# How to return the supplier with the lowest price for an item

Find the item's lowest price with MINIFS and look up the row with that item and price: `=XLOOKUP(1,(A2:A10=G1)*(C2:C10=MINIFS(C2:C10,A2:A10,G1)),B2:B10)`.

**Excel:** `=XLOOKUP(1,(A2:A10=G1)*(C2:C10=MINIFS(C2:C10,A2:A10,G1)),B2:B10)` (Excel 2021, 2024 and Microsoft 365)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Item | Supplier | Unit price |  |  | Item | Toner cartridge |
| Copy paper (case) | Acme Supply | 42.5 |  |  | Cheapest supplier |  |
| Toner cartridge | Acme Supply | 89 |  |  |  |  |
| Copy paper (case) | BrightCo | 39.9 |  |  |  |  |
| Toner cartridge | BrightCo | 94.5 |  |  |  |  |
| Stapler | Acme Supply | 14.2 |  |  |  |  |
| Toner cartridge | Corvex | 86.75 |  |  |  |  |
| Copy paper (case) | Corvex | 44.25 |  |  |  |  |
| Stapler | Corvex | 13.4 |  |  |  |  |
| Toner cartridge | Delmar Office | 91.2 |  |  |  |  |

Formula in G2: `=XLOOKUP(1,(A2:A10=G1)*(C2:C10=MINIFS(C2:C10,A2:A10,G1)),B2:B10)`

Result: Corvex

## How it works

`MINIFS(C2:C10,A2:A10,G1)` is the best toner price, $86.75. The multiplied tests are 1 only where the item is toner and the price equals that minimum, and XLOOKUP returns the supplier on that row, Corvex. Testing the item as well stops a cheaper price for a different item from matching.

## Other ways

- `=INDEX(SORT(FILTER(B2:C10,A2:A10=G1),2,1),1,1)`: Filter the item's suppliers, sort by price from low to high and take the first. Excel 2021, Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets.

## Common mistakes

- Looking up the minimum price alone, `XLOOKUP(MINIFS(…),C2:C10,B2:B10)`, can return a supplier of a different item at the same price.
- Two suppliers tied on price return the first one listed.

## Questions

**How do I return the price too?**

Next to it, use `=MINIFS(C2:C10,A2:A10,G1)`.

**How do I list all suppliers sorted by price?**

Use `=SORT(FILTER(B2:C10,A2:A10=G1),2,1)`.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/lowest-price-supplier