings" to balance quality and revenue.
Case Study: Predicting Sales Peaks
Using historical data from a Taobao electronics store, we applied a simple moving average (SMA)
The insights helped the merchant allocate inventory 3 weeks ahead of peak demand.
Month
Actual Sales
Predicted Sales (SMA)
Accuracy
October
¥1,20,000
¥1,15,000
96%