For this Case Study, we$$d like to introduce you to Jimmy.

Jimmy is a new buyer at a Supply Company, which serves multiple large hardware chains in the Midwest. Jimmy$$s buyer category is Lighting,

specifically Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs.

Each year, Dennigee$$s Supply holds two promotional events: one $$summer sale$$ and one $$winter sale$.$

During each of these events, selected products are marked down for three weeks. Generally, buyers at Dennigee$$s Supply Company use the

strategy of permanent price reductions $($markdowns$)$ to determine the promotional prices for the products on sale during these events.

For the upcoming $$summer sale$,$ Jimmy has six compact fluorescent lighting $($CFL$)$ products that will be included. Jimmy knows that these

products have the ability to generate good gross margins. The demand for these products allows Jimmy to purchase in larger quantities, which

means he is able to take advantage of quantity discounts to get the products at a lower cost. However, buyers at Dennigee$$s Supply Company are

discouraged from buying products in large quantities if they anticipate that the products will have to be marked down at a later date.

Jimmy$$s goals for the upcoming promotional event are, for the most part, the same goals that any other buyer would have in a similar situation. He

needs to:

$$ Maximize sales while minimizing price reductions $($markdowns$),$ and

$$ Get $100\%$ sell$-$through by the end of the promotional period

$$ Additionally, Jimmy$$s manager has tasked him to achieve a $60\%$ maintained margin on the promotional products.

After analyzing several price reduction and markdown strategies, Jimmy decides to stick with the permanent price reduction markdown strategy

to achieve his goals. He decides to mark the six products down by:

$30\%$ after one week

$$ by $50\%$ after two weeks

$$ and by $70\%$ after $17$ days, which is where the pricing will remain for the remaining $4$ days of the promotional event.

When preparing this plan, Jimmy also assumes that all of the products he promotes will be sold by the end of the event.

The spreadsheet included with this case study contains some of Jimmy$$s calculations regarding full$-$price sales and what he expects sales to be at

the $30\%,50\%,$ and $70\%$ markdown levels, using the permanent price reduction markdown strategy. Research different strategies for determining markdowns in various industries in the U$.$S$.$

Based on course resources, research, and the case study & spreadsheet, answer the following questions $($be sure to show your calculations for questions a$.$ through d$.$ to support your answers$)$:

What are the total projected sales for the upcoming promotional event?

What are the total projected price reduction $($markdown$)$ dollars for the event?

What is the price reduction $($markdown$)$ percentage for the event?

What is the margin percentage for all of the items being sold during the event?

Identify another price reduction $($markdown$)$ strategy Jimmy could have used, and explain how its use could influence the results in the case study.

Choose a retail product or product category that you believe has particular appeal to retail customer groups. Recommend one price reduction $($markdown$)$ strategy and explain how it would appeal to those customers and drive the product's or product category's performance.