What is not a component of the gross profit margin?

The gross profit margin focuses specifically on a company's sales and the direct costs associated with those sales. It is calculated as the difference between revenue and cost of goods sold (COGS), and it does not take into account operating expenses, which can include items like rent, utilities, salaries, and other costs necessary to run the business.

The components that factor into gross profit margin are directly related to the production and sale of goods, which include revenue generated from sales and costs directly tied to those sales—namely, the cost of goods sold and sales returns, which adjust the total sales revenue. Operating expenses, however, are concerned with the overall functioning of the business and are accounted for when calculating net profit margin, rather than gross profit margin. Thus, operating expenses are not part of the gross profit margin calculation.