Three Numbers Consumer Brands Cannot Afford to Guess
Landed contribution margin
What does each SKU actually contribute after freight, duty, fulfillment, returns, discounts, marketplace fees and retail deductions?
Recoverable inventory cash
How much cash can realistically be released from slow-moving, over-ordered or misallocated inventory—and when?
Purchase-order cash timing
When will deposits, production balances, freight and retailer payment terms put the greatest pressure on cash?
Start With One Priority SKU
A preliminary Landed Margin Snapshot helps determine whether the number you are using for a priority SKU is complete enough to support your next pricing, promotion, channel or reorder decision.
What the snapshot includes
Example output — illustrative only
Priority SKU: Vitamin C Serum 30 ml
| Cost element | Amount |
|---|---|
| Net revenue | $42.00 |
| Manufacturer cost | ($12.00) |
| Freight and duty | ($2.80) |
| Fulfillment and packaging | ($4.20) |
| Fees and returns | ($4.50) |
| Provisional contribution | $18.50 |
Assumptions and missing inputs are documented alongside every figure.
A focused three-week financial review
What the Cash & Margin Audit Clarifies
Margin by SKU and channel
Reconcile the complete variable cost stack for DTC, marketplace and retail sales.
Cash tied up in inventory
Separate accounting value from cash that can realistically be recovered or preserved.
The timing of your next commitment
Model deposits, freight, payment terms and deductions before approving the next purchase order.
How It Works
Secure source documents
You provide selected manufacturer invoices, freight and duty support, fulfillment charges, and recent SKU-level sales information through a secure upload process.
Reconciliation and analysis
I connect the costs to one SKU-and-channel view, identify missing inputs, and distinguish verified information from assumptions.
Decision-ready action plan
You receive prioritized findings covering margin, inventory, cash timing and the next financial decision to address.
Tulsi Chokshi
CPA · MBA · FPAC
Financial analysis grounded in consumer-product experience
I'm Tulsi Chokshi, a CPA, MBA and FPAC with 15 years of experience inside physical-product businesses. My background includes serving as Controller at Tatcha and working on inventory and margin at e.l.f. Cosmetics. I understand how product cost, freight, inventory, retail programs and payment timing interact because I have worked with these decisions from inside consumer brands.
I created ForwardLens to help founders turn disconnected financial and operational information into decision-ready numbers before cash leaves the business.
Your Numbers. Your Control.
Your financial documents are handled with the same care I applied inside enterprise consumer brands.
Before Your Next PO, Pressure-Test One Priority SKU
If you own inventory and are approaching a pricing, promotion, reorder or retail decision, start with a preliminary Landed Margin Snapshot.
Preliminary analysis • Source-supported • Assumptions clearly identified