Math Problem Statement

A grocery store stocks Onions for daily sales. A kilo of Onions sells for Rs. 50. The wholesale price at which he buys them is 30 Rs per kg. The salvage price in the farm feed market is 15 Rs per kg. The goodwill loss from a customer who was sent back empty-handed was Rs. 10 per kg.  (a.) Suppose the expected demand is normally distributed with mean of 100 Kg and SD of 16 Kg. How many kilograms of Onions should he stock in the store?

Solution

This problem involves determining the optimal order quantity for the store based on the newsvendor model, where we balance the cost of overstocking (excess onions) and understocking (lost goodwill).

The steps are as follows:


Given Data:

  • Selling Price (S): Rs. 50 per kg
  • Wholesale Price (C): Rs. 30 per kg
  • Salvage Price (V): Rs. 15 per kg
  • Goodwill Loss (G): Rs. 10 per kg
  • Expected Demand Distribution: N(100,162)N(100, 16^2)

Step 1: Calculate Marginal Costs

  1. Cost of Understocking (CU):
    This is the loss when a unit is out of stock, including goodwill loss and lost profit:
    CU=SC+G=5030+10=30Rs per kg.CU = S - C + G = 50 - 30 + 10 = 30 \, \text{Rs per kg.}

  2. Cost of Overstocking (CO):
    This is the loss when a unit remains unsold, accounting for salvage value:
    CO=CV=3015=15Rs per kg.CO = C - V = 30 - 15 = 15 \, \text{Rs per kg.}


Step 2: Critical Ratio (CRCR)

The critical ratio determines the probability of meeting the demand:
CR=CUCU+CO=3030+15=0.6667CR = \frac{CU}{CU + CO} = \frac{30}{30 + 15} = 0.6667


Step 3: Optimal Stocking Level

Using the critical ratio, we find the z-value corresponding to the cumulative probability CR=0.6667CR = 0.6667 from the standard normal distribution table:
z=0.43(approximately from z-tables or statistical tools)z = 0.43 \quad (\text{approximately from z-tables or statistical tools})

The optimal stocking level QQ is then determined using the mean μ=100\mu = 100 kg and standard deviation σ=16\sigma = 16 kg:
Q=μ+zσ=100+0.4316=100+6.88=106.88kg.Q = \mu + z \cdot \sigma = 100 + 0.43 \cdot 16 = 100 + 6.88 = 106.88 \, \text{kg.}


Final Answer:

The store should stock 107 kg of onions (rounded to the nearest kilogram) to balance the costs effectively.


Would you like a detailed breakdown of any part or further clarifications? 😊

Here are 5 related questions to explore:

  1. What happens to the stocking level if the standard deviation of demand increases?
  2. How does a lower goodwill loss affect the optimal stocking quantity?
  3. How would the optimal stocking level change if the salvage price increases?
  4. Can this analysis be extended to multiple products with different demand patterns?
  5. How would the result change if demand follows a distribution other than normal?

Tip: Keep a table of z-scores handy for quick access during such problems!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability Distribution
Optimization
Cost Analysis

Formulas

CU = Selling Price - Wholesale Price + Goodwill Loss
CO = Wholesale Price - Salvage Price
Critical Ratio (CR) = CU / (CU + CO)
Q = Mean + z * Standard Deviation

Theorems

Standard Normal Distribution

Suitable Grade Level

Undergraduate (Business or Statistics)