Business Resources
Wholesale Margin Calculator
Wholesale buying is usually case-based, so margin has to be calculated from a case cost rather than a unit cost. Enter the cost of one case, how many units it contains, how many cases you plan to buy and your retail price per unit.
The calculator returns cost per unit, the cash tied up in inventory, potential retail value, potential gross profit, gross margin percentage and inventory ROI.
Calculator
Model a Case Purchase.
Results
- Cost per unit
- $40.00
- Total units
- 20
- Inventory investment
- $800.00
- Potential retail value
- $1,780.00
- Potential gross profit
- $980.00
- Gross margin
- 55.06%
- Inventory ROI
- 122.50%
Gross profit ÷ inventory investment.
Potential figures assume full sell-through at the price entered.
Formulas
How Case Economics Work.
Case cost ÷ Units per case
Every other calculation depends on this number, so confirm the case configuration before modeling.
Example: $200 ÷ 5 units = $40 per unit.
Potential gross profit ÷ Inventory investment × 100
Inventory ROI is how hard your working capital works. Two products with identical margins can have very different ROI if one sells through faster.
Example: $980 ÷ $800 = 122.5%.
What this tells you
Reading the Results.
Written and reviewed by the InstaMed Wholesale business team. Last reviewed September 2026. This is general business education, not legal, tax or financial advice.
FAQ
Common Questions.
How do you calculate cost per unit from a case price?
Divide the case cost by the number of units in the case. A $200 case containing 5 units is $40 per unit.
What is inventory ROI?
Inventory return on investment is potential gross profit divided by the money tied up in that inventory. Buying $800 of inventory that produces $980 of gross profit is a 122.5% inventory ROI, if it all sells.
Why is the result called potential gross profit?
Because it assumes every unit sells at the price entered. Unsold, discounted or expired inventory reduces the realised figure.
Does this show wholesale prices?
No. You enter your own case cost. This calculator has no access to any supplier's authorized pricing, and no pricing is pre-filled.
Related resources
Keep Building the Model.
Industry context: Supplement & Wellness Retailers, Distributors & Sales Organizations, Med Spas & Wellness Clinics.
Planning inventory?
See How the Model Could Fit Your Industry.
Answer a few questions about your business and see which operating model — wholesale, storefront or another program — fits your volume and operations.