Consulting » EXTRAORDINARY ITEMS – A carpeting for the rug rats.

EXTRAORDINARY ITEMS - A carpeting for the rug rats.

It turns out that some branches of Allied Carpets - indeed, most - have been booking carpet sales a little bit earlier than the company's accounting policies allow, by recording the revenue at the time when the customers' paid-for carpet is delivered by the manufacturer to Allied's warehouse. The policy says that sales can't be booked until the carpet has actually been delivered and installed. In total, the early bookers inflated group profits by about £3m.

But here’s the rub: Allied’s policy is one of the most conservative in the industry – most rug retailers do what Allied’s own managers were doing. If Allied just changed its own accounting rules, the few outlets toeing the line could have helped boost earnings. A case of sweeping profits out from under the carpet?

Share
Was this article helpful?

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to get your daily business insights