This course looks at the way in which the buying and selling of goods is accounted for in the merchandising sector as opposed to the manufacturing sector. As the inventory is the focus of such businesses, managing the accounts and finance related to purchasing, trade and chain discount, transport costs and invoice terms is critical as they are the major contributors to the gross profit. Students will also learn about the differences between perpetual and periodic inventory processes, both from a physical and accounting perspective.

You will be walked through the process of calculating the cost of paying for goods as per the invoice terms, using borrowed monies, versus the cost of paying for them on the invoice due date. You will see how to calculate the cost of goods sold and see an example of a classified income statement used to calculate the net profit for this sector.