Skip to content

Ask the Tutor ACCA PM

variances

Xxyzc5y ago
How is the following type of variance calculated? Question: Leaf Limited had a mixed year. Its market share has improved 2% to 20% but the overall market had contracted by 5% in the same period. The budgeted sales were 504000 units and standard contribution was 12 per unit. The sales market size variance is:
John MoffatJohn MoffatTutor5y ago#1
When they did the budget, the expected the market share to be 18% (20% – 2%). Since the budgeted on sales of 504,000, they must have expected the market to be 504,000 / 18% = 2,800,000. In fact the market contracted by 5%, so the actual market was 95% x 2,800,000 = 2,660,000. The actual market share was 20%, and so their actual sales were 20% x 2,660,000 = 532,000.
Xxyzc5y ago#2
How is market size variance calculated
John MoffatJohn MoffatTutor5y ago#3
The difference between the budgeted sales (of 504,000) and what the sales would have been if the only thing that had changed was the market size (i.e. 18% x 2,660,000). Costed out at the standard contribution per unit. (The original exam question did not ask for the variance :-) )
Sign in to reply to this topic.