Stacked area charts make sense when you want to show changes in a part-to-whole relationship over time.
In this case, the four product lines have a part-to-whole relationship - together, they represent total sales.
Let’s plot this data in a stacked area chart.
Since we have totals in the table, I’ll exclude those from the selection.
Notice the description in recommended charts mentions the part-to-whole relationship.
The result is a chart with 4 data series, stacked one on top of the other.
Notice the plot order follows the source data, but moves away from the origin.
you’ve got the option to adjust plot order using select data.
Or, by changing the source data before you make a chart.
Next, let’s take a closer look at the stacked area chart.
We can also see that overall sales are increasing.
Looking at the four product lines, we can see banjo and organic flannel sales have been increasing.
Hammock sales are relatively flat, though it’s difficult to interpret in this chart.
Cycling bag sales have been decreasing.
I also want to mention a note about data labels and area charts.
However, sometimes data labels are a good way to call out data series names in an area chart.
To do this, first enable data labels.
Then select labels for each data series in turn, and enable Series name under Label Options.
you’ve got the option to then remove the legend if desired.
