I am an accountant. Worked as a buyer for 15 yrs and retired as an accountant after 20 yrs. I can tell if you are scanning tags on the floor is not what they actually paid in bulk for each item. Items are tagged after they arrive to the store individually. The profit/loss etc. is on the back end not the front purchase end. What you are scanning is a tag that has the profit The only thing you can trust about cost it if you see the books. The books are what count not a tag on the floor.
See if I can explain this......I make a dress material cost me a dollar but add the cost of my time, travel time to purchase, ship the dress, sales clerk. The dress is now 40.00 but it only cost 1.00. The dress is tagged as 40.00. But the dress cost 1.00.
No business is going to operate or not operate for long if they operate at a loss.
