T&P Fashion Shops

T&P Fashion Shops is a new chain that operates 10 stores in major malls throughout the United States. Each store manager is responsible for preparing a flexible budget for the store. T&P headquarters accumulates and analyzes the information for each store and in the aggregate.

Below follows some cost estimates for the Houston store.

T&P Fashions
Flexible Budget Information
Expense	Fixed	Variable
Cost of sales	$210,000	40%	$740,000
Management	27,000	12%	186,000
Shop assistants	162,000	8%	268,000
Rent	13,200	5%	54,450
Utilities	34,800		34,800
	$447,000		$1,283,250

Additional information

The sales forecast for the year is $1,400,000.

Variable expenses are based on revenues. Do note that percentage clause for rent only kicks in above $500,000 in sales.

Other expenses are all specific to this store. Headquarters pay for marketing and corporate overhead expenses.

T&P wants to see a flexible budget based on the sales forecast, including estimates for sales being 10% below budget and 10% above budget.

Actual results

T&P Fashions
Actual Results from Operations
Revenues	$1,325,000
Cost of sales	790,000
Management	208,000
Shop assistants	230,000
Rent	58,200
Utilities	31,000
Operating profit	$7,800

Required:

Computations (use Excel)

Prepare a flexible budget in good format.

Compute the flexible variances and indicate whether favorable or unfavorable.

Headquarters are contemplating charging each store a 5% marketing expense based on sales. How will that affect the operating profit of the store and the money available for managerial bonuses based on actual results for the past year? Summarize the information in the table.

Explain to the division manager the flexible budget variances; how to interpret the information; and what action, if any to take. Comment on the 5% marketing proposal too