Skip to content
LeakLedger

Sample report

Profit Forensics Report — Demonstration

This is an illustrative report for a fictional store. It shows the structure and depth of a real engagement using invented numbers.

Demonstration using synthetic data. Not a real merchant.

Report overview

Store

Northbound Goods (fictional)

Period

Trailing 12 months

Package

Core Profit Forensics Audit

Findings

7 across 5 classifications

Section 1

The Dollar Trail

Gross sales traced to contribution profit. In this synthetic store, contribution profit lands at roughly 29% of gross — and three steps account for most of the erosion.

The Dollar TrailSynthetic example
  1. Gross sales$420,000
  2. Discounts9.1% of gross−$38,400
  3. Refunds5.4% of gross−$22,600
  4. Net sales$359,000
  5. Processing & app fees−$14,800
  6. Shipping (net of charged)−$19,300
  7. Product costs (COGS)−$201,500
  8. Contribution profit$123,400

How to read the findings

Five classifications, in plain English

Each finding is tagged so you know how much weight to give it and what to do next.

Verified loss
Confirmed against source records (such as payout statements). The money difference is documented, not estimated.
Modeled loss
Calculated from your costs and order data. It is an evidence-based estimate, clearly labeled as modeled rather than directly confirmed.
Suspected anomaly
A pattern that looks wrong and warrants review — for example a possible duplicate refund. Flagged for your confirmation, not asserted as fact.
Missed opportunity
Profit you are likely leaving on the table, such as a strong product that keeps going out of stock.
Data blind spot
Information that is missing or incomplete, which makes standard Shopify reporting misleading until it is filled in.

Section 2

Findings & evidence appendix

Verified figures are confirmed against records; modeled figures are estimated from supplied costs and clearly labeled.

Verified lossConfidence: High

Verified payout discrepancy

$1,284

Evidence
Reconciled 184 payouts against gross order value and fees for the trailing period. A recurring processing adjustment was not represented anywhere in store-side reporting.
Recommended action
Document the discrepancy, raise with the processor where applicable, and adopt monthly payout-to-order reconciliation.
Modeled lossConfidence: Medium

Negative-margin orders

$3,140 across 41 orders (modeled)

Evidence
Contribution model applied per order using supplied product costs. 41 orders returned negative contribution after discounts, fees, and shipping. Figures are modeled from costs you provide, not confirmed bank movements.
Recommended action
Raise the free-shipping threshold, cap stackable discounts on low-margin SKUs, and exclude unprofitable bundles.
Suspected anomalyConfidence: Low

Possible duplicate refund

$420 (pending confirmation)

Evidence
Two refunds of equal value posted to the same order within 36 hours. Could be intentional (partial + adjustment) or a duplicate. Flagged for merchant confirmation.
Recommended action
Confirm with your team; if duplicated, request a reversal.
Suspected anomalyConfidence: Medium

Refund concentration on one SKU

18% refund rate on 1 product

Evidence
One product accounts for a disproportionate share of refunds versus the store average, suggesting sizing, quality, or expectation issues.
Recommended action
Review product detail accuracy, sizing guidance, and supplier quality for the affected SKU.
Data blind spotConfidence: High

Missing product costs

27% of SKUs lack cost data

Evidence
Cost-of-goods values are absent for a quarter of active SKUs, which makes Shopify's profit reporting incomplete and potentially misleading.
Recommended action
Populate cost-per-item for all active SKUs so margin reporting becomes trustworthy.
Missed opportunityConfidence: Medium

Slow-moving inventory tying up cash

$11,500 retail value

Evidence
A cohort of SKUs has not sold in 90+ days while consuming storage and working capital.
Recommended action
Bundle, discount strategically, or liquidate to free cash for high-margin restocks.
Missed opportunityConfidence: Medium

Profitable product repeatedly out of stock

$6,800 (modeled forgone profit)

Evidence
Your highest contribution-margin SKU was out of stock for 34 days during a strong demand window.
Recommended action
Set reorder points and safety stock for top-margin SKUs.
Demonstration using synthetic data. Not a real merchant.

Want a report like this for your real store?

Request a profit audit and receive a quantified, evidence-backed version built on your actual data — not synthetic numbers.

Request a Profit AuditSee pricing