AOV (average order value)
Revenue divided by the number of orders in the same period and with the same filters.
FormulaAOV = revenue ÷ number of orders (same period, same filters)
Try it · 30 seconds · from Atterna’s practice
“A typical paid Meridian order is worth €61.”
Paid orders average €60.92; the median is €43.96. Is the AI right?
Preparing the practice…
How we work it through
- 1
Fix the population: which orders, which period, which statuses.
- 2
Report the median beside the mean; money is skewed by a few large baskets.
- 3
Before comparing two groups’ AOV, check they could buy the same things.
On the practice dataset
The query we run on Meridian, Atterna’s practice marketplace, and what it returns.
SELECT AVG(items_total_eur) AS mean,
MEDIAN(items_total_eur) AS median
FROM meridian.orders
WHERE status = 'paid';Resultmean €60.92, median €43.96 — the top 10% of orders are above €127
The common trap
An average of money is pulled up by a few large orders. Report the median next to it.
ExampleMeridian: average paid order €60.92, median €43.96, 10% of orders above €127.
When an AI answers
“The typical customer spends €61 per order.”
- What it didn’t know
- It reported the mean as “typical” without seeing how skewed order values are.
- Ask back
- “Is that the mean or the median? How many large orders pull it up?”
Read next
Examples use Meridian, Atterna’s fictional practice marketplace.