What term is used to measure the difference between the cost to produce a product and its selling price?

The term that measures the difference between the cost to produce a product and its selling price is gross profit margin. This metric is crucial for businesses as it provides insights into how much money is made after accounting for the cost of goods sold (COGS). It highlights the efficiency of production, pricing strategies, and overall profitability in a direct manner related to product sales. Essentially, gross profit margin is calculated by taking the sales revenue and subtracting the cost of goods sold, then dividing that by the sales revenue, often expressed as a percentage. This ratio allows companies to assess their health and make informed decisions regarding pricing, production, and operational strategies.

In contrast, other margins like pretax profit margin, net profit margin, and operating margin take into account additional expenses such as operating costs, taxes, and other income sources, which do not focus solely on the relationship between production costs and sales revenue. Hence, gross profit margin is specifically tied to the core activities of producing and selling goods.