Amazon.com description: Product Description: Profitability determines the fate of every retail business and manufacturer. As a fashion industry consultant and a teacher of retail mathematics, Steven Lindner has developed a textbook that teaches students how to negotiate agreements and how to analyze each element presented in profitability reports. This upper-level textbook focuses on the basic components of the buyer-vendor relationship, including negotiations and the creation and assessment of profitability reports. Students will also learn how to interpret standard financial documents such as profit-and-loss statements and balance sheets. In the competitive retail industry, these skills are essential.