Setting Markups
A markup is how TORO turns what you paid for something into what you charge for it. You set the markup, TORO does the math, and every item gets priced consistently without you reaching for a calculator. The trick is knowing that a markup can live at four different levels — and that the most specific one always wins.
What a markup actually is
You enter a markup as a percentage on top of your cost. A 100% markup doubles your cost: a cigar that costs you $5.00 lands at $10.00. A 50% markup on that same cigar would price it at $7.50.
There are two markups you can set:
Markup to MSRP — used when you price an item off the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Markup to Store Pricing — used when you price off your own store's retail model. This is the one most shops rely on day to day. (On the markup screen its column is headed Markup to Retail — same thing.)
A note on Gross Profit. Some shops think in terms of gross profit (GP) instead of markup. TORO uses markup, not GP. To convert, just double your gross profit number — a 50% GP target is roughly a 100% markup.
The four levels (and why the order matters)
The same markup can be set in four places. TORO checks them from most specific to least specific and uses the first one it finds:
- Item SKU — this exact SKU only (for example, the single stick, but not the box).
- Item — every SKU under one item.
- Brand — every item under one brand.
- Product Type — the category-wide default (Cigars, Pipe Tobacco, Accessories, and so on).
So if a SKU has its own markup, that's what's used. No SKU markup? TORO falls back to the item. No item markup? It uses the brand. Nothing at the brand? It lands on the product type default. That product type default is your safety net — set it once and every new item is priced sensibly out of the gate.
Most stores set a smart default at the product type level, override a handful of brands, and only touch individual items when a specific product needs special pricing.
Reading the Markup Configuration screen
When you open the markup screen for an item SKU, you'll see all four levels laid out side by side, with a live price preview that updates as you type.
The box that's GREEN is the one TORO is actually using. It's the winner of the most-specific-wins rule above. Change a value at a more specific level and watch the green box jump to it — that's your confirmation that your override took.
The lower levels (Brand and Product Type) show up greyed out here on purpose. You don't edit them from this screen — you edit them where they live.
Where to set each level
Product Type (the default): Dashboard → Set Up System → Manage Product Types. Open the product type and set its Markup to MSRP and Markup to Store Pricing. See Setting Up Product Types.
Brand: Dashboard → Items → Manage Brands. Open the brand and set its markup fields. Every item in that brand without its own override now follows it.
Item and Item SKU: Right on the Markup Configuration screen. Edit the markup at the Master SKU — that's the SKU shown with the grey background. Setting it there flows down to the rest of that item's SKUs unless an individual SKU has its own override.
A few things worth knowing
- Changing a markup doesn't silently re-price old items. When you adjust a markup, TORO will offer to apply it to the affected items so you stay in control of when prices move.
- Overrides are sticky. An item or SKU markup keeps overriding the brand and product type until you clear it. If a price looks "stuck," check for an override at a more specific level — the green box will point you right to it.
- Start broad, then narrow. Dial in product type defaults first, layer brand markups on top, and reserve item/SKU overrides for the exceptions. It's far less to maintain.