Question

The table below shows the demand for a new bath soap in a shop for each of the last 7 months.

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Demand 23 29 33 40 41 43 49 52

Calculate a 3-month moving average for months two to nine.

Answer 1

The 3-month moving average for months two to nine of the given demand data is:

(29 + 33 + 40) / 3 = 34 for month 2
(33 + 40 + 41) / 3 = 38 for month 3
(40 + 41 + 43) / 3 = 41.33 (rounded to 41) for month 4
(41 + 43 + 49) / 3 = 44.33 (rounded to 44) for month 5
(43 + 49 + 52) / 3 = 48 for month 6
So the 3-month moving average for months two to nine are: 34, 38, 41, 44, 48.