Discount Impact Simulator: Check Margin Before You Discount
Discounts move product. They can also burn profit.
This tool shows the exact price after discount, per-unit profit or loss, and margin percent—so you can run a promo without lighting money on fire.
How To Use This Discount Impact Simulator
- Enter your original price.
- Enter the discount % you’re considering.
- Enter your unit cost.
- Click Calculate to see discounted price, gross margin ($), and margin %.
- Adjust the numbers until the margin is where you need it.
Formula Explained
- Discounted price = Original price × (1 − Discount %)
- Gross margin ($) = Discounted price − Unit cost
- Margin (%) = Gross margin ÷ Discounted price × 100
- Break-even discount = 1 − (Unit cost ÷ Original price)
That line is your floor. Go past it and you’re paying customers to take inventory.
Example
Original price $47.99, discount 28%, unit cost $34.50.
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| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Discounted price | $34.55 |
| Gross margin | $0.05 |
| Margin % | 0.1% |
You’re barely positive. Either raise price, cut the discount, or lower cost before you roll this out.
Plan Promos Without Killing Margin
Run this checklist every time you plan a deal:
- Set a hard floor. Use the break-even discount to define the lowest allowable offer. Lock it into your POS promo engine—see the promo controls in our guide to POS features.
- Tie discount depth to inventory reality. High stock or aging SKUs can justify deeper cuts. Healthy sellers get lighter nudges.
- Mind stacking. Site-wide codes plus cart promos plus loyalty is how margins disappear. Cap combinability in your rules.
- Use thresholds. “Spend $X, save Y%” lifts AOV and protects unit margin.
- Measure elasticity. A small cut that unlocks big volume beats a big cut that does nothing. Test, don’t assume.
- Operationalize it. If you plan frequent promos, manage them with trade promotion management software.
Helpful Tools and Next Steps
- Lower your fee drag while you’re at it with our payment processing fee calculator.
- If you discount to clear space, tighten buys with inventory optimization software.
- Configure promo rules cleanly in a capable POS—start your shortlist with the best retail POS system.
Cut Price, Keep Profit
You have the math. Use it. Pressure-test every offer against your floor, roll out clean rules, and check results after each campaign. Discounts should move product and protect the P&L at the same time.
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