Sports Nutrition Store Break-Even Analysis: About $16K Monthly Sales

Fixed costs $5.0K Base monthly overhead

Contribution margin 81% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $6.2K Monthly revenue target

Break-even timing Month 17 Model break-even point

Break-even calculator

Use this calculator to test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even for a sports nutrition store.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue sets the pool that must cover direct costs and fixed overhead each month. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses These are costs that rise with sales, like inventory and payment fees. $ Low costs High costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $16,200 $20,000 revenue - $3,800 variable expenses

Margin ratio

81%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly cost base the store must cover before profit starts. $ Lean team Larger team

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which store expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even is only reliable when direct product costs reduce margin and true overhead stays above the line. Misclassify a 14.0% inventory cost or $3,500 lease, and Month 17 break-even can look cleaner than it is.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Commercial Lease	Fixed	Include $3,500 per month in fixed overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Spreading rent across units and assuming it falls when sales dip.
Utilities	Semi-variable	Start with the $450 monthly base, then watch for usage increases as traffic and store hours rise.	Treating the full bill as fixed during higher-volume months.
Marketing & Local Ads	Semi-fixed	Model the $500 monthly plan as overhead, with step-ups only when the traffic plan changes.	Counting all marketing as variable customer acquisition spend.
Store Manager	Semi-fixed	Use $5,000 per month as staffing overhead for the relevant planning range.	Putting management payroll into gross margin instead of monthly overhead.
Sales Associate 1	Semi-variable	Use about $2,917 per month, but review hours against visitor volume and service coverage.	Assuming labor stays flat even when weekend traffic climbs.
Wholesale Inventory Purchase	Variable	Reduce contribution margin by 14.0% of sales in the first year.	Hiding inventory cost in overhead and overstating unit margin.
Shipping & Handling Inbound	Variable	Reduce contribution margin by 1.5% of sales in the first year.	Ignoring inbound freight until purchase orders are paid.
Payment Processing Fees	Variable	Reduce contribution margin by 2.5% of sales in the first year.	Using cash sales assumptions while most checkout volume runs through cards.

How does break-even change from lean to base to full staffing for a sports nutrition store?

Scenario table

When payroll steps up before traffic and repeat buyers mature, fixed costs rise faster than revenue, so break-even sales move up. The full plan needs more monthly revenue than the lean plan, even with a slightly better margin.

Planning assumptions only; actual break-even will shift with traffic, basket size, and staffing timing.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean launch	$15,984	$3,037	$12,947	81.0%	$0	Tightest cash risk; every weak week matters.
Base case with half-time add-on	$17,610	$3,204	$14,405	81.8%	$0	Still thin, but it buys a little more runway.
Full staffing plan	$22,990	$3,794	$19,197	83.5%	$0	Higher payroll lifts the break-even bar, so traffic must be stronger.

How much pressure can this sports nutrition store take before break-even slips?

Stress test

The base plan breaks even at $15,984 in monthly sales on $12,947 of fixed costs and an 81.0% contribution margin. Weak weekday traffic, discounting on protein powder and pre workout, and hiring before demand are the fastest ways to push it off plan.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$15,984	$0 gap	Base case reaches break-even in Month 17.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly sales run 10% below plan.	$15,984	$1,294 gap	A small traffic miss leaves the store short of fixed costs.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed costs rise by $1,000 per month.	$17,218	$1,234 gap	Rent, payroll, or local ads need tighter control.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise 5 points to 24.0% of sales.	$17,035	$1,051 gap	Discounting, shrinkage, or supplier creep hits cash fast.
Combined pressure	Fixed costs rise $1,000 and variable expenses hit 24.0%.	$18,351	$2,367 gap	Weak weekday traffic plus early hiring can push cash need higher.

What should the founder verify before signing the lease and stocking this sports nutrition store?

Founder checklist

Don’t lock the lease, stock, or second hire until weekday traffic, conversion, and average order value all support the model. The store breaks even only if the opening mix holds, the $3,500 rent fits the $15,984 monthly target, and cash survives the Month 25 low point.

1Traffic proof12.0%

Verify Year 1 weekday visits can rise from 60 to 90 and Saturday traffic can hold at 120, because the break-even math only works if that traffic turns into buyers.

2Lease load$15.98K/mo

Compare the $3,500 rent to the model’s $15,984 monthly break-even target, so fixed costs do not outrun the traffic the store can realistically pull.

3Unit margin81% CM

Check that a $43.88 average order still leaves about 81% after wholesale, inbound shipping, card fees, and packaging, because each sale has to cover rent and labor too.

4Staffing rampMonth 19

Delay Sales Associate 2 until Month 19, since the model only adds that labor when traffic is strong enough to support fuller coverage without burning cash early.

5Cash cushion$712K

Protect the reserve through the Month 25 low point, because the model bottoms at $712,000 minimum cash and any slower ramp needs more slack, not more spend.

6Opening stock$25K / $91K

Lock supplier terms before the $25,000 opening inventory buy and the $91,000 opening capex package, so cash is not trapped in stock before repeat orders show up.