3.2 Contribution margin and mark-up
The contribution margin is the amount remaining after direct ingredient cost has been deducted from the selling price.
Example: If the ingredient cost of a chocolate cake is ISK 100 and it is sold for ISK 150, the contribution margin is ISK 50. This margin provides the room needed to cover fixed costs – such as rent, wages and electricity – and ultimately to generate profit.
To determine the selling price based on a target contribution-margin percentage, the following formula is used:
Selling price = Ingredient cost / (1 − Contribution-margin percentage).
If the target is a 40% contribution margin for the aforementioned cake, the calculation is: ISK 100 / (1 − 0.40) = ISK 167. It is vital for the operation that the margin is sufficient to cover fixed costs.
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