Business, finance and operations

Cost of goods sold (COGS)

  • Business, finance and operations

Definition

The direct costs of making or buying the products a business sold, such as materials and production labour.

Also called

COGS, Cost of goods sold

Example

€20k of opening stock plus €50k of purchases minus €15k of closing stock gives COGS of €55k.

For your role

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Why it matters

It directly affects gross profit and pricing decisions.

Where it is used

Profit and loss statements and margin analysis.

How to calculate it

Opening inventory + purchases − closing inventory

Worked example

€20k of opening stock plus €50k of purchases minus €15k of closing stock gives COGS of €55k.