Landed Cost and Import Inventory: Record True Cost So Margins Are Real
Landed cost for import inventory is the full cost to get stock into your warehouse: product cost plus freight, duty, and fees. Recording it at receipt and using it as your unit cost ensures COGS and margin reports are real, not understated by ignoring shipping and duty.
In this article
- Why you should track landed cost for imports
- How to add freight and duty to your inventory cost when you receive
- Using landed cost in pricing and reporting
- Seeing what you're really earning
Why should I track landed cost for imports?
If you only record the supplier invoice price, your gross margin looks higher than it is. Freight and duty can add 10–30% (or more) to cost. When you sell, you're reporting margin on the wrong cost—so you think you're making more than you are. Landed cost fixes that by making "cost" the true cost to land the product.
| Cost basis | What you see |
|---|---|
| Supplier invoice only | Margin looks higher; COGS understated; you think you're making more than you are |
| Landed cost (product + freight + duty + fees) | True COGS; margin reflects reality; pricing and promotion based on real profitability |
| International shipments | Freight and duty can add 10–30%+ to cost; ignoring them distorts every report |
How do I add freight and duty to my inventory cost when I receive?
At goods receipt, enter the quantity received and the purchase cost. Then add cost adjustments: freight, duty, insurance, handling. The system allocates the total across the received quantity (e.g. per unit). That becomes the unit cost for that receipt. For e-commerce and wholesale distribution, this is often part of the GRN or purchase workflow so every import is costed correctly.
How do I use landed cost in pricing and reporting?
Once landed cost is your unit cost, all COGS and margin reports use it. You can price and promote with real margins in mind. For more on keeping stock and cost accurate across channels, see handling landed cost for international shipments.
Record true cost at receipt; use it in every report. That's how you price and promote with confidence.