In: Accounting
Perez Boot Co. sells men’s, women’s, and children’s boots. For each type of boot sold, it operates a separate department that has its own manager. The manager of the men’s department has a sales staff of nine employees, the manager of the women’s department has six employees, and the manager of the children’s department has three employees. All departments are housed in a single store. In recent years, the children’s department has operated at a net loss and is expected to continue to do so. Last year’s income statements follow:
Men’s Department | Women’s Department | Children’s Department | |||||||||
Sales | $ | 690,000 | $ | 490,000 | $ | 190,000 | |||||
Cost of goods sold | (271,000 | ) | (180,800 | ) | (102,375 | ) | |||||
Gross margin | 419,000 | 309,200 | 87,625 | ||||||||
Department manager’s salary | (63,000 | ) | (52,000 | ) | (32,000 | ) | |||||
Sales commissions | (117,200 | ) | (86,600 | ) | (33,400 | ) | |||||
Rent on store lease | (32,000 | ) | (32,000 | ) | (32,000 | ) | |||||
Store utilities | (15,000 | ) | (15,000 | ) | (15,000 | ) | |||||
Net income (loss) | $ | 191,800 | $ | 123,600 | $ | (24,775 | ) | ||||
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Required
a. Calculate the contribution margin. Determine whether to eliminate the children’s department.
b-1. Calculate the net income for the company as a whole with the children's department.
b-2. Confirm the conclusion you reached in Requirement a by preparing income statements for the company as a whole with and without the children’s department.
c. Eliminating the children’s department would increase space available to display men’s and women’s boots. Suppose management estimates that a wider selection of adult boots would increase the store’s net earnings by $43,000. Would this information affect the decision that you made in Requirement a?