Gator Beach Marts, a chain of convenience grocery stores in the Fort Lauderdale area, has store hours that fluctuate from month to month as the tourist trade in the community varies. The utility costs for one of the company’s stores are listed below for the past six months.   Month Total Hours of Operation Total Utility Cost January   500     $ 2,120   February   600       2,400   March   750       2,850   April   450       2,050   May   400       1,750   June   350       1,650     Required: 1-a. Use the high-low method to estimate the cost behavior for the store’s utility costs. Express the cost behavior in formula form (Y= a + bX). 1-b. What is the variable utility cost per hour of operation? 3-a. Construct an Excel spreadsheet and use the Excel commands to perform a least-squares regression. Estimate the cost behavior for the store's utility cost. Express the cost behavior in formula form. 3-b. What is the variable utility cost per hour of operation? 4. During July, the store will be open 300 hours. Predict the store’s total utility cost for July using each of the cost-estimation methods employed in requirements (1) and (3).

Practical Management Science
6th Edition
ISBN:9781337406659
Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Chapter11: Simulation Models
Section11.4: Marketing Models
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Gator Beach Marts, a chain of convenience grocery stores in the Fort Lauderdale area, has store hours that fluctuate from month to month as the tourist trade in the community varies. The utility costs for one of the company’s stores are listed below for the past six months.
 

Month Total Hours
of Operation
Total Utility
Cost
January   500     $ 2,120  
February   600       2,400  
March   750       2,850  
April   450       2,050  
May   400       1,750  
June   350       1,650  
 


Required:
1-a. Use the high-low method to estimate the cost behavior for the store’s utility costs. Express the cost behavior in formula form (Y= a + bX).
1-b. What is the variable utility cost per hour of operation?
3-a. Construct an Excel spreadsheet and use the Excel commands to perform a least-squares regression. Estimate the cost behavior for the store's utility cost. Express the cost behavior in formula form.
3-b. What is the variable utility cost per hour of operation?
4. During July, the store will be open 300 hours. Predict the store’s total utility cost for July using each of the cost-estimation methods employed in requirements (1) and (3).

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