P & L BASICS

Profit and loss basics

Gross margin - an overview | Gross margin and gross profit 

Operational expenses | Operational expenses and profit | Calculating gross profit

TEST YOUR SKILLS | Change in Gross Margin Rate | Gross Margin - Challenge your Understanding

IMPROVING FORECASTED PROFIT

AVAILABLE UPON COMPLETION OF WEEK 1 to 3

Merchandise plan profit formulas used

Gross margin versus gross profit

Sales affect on profit

Markdowns and profit

Shrink and profit

Operational costs and profit

Initial mark-up and profit

Overcoming a forecasted profit shortfall

MAINTAINING INVENTORY CONTROL

BOM's affect on sales | Inventory age and its affect on sales

Receipt flow and inventory | The importance of an appropriate flow of goods  

Following a purchase plan | Adjusting receipt flow | Purchase order tracker | Open order report

Open to buy introduction | Calculating Open-to-Buy | Overcoming changes in the supply chain 

INVENTORY FORMULAS | The importance of appropriate BOM levels | The significance of EOM

Sales and inventory levels | Markdowns and inventory levels

Average Inventory introduction | Reading Average Inventory Results| Understanding a higher inventory result | Lower inventory levels

Impinging inventory scenario | Overcoming inventory overages

Weeks of Stock | Adjusting a model stock

Redistributing inventory between stores

FORECASTING MARKDOWNS

The case for quick, hard markdowns early

The profitability of markdowns

Markdown types

Markdowns and inventory levels 

How merchandise seasonality affects markdowns

Promotional plans and markdown strategy

Using markdowns to affect BOM

Overcoming a forecasted markdown rate which is high

EXPECTED TIME TO COMPLETE | 20 minutes

FORECASTING INTRODUCTION

Benchmarking | CASE Coach's slowing growth | CASE Benchmarking in surf: In the midst of change | The importance of ACT vs PLN

Forecasting benefits | Forecasting basics

Merchandise plan intro | Download: Q2 Merchandise plan | Merchandise plan - reading rows and columns | Merchandising plan - key metrics

FORECASTING CONSIDERATIONS External factors affecting a forecast | Economic considerations | Environmental factors | Competitive forces | Internal forecasting considerations

FORECASTING SALES DEMAND

Monthly sales forecasting

Avoid these forecasting pitfalls | The importance of accuracy in sales forecasting

Forecasting sales high | Forecasting sales low | Inc: 7 Tips for Improving Your Sales Forecasting

Reading a trend line | Daily flash sales

Overcoming a forecasted sales shortfall

REFERENCE

Fiscal calendars | Glossary

EXPECTED TIME TO COMPLETE | 30 minutes