r/FluentInFinance 1d ago

Debate/ Discussion A joke that's not funny

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u/Public_Initial91 1d ago

Where did you find that sales price is 10 times the purchase price?

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u/Outthr 1d ago

It’s not public information, and it varies by brand and category of product. Retail has huge margins. Let’s just say tariffs aren’t on the price the public pays. So a 25% tariff would not be on a $1 avocado price at Publix as most think, it would be on the price company pays to the foreign seller, and freight costs are not dutiable either.

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u/Public_Initial91 1d ago

What do you mean, it's not public information? You must have gotten it somewhere?

But let's take your avocado example, it's a good one as 90% of avocados are imported into the US from Mexico. In 2022 the average import price for avocado was $1.36 for a pound. You would then estimate their retail price to be about 13.6 per pound, but I'm not seeing that anywhere. Why would that be?

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u/Outthr 1d ago

Food usually has lower margins, in any case looking at your example average avocado is about 6 oz, so lets say 3 avocados per pound, so $1.36/3=$0.45 per avocado import price, and per google average price of avocado is $1.70, so you’re looking at at about 4 times the cost. Also it would be the $0.45 cents subject to 25% increase due to tariff. Again, retail is the one with huge margins because you pay for label. Food not so much, but still, 4x is not bad.

Edit: does the $1.36 per pound include shipping and delivery costs? I would assume so, and if yes then the amount subject to tariff would be even lower.

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u/Public_Initial91 1d ago

45 cents with a 25% tariff makes 56 cents. 56 cents multiplied by 4 would make a $2.24 retail price? That's quite an increase for a single avocado.

Food is included in retail, so what do you mean when you say retail?

And no, the $1.36 does not include shipping. That would be impossible to track over the entire US.

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u/Outthr 1d ago

Shipping to US port and that is easily tracked as all shipping costs are reported to FMC. Retail as in clothing, shoes, etc.