Free Tool

Wholesale Margin Calculator

Calculate your wholesale margin instantly. Enter your cost and selling price to get wholesale margin percentage, markup, and profit per unit — free for Shopify merchants selling bulk or surplus inventory.

How to Calculate Your Wholesale Margin

Enter your cost price and wholesale selling price below. The calculator returns your wholesale margin %, markup %, and gross profit per unit.

Wholesale Margin vs Markup: What's the Difference?

Wholesale margin (also called gross margin) measures profit as a percentage of the selling price. Markup measures the same profit as a percentage of your cost. Both describe the same transaction from different angles.

Metric Formula Cost $12 / Price $20
Wholesale Margin % (Price − Cost) / Price × 100 40%
Markup % (Price − Cost) / Cost × 100 66.7%
Profit / Unit Price − Cost $8.00

What Is a Good Wholesale Margin?

Wholesale margins vary significantly by product category. A general guideline:

  • Electronics & technology: 10–25% wholesale margin
  • Apparel & footwear: 30–55% wholesale margin
  • Home goods: 25–45% wholesale margin
  • Beauty & personal care: 40–60% wholesale margin
  • Food & consumables: 15–35% wholesale margin
  • Surplus & overstock: Recovery varies — 20–60% of original cost

Using the Wholesale Margin Calculator for Surplus Inventory

If you're pricing surplus inventory or overstock for bulk sale, your "cost" is the original landed cost per unit, and your "selling price" is your bulk offer price to B2B buyers. The calculator shows whether your bulk pricing still delivers an acceptable margin — or how much you're discounting from original cost to move volume.

Forthclear connects Shopify merchants with verified B2B bulk buyers for surplus inventory, overstock, and seasonal excess. List your surplus inventory for free and receive competitive bids within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is wholesale margin?
Wholesale margin is the gross profit on a sale expressed as a percentage of the selling price. Formula: (Selling Price − Cost) / Selling Price × 100. A 40% wholesale margin means 40 cents of every dollar in revenue is gross profit.
What's the difference between wholesale margin and markup?
Margin is profit as a % of selling price; markup is profit as a % of cost. A 40% margin equals a 66.7% markup on the same transaction. Retail buyers often quote margin; manufacturers and suppliers often quote markup.
How do I calculate wholesale margin?
Wholesale Margin % = (Selling Price − Cost) / Selling Price × 100. Example: cost $12, selling price $20: ($20 − $12) / $20 × 100 = 40% margin.
Is this wholesale margin calculator free?
Yes. The wholesale margin calculator on Forthclear is completely free — no signup required, no data stored.