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Budgeting & Forecasting › Variance Analysis

What is the sales quantity variance?

Intermediate

Answer

The sales quantity variance measures the effect on profit/contribution of total sales volume differing from budget, at the budgeted mix. Together with the sales mix variance it makes up the sales volume variance, separating 'how much we sold in total' from 'the blend of what we sold'.
Real-world example Selling more units overall (at standard mix) gives a favorable sales quantity variance.

Common follow-ups: What two variances form the sales volume variance? | What does quantity hold constant?