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Bruce McIntosh Consulting:Hometown Grocers (HG) operates a grocery store in Littletown and had income from operations in 2020 of $2,267,305. In 2021, another grocery store

Bruce McIntosh Consulting:Hometown Grocers (HG) operates a grocery store in Littletown and had income from operations in 2020 of $2,267,305. In 2021, another grocery store opened in the strip center in violation of the landlords lease agreement with HG. The result was that sales of HG declined by 30 percent and profit dropped to only $355,000.

Income From Operations, 2020

Sales

$

42,128,687

Less cost of goods sold

33,702,950

Gross margin

8,425,737

Selling and administrative costs

6,158,432

Income from operations

$

2,267,305

Actual Income From Operations, 2021

Sales

$ 29,490,081

Less cost of goods sold

23,592,081

Gross margin

5,898,016

Selling and administrative costs

5,542,589

Income from operations

$ 355,427

HG has decided to sue the landlord for damages and has hired Bruce McIntosh Consulting to help with the calculations. Donna Sprague is the consultant assigned to the engagement and she calculated damages as follows.

First, based on analysis of sales trends, she estimated that sales would have increased by 20 percent to $50,554,424. From this estimate, she subtracted cost of goods sold equal to 80 percent, which is the same percent as in 2020. She then assumed that selling and administrative costs are essentially fixed and subtracted 2017 costs with a minor increase of $100,000. That led to forecasted income from operations of $3,852,453.

Forecasted Income From Operations, 2021

Sales

$ 50,554,424

Less cost of goods sold

40,443,539

Gross margin

10,110,885

Selling and administrative costs

6, 258,432

Income from operations

$ 3,852,453

Donna then calculated damages to be forecasted income minus actual income resulting in a claim of $3,497,026 (i.e. $3,852,453 - $355,427).

HG management reviewed the calculation and had only one question, Why did you assume that selling and administrative costs are fixed? About 40 percent of them are variable. Donna responded that she assumed they were fixed because that made the claim larger. Look, she said. If you want some real money from this claim, you need to make assumptions that generate real money. And the more costs you assume are fixed, the higher the claim.

Required

  1. Explain why Donnas assumption leads to a higher claim.

  1. Recalculate the claim assuming 40 percent of selling and administrative costs are variable.

  1. State and support the amount of damages you would recommend HG claim.

  1. Is Donnas behavior ethical? Why or why not?

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