Hair Zone manufactures a brand of hair styling gel. It is considering adding a modified version of the product-a foam that provides stronger hold. Hair Zone's variable costs and prices to wholesalers are: Current hair gel New foam product Unit selling price 2.00 2.25 Unit variable costs 85 1.25 Hair Zone expects to sell 1 million units of the new styling foam in the first year after introduction, but it expects that 60% of those sales will come from buyers who normally purchase Hair Zone's styling gel. Hair Zone estimates that it would sell 1.5 million units of the gel if it did not introduce the foam. If the fixed cost of launching the new foam will be $100,000 d the first year, should Hair Zone add the new product to its line? Why or why not?

Should Hair Zone add the new product to its line? Why or why not?

Explanation:

                                       Current hair gel         New foam product

Unit selling price                  $2.00                          $2.25

Unit variable costs               $0.85                           $1.25

expected sales for new foam product 1,000,000 units, but 600,000 units would replace sales from current hair gel

expected sales for current hair gel if new foam is introduced 900,000 units (1,500,000 if no new product is introduced)

                                         Alternative 1        Alternative 2        Differential

                                         no new foam       new foam             income

total sales revenue          $3,000,000        $4,050,000         $1,050,000

total variable costs          ($1,275,000)        ($2,015,000)        ($740,000)

additional fixed costs                      $0           ($100,000)        ($100,000)

total                                   $1,725,000         $1,935,000           $210,000