Menu Engineering – Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs
Open Analytics++ → Menu Engineering to compare how often products sell and their contribution after goods costs. Choose a period and check cost prices before using the classification.
Four groups
| Group | Units sold | Margin per unit | Use when considering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | Above median | Above median | Promoting popular, profitable dishes |
| Plowhorses | Above median | At or below median | Reviewing prices and purchase costs |
| Puzzles | At or below median | Above median | Reviewing placement and demand |
| Dogs | At or below median | At or below median | Assessing the dish's role on the menu |
Medians use products and variants with cost prices in the period's data. Classification uses margin in SEK per unit sold, after discounts and excluding VAT. The local category tab narrows the products displayed; it does not reclassify them against a new category median.
Read the chart
The X-axis shows units sold. Switch the Y-axis between % and kr/st. Bubble size represents revenue. Hover over a product to see quantity, margin and revenue.
Switching to percent changes the display, not the product's group. kr/st is therefore the clearest mode for checking its group against the margin threshold.
Groups and a sortable product list appear below the chart. Use CSV to save the current table selection when you have export permission. Insight cards suggest actions based on the report; they do not change prices or the menu for you.
If the matrix is unavailable
Classification needs at least three products or variants with cost prices in the selected sales data. Check dates and sales, then add missing cost prices under Meny → Produkter → Alla artiklar. Enter costs excluding VAT and save.
Follow up a change
Save the report, change a defined part of the menu and compare a similar period afterwards. Review both unit margin and quantity sold. A Star does not guarantee profit after staff and rent, and a Dog can still serve an important purpose on the menu. Current cost prices are also used when reopening an earlier period.
This feature is part of Vendion Analytics++.
Curious how it looks in practice? Read more about the product or book a short demo.
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