Gross margin after rebate

Definition

The trade's own margin measure, counted after buying-group rebates land.

Why It Matters

Hardware retail earns a thin net on a fat gross, so where the rebate is counted changes the picture entirely. The trade's annual study reports the figure after rebate because that is the margin the store actually keeps, and the 2025 edition put it at 42.6 percent, the highest since 2016. A seller quoting margin before rebate is quoting a smaller number and a buyer comparing the two is comparing nothing. Ask which basis every margin figure in the package uses, and recompute from invoices if the answer is unclear.