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Markup (business) |
Markup is the difference between the cost of a good or service and its selling price.1 A markup is added on to the total cost incurred by the producer of a good or service in order to create a profit. The total cost reflects the total amount of fixed and variable expenses to produce and distribute a product.2 Markup can be expressed as a fixed amount or as a percentage of the total cost or selling price.1 Different methods exist in determining the markup of a product.
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The initial markup is the average markup required on all products to cover the cost of all items, incidental expenses, and to obtain a reasonable profit. The initial dollar markup is expressed as a percentage. Initial Dollar Markup = (Operating Expenses + Price Reductions + Profit)/(Forecasted Net Sales + Price Reductions)1
Example:
Thus the initial dollar markup on the product should be 50%. Price reductions, or markdowns, are reductions in the retail selling price when the item cannot be sold at its intended price and erode into profit. Operating expenses are costs incurred in addition to the total product cost and can vary depending on the product and service being sold. In reviewing operating expenses, annualized figures should be used since any individual month may not properly reflect the expenses incurred over a full year.
Initial pricing of a product is an important step in merchandising. The Keystone Method doubles cost of an individual product to arrive at its selling price (total product cost x 2). The Dollar Markup Method takes into account the total amount of operating expenses and desired profit. These are then broke down on a per product unit basis, which is then added on to the total product cost. This addition onto the total cost is the dollar markup.3 This dollar markup is either expressed as a percentage of the total cost per unit or the selling price.