Free tool · before you sign the agreement
Consign it, or buy it outright?
Buying earns more when the gown sells — consignment costs nothing when it doesn’t. The right answer depends on one number: how likely it is to sell. Run the math before you commit.
Expected profit if you buy
$460
Full margin when it sells, markdown loss when it doesn’t
Expected profit on consignment
$540
Smaller cut when it sells, zero risk when it doesn’t
The verdict
At a 60% chance of selling, consignment wins by $80 of expected profit. The crossover is at 80% sell-through — above that, buy it; below, consign it.
The math is only half the decision. Buying builds the designer relationship, gets you reorder priority, and the gown is yours to mark down on your schedule. Consignment keeps cash free but the owner can recall the gown, and condition disputes are on you. Consign the experiments; buy the proven sellers.
Expected-profit math: buy = chance × (tag − wholesale) + (1 − chance) × (recovery − wholesale); consign = chance × tag × your split. Carrying costs and your time are left out on both sides.
Know your sell-through before you guess at it
CloudBridal tracks how every style, designer, and silhouette actually sells in your shop — so next time this calculator asks 'chance it sells,' you’ll answer from data. Free for 30 days.