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Bain Business Case Test Official

Bain Bain & Company Bain-style cases case study Practice cases
Edited on Apr 09, 2022
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Anonymous A asked on Apr 08, 2022
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8) Based on the estimate of TravelCo revenues and margins, what is correct to say?
  (a) In terms of %, gross margins were the same in Y1 and Y3.
(b) Gross margins decreased 2% basis points between Y1 and Y2, mainly due to lower penetration of Domestic and LongHaul packages.
(c) TravelCo’s total sales are increasing approximately 5% per year on average between Y1 and Y5. However, total gross margins have not changed.
(d) TravelCo reached highest gross margins (in %) in Y1.

 

Anyone can explain why each one is wrong? 

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Anonymous B updated the answer on Apr 09, 2022

For a) even though the gross margin % are same from Y1 - Y5, you have different % revenue for each category so the overall gross margin % will be different.
 

c) is not true for the same reason. 
 

For b & d - you can calculate to check if it is true or not

Are you sure if D is also False?

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(edited)

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Anonymous A on Apr 09, 2022

Isn’t Gross Margin % = (Revenue - COGS)/ Revenue *100% How do you calculate B and D?

Anonymous B on Apr 09, 2022

Let’s take a more simplified example: you sell two products, A and B. Year 1: - Product A = Revenue = 500 USD / gross margin = 10% - Product B = Revenue = 250 USD / gross margin = 5% Profit = 50 + 12.5 / revenue 750 Gross margin= (62.5/750) Now for year 2: keep the same gross margin for each product but reverse the revenues. Your profits will be product A: 25 and product B: 25 (total = 50) Your gross margin for the same revenue base will drop because the new ratio is (50/750) Note, your revenue - cogs = profits

(edited)

Anonymous B on Apr 09, 2022

For D, work out the revenue using the % share in the chart and then multiply it with the margin

Anonymous B on Apr 10, 2022

Do you have the link of this test that you can post?