Wilmington Beach Jandals has designed and patented a luxury golf sandal for both men and women. The unique handmade designs include spikes and cleats to prevent the golfer from slipping during the swing. The sandal is made from sheepskin creating comfortable and distinctive footwear sold directly to wholesalers who then sell them to exclusive golf shops for retail prices starting at $400.
The sandals are manufactured in the United States and sold in the United States and Europe through two dedicated sales divisions. The United States and EU sales divisions are organized as separate profit centers with decision rights to set prices in their respective geographic territories. The U.S. factory is a cost center that produces the sandals and transfers them to the two sales divisions. Each sales division is charged the full manufacturing cost of the sandals (direct labour, direct materials, and overhead).All the sandals produced, both menâs and womenâs styles, and all the various models contain similar amounts of direct labour and direct material. The only difference between the U.S. and EU sandals is the sizing and the size labels stitched into the sandals.
Hence, volume in the plant is measured as pairs of sandals manufactured.
Required
1. In order to maximize its own profits (after paying the manufacturing plantâs transfer cost of $130), how many pairs of sandals will the U.S. sales division order and expect to sell this year? Show calculations.
2. Next year, the U.S. sales division expects its variable costs per pair to remain at $20 and its fixed costs to remain at $700,000 per year. However, due to a sharp reduction in EU demand caused by a recession, the projected combined demand from the U.S. and EU sales divisions for sandals falls from the current level of 17,400 sandals to 14,200. The plantâs budgeted direct labour, direct materials, variable overhead, and fixed overhead will remain the same as this yearâs amounts, but the allocated fixed overhead per pair of sandals will rise due to the lower projected volumes. Compute next yearâs allocated fixed manufacturing overhead per pair of sandals and the total cost that will be used as the transfer cost based on next yearâs projected volume. (Round all costs to the nearest dollar.)
3. Using the transfer cost you computed in part (b), how many pairs of sandals will the U.S. sales division order next year? Show calculations.
4. Does the number of pairs of sandals ordered by the U.S. sales division maximize the profits (net cash flows) of Wilmington Beach Jandals? Explain why or why not.
5. What suggestions would you offer management to increase Wilmington Beach Jandalsâ shareholder value?