--- title: How To Use The Retail Calendar description: The Calendar view in Daasity offers you a powerful way to look at period-over-period performance --- [Back to home](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge) - [ Welcome to Daasity ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/welcome-to-daasity) - [ Integration Setup | Connect Your Data Sources ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/welcome-to-daasity#integration-setup-connect-your-data-sources) - [ Integration Setup | Amazon Seller Central ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/welcome-to-daasity#integration-setup-amazon-seller-central) - [ Navigating the Daasity App ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/welcome-to-daasity#navigating-the-daasity-app) - [ Daasity Platform | Business User Analytics ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics) - [ Brand Supplied Data (BSD) ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#brand-supplied-data-bsd) - [ Dashboards ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#dashboards) - [ Reports ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#reports) - [ Explores ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#explores) - [ Views ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#views) - [ Audiences ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#audiences) - [ Customizations ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/daasity-platform-business-user-analytics#customizations) - [ ELT+ | Technical User Documentation ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/elt-technical-user-documentation) - [ Platform ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/elt-technical-user-documentation#platform) - [ Transformation ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/elt-technical-user-documentation#transformation) - [ Integrations ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/elt-technical-user-documentation#integrations) - [ User Manual and Support ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support) - [ Daasity Logic and Best Practices ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support#daasity-logic-and-best-practices) - [ Marketing Analytics ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support#marketing-analytics) - [ Customer Analytics ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support#customer-analytics) - [ Date Analytics ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support#date-analytics) - [ Inventory and Returns Analytics ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support#inventory-and-returns-analytics) - [ Submit a Support Request ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/user-manual-and-support#submit-a-support-request) - [ Release Updates ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/release-updates) - [ Release Updates ](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/release-updates#release-updates) # How To Use The Retail Calendar ## The Calendar view in Daasity offers you a powerful way to look at period-over-period performance ### **Key Topics** - [Why Use a Retail Calendar](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#why) - [How to Use the Pivots in Looker](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#how_to_use) - [Pivot by Today](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#today) - [Pivot by Yesterday](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#yesterday) - [Pivot by Retail Week](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#retail_week) - [Pivot by Month](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#month) - [Pivot by Retail Month](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#retail_month) - [Pivot by Quarter](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#quarter) - [Pivot by Year](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#year) - [Pivot by Retail Year](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#retail_year) - [Compare Custom Date Range](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#custom)[s](https://support.daasity.com/migrated/knowledge/retail-calendar#custom) ### **Why Use a Retail Calendar? ** Depending on your sales channel, sales may not be even across every day of the week due to varying dates between different months and years. Historically, this has made it difficult to compare year over year sales until the 1940s, when the use of a [**retail calendar**](https://nrf.com/resources/4-5-4-calendar) became common. The retail calendar allows you to compare sales across different time periods to help measure performance in a more dynamic fashion, and potentially predict sales based on historical trends. Retail calendars are constructed with four quarters with 91 days in each, in either a 4-5-4 or a 4-4-4 format (i.e. a month with 4 weeks followed by a month with 5 weeks and finally a month with 4 weeks). This ensures that every month has the same number of weekends as the same month in the prior year, so that sales for the same comparable time period have the same number of weekdays and weekends. Additionally, the National Retail Federation (NRF) uses a 4-5-4 calendar and adjusts the start of the calendar year to ensure that major holidays are reflected in the same time period for proper comparisons. The Daasity retail calendar (shown as the "Calendar" view in most explores) follows the NRF calendar dates shown in the link above.  Along with the NRF calendar structure, this view contains a number of pivot dimensions that allow you to compare data from different timeframes. ** ** ### **How to Use the Pivots in Looker? ** *0 - Pivot by Today* The *Pivot by Today* dimension allows merchants to see performance for *Today* compared to *Yesterday* and (or) *Today Last Year*. First, filter on the *Pivot by Today* dimension and select "is not null" in the filter field.  This will remove the dates that are not today, yesterday, and the same day last year. Second, pivot the *Pivot by Today* dimension.  Finally, pick the measures you want to view in your comparison. In the screenshot below we picked *Total Gross Sales* as an example. Note that the data under *Today Last Year* is based upon our retail dates comparison, which means it doesn’t simply go back 1 year from *Today* , but looks for the day last year that has the same retail week number and day of week as of *Today*.  Generally this will match up the same days of the week and will match up holidays from this year with holidays from last year.  In other words, our example below isn't comparing 3/24/2022 with 3/24/2021, it is comparing it with 3/25/2021 as this is the same retail week number and day of week as 3/24/2022. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Mar-30-2022-08-47-25-86-PM.png) Note that the "Pivot by Today" dimension will only show data for today if the explore contains data for today.  