Retail Maths Numeracy skills are needed in many retail activities. Your employees will need to measure, and to work out maths problems daily. Sometimes it is good to have a general reference page for them to refer to. The following reference pages can be downloaded, given to your learners, who can put them to one side until needed. The following pages contain information and activities to assist entry level team members improve their knowledge and application of maths within the retail environment. The contents include the following: Quantities and Measurements Length Volume and Mass 24 Hour Time Rounding Off Percentages
Metric measurement quantities and units In retail you may work with a range of materials and amounts. The table below shows the most common metric units and when you would use it. Quantity Common Metric Unit Used When you use it... Length or Distance Millimetre, mm Describing distances, depths or lengths or Metre, m or Kilometre, km Area Square millimetres, 2 mm Describing the coverage of an area or Square metres, 2 m Volume Cubic millimetres, or 3 mm Describing the amount of space that a load takes up Cubic metres, 3 m Mass or Weight Kilograms, kg or Tonnes, t Describing the size of a load Capacity (volume of a liquid) Millilitres, ml or Litres, L When working with liquids or describing the amount of liquid a container can hold Temperature Degrees Celsius, C When monitoring the temperature of an environment Time Hours, Minutes and Seconds When working a shift When completing a job in the required time 1 minute = 60 seconds 1 hour = 60 minutes 2
Metric reference length In retail you may need to measure or be able to estimate. The table below shows common measurement units and easy ways to remember these. Length Abbreviation Meaning References millimetre mm 1 1000 of a metre 10 mm = the width of the nail on the small finger 200 mm = a hand span centimetre cm 1 100 of a metre 10 cm = the width across the knuckles or the width or the width of a person s foot metre m base unit of length About half the height of a tall adult. From your finger-tip to your opposite shoulder, with one arm outstretched One stretched pace step. 2 m is about the height of a doorway. kilometre km 1000 metres About 5 football ovals in length 3
Metric reference volume and mass In retail you may need to measure or be able to estimate. The table below shows common measurement units and easy ways to remember these. Volume Abbreviation Meaning References millilitre ml 1 1000 of a litre or one gram of water One teaspoon is about 5 ml Litre L base unit of capacity A bucket holds about 10 L kilolitre kl 1000 litres A home swimming pool holds about 60 kl megalitre ML 1 000 000 litres A water storage dam Mass or weight Abbreviation Meaning References gram g base unit of mass About the weight of a paper clip kilogram kg 1 000 grams A litre of water weighs 1 kg tonne t 1000 kg About a cubic metre of dirt 4
24 hour time- reference Instead of am or pm, 24 hour time uses a different number for each hour of the day. Normal time 24 hour time 12:00 midnight 00:00 1:00 am 01:00 2:00 am 02:00 3:00 am 03:00 4:00 am 04:00 5:00 am 05:00 6:00 am 06:00 7:00 am 07:00 8:00 am 08:00 9:00 am 09:00 10:00 am 10:00 11:00 am 11:00 12:00 midday 12:00 1:00 pm 13:00 2:00 pm 14:00 3:00 pm 15:00 4:00 pm 16:00 5:00 pm 17:00 6:00 pm 18:00 7:00 pm 19:00 8:00 pm 20:00 5
Normal time 24 hour time 9:00 pm 21:00 10:00 pm 22:00 11:00 pm 23:00 To add minutes, simply write the minutes in the last two numbers. 11:15 am 11:15 10:30 pm 22:30 1:45 pm 13:45 6:47 am 06:47 Time Time refers to seconds, minutes, hours, days and 24 hour time. Useful time facts: 1 minute = 60 seconds 1 hour = 60 minutes 1 day = 24 hours 1 week = 7 days 1 year = 365 days With normal time, am refers to mornings and pm refers to afternoons 12 midnight and 12 midday are neither am or pm 6
Rounding off In retail you may need to round off money when dealing with money, or round off when restocking and ordering supplies. If the last number is below five, then drop it and use 0. For example: $4.81 = $4.80 $4.82 = $4.80 $4.83 = $4.85 $4.84 = $4.85 If the next number is 5 or more, drop it and make the new last number one higher. For example: $4.86 = $4.90 $4.87 = $4.90 $4.88 = $4.90 $4.89 = $4.90 7
Percentages using a calculator When you would use it When working out markdowns for customers When estimating a price When marking prices up When working out discounts How do you do this? Using a calculator, type in the value. Press the multiply button. Type in the percentage number that you need. Finally, press the % button. Example Find 12% of $95 95 Type in your number X Press multiply 12 Type in the percentage number you need % Press the % button. Answer = $11.40 Note If your calculator does not have a % button, then you multiply your value by the percentage number that you need (12), then divide by 100 and push the = button. Examples To find 12% of $95 On your calculator type 95 12100 Answer is $11.40 To find 5% of $260 On your calculator type 260 5 100 Answer is $13 8
Percentages 10% When you would use it When working out markdowns for customers When estimating a price When marking prices up When working out discounts How do you do this? To find 10% of some value, just move the decimal point one place to the left. If there is no decimal point written in your value, the decimal is actually located at the end of all the numbers. Examples 10% of $260.00 = $26.00 Move the decimal point one place to the left. 10% of 95.40 kg = 9.54 kg Move the decimal point one place to the left. 10% of 1462 m = 146.2 m The decimal point is located after the 2. Move the decimal point one place to the left. 9
Percentages 20%, 30%, 40% etc. When you would use it When collecting, analysing and organising numerical information When applying mathematical skills to perform problem solving tasks When using formulae where the answer should be expressed as a percentage How do you do this? Find 10%, by moving the decimal point one place to the left Then multiply by 2 to get 20%, multiply by 3 to get 30%, multiply by 4 to get 40% etc. Examples Find 20% of $260.00 Find 10% by moving the decimal one place to the left. 10% of $260.00 is $26.00 Then multiply by 2 to get 20% $26 x 2 = 52 Answer is $52 Find 30% of $260.00 Find 10% by moving the decimal one place to the left. 10% of $260.00 is $26.00 Then multiply by 3 to get 30% 26 x 3 = 78 Answer is $78 Find 40% of $260.00 Find 10% by moving the decimal one place to the left. 10% of $260.00 is $26.00 Then multiply by 4 to get 40% 26 x 4= 104 Answer is $104 10