For most Daasity merchants the Shopify Hourly Orders explore is the only one that contains data for the current day.  This explore can be accessed through the Hourly Flash dashboard.   *1 - Pivot by Yesterday* If merchants want to see the performance of *Yesterday* (This Year) compared to the same day last week (labeled as *This Yesterday Last Week)* and (or) the same day last year (labeled as *This Yesterday Last Year* (Last Year)), this filter would be the best choice for them. The steps are the same as the Pivot by Today filter: 1. Filter on *Pivot by Yesterday* dimension is not null, so as to remove the dates that are not in the comparison. 2. Pivot the *Pivot by Yesterday* dimension. 3. Pick the metrics you want to compare on, in the screenshot below, we pick *Total Gross Sales* as an example. Again, generally this will match up the same days of the week and will match up holidays from this year with holidays from last year.  In other words, our example below isn't comparing 3/23/2022 with 3/23/2021, it is comparing it with 3/24/2021 as this is the same retail week number and day of week as 3/23/2022.![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-03-15-62-PM.png) *2 - Pivot by Retail Week* Used to compare the current retail week with last week and the same week last year.  Use the same steps from above to use this dimension (filter for Is Not NULL, pivot this dimension, then add the measures you want).  The data will show you current week results WTD (i.e., through yesterday unless you are using the Shopify Hourly Explore which will be through today), vs last week through the same number of days and same week last year through the same number of days.  So if today is Thursday, results from the Order & Order Line Revenue explore will show this week through Wednesday, last week through last Wednesday, and the same week last year through that Wednesday. Note that "Retail Week" starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday in the NRF and Daasity calendar.   ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-23-49-30-PM.png) *3 - Pivot by Month* This filter uses the same methodology as the filters above, but shows data for the current month vs last month and vs the same month last year.  Again, results are shown through the last complete day of this month vs the same number of days last month and the same month last year. Note that *This Month Last Year *is based upon a calendar dates comparison NOT a retail month, which means it looks back 1 year from *This Month*. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-25-17-40-PM.png) *4 - Pivot by Retail Month* This filter uses the same methodology as the filters above, but shows data for the current month vs last month and vs the same month last year.  Again, results are shown through the last complete day of this month vs the same number of days last month and the same month last year. Note that *This Month Last Year *is based upon a retail dates comparison, which means it looks for the month with the same retail month number and day of month as *This Month*.  A retail month often does not begin on the 1st day of the month so this comparison will often use very different days than the *Pivot by Month* comparison. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-29-19-52-PM.png) *5 - Pivot by Quarter* This filter uses the same methodology as the filters above, but shows data for the current quarter vs last quarter and vs the same quarter last year.  Again, results are shown through the last complete day of this quarter vs the same number of days last quarter and the same quarter last year. Note that *This Quarter Last Year *is based upon calendar dates, NOT retail dates which means it looks back 1 year from *This Quarter*. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-31-13-78-PM.png) *6 - Pivot by Year* This filter uses the same methodology as the filters above, but shows data for the current year vs last year.  Again, results are shown through the last complete day of this year vs the same number of days last year. Note that *Last Year *is based upon calendar dates comparison, which means it looks back 1 year from *This Year*. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-32-34-71-PM.png) *7 - Pivot by Retail Year* This filter uses the same methodology as the filters above, but shows data for the current year vs last year.  Again, results are shown through the last complete day of this year vs the same number of days last year. Note that in this dimension, *This Year *is based upon a retail dates comparison, which means it looks for the year with the same retail year number and day of year as *This Year*.  A retail year often does not begin on the 1st day of January so this comparison will often use very different days than the *Pivot by Year* comparison. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-01-2022-09-33-31-60-PM.png)   #### **COMPARE CUSTOM DATE RANGES** Below the Calendar view is a Calender - Compare to Previous view that allows you to compare data across custom time periods. ![](https://support.daasity.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Apr-21-2022-06-57-01-88-PM.png?width=318&name=image-png-Apr-21-2022-06-57-01-88-PM.png)  To use this feature: 1. Specify a period for comparison in the 'This Period' filter 2. Add 'Comparison Periods' dimension into the table 3. Filter 'Comparison Periods' to return relevant results 4. At minimum, filter for 'is not null' 5. Possible values for this dimension are 'This Period', 'Previous Period', and 'Previous Year'. So filter for whichever comparison you're trying to provide 6. Add a measure for comparison 7. Hit RUN The “Comparison Periods” dimension has custom sorting logic so that when you sort them Descending, the order will be: 1. This Period 2. Previous Period 3. Previous Year As an example, if This Period filter is set to 3/8/2022 - 3/15/2022 (exclusive), Comparison Periods will be: 1. This Period: 3/8/2022 - 3/14/2022 2. Previous Period: 3/1/2022 - 3/7/2022 3. Previous Year: 3/8/2021 - 3/14/2021 ![](https://support.daasity.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-21-2022-07-00-15-35-PM.png) ***COMPLETE MONTH COMPARISONS*** If a user chooses “1 complete months” for the This Period filter, it won’t compare the last 1 complete month to the previous complete month. It will compare the last 1 complete months vs the same number of days immediately before that month started - So if today's date is March 20th & I use this feature, choosing the past 1 complete months in the This Period filter, the Comparison Periods values will be: - This Period: 2/1/2022 - 2/28-/2022 - Previous Period: 1/4/2021 - 1/31/2022 (the 28 days immediately preceding “This Period”) - Previous Year: 2/1/2021 - 2/28/2021