# Loss leader

> A loss leader is an item sold at or below cost to draw customers in, in the hope they also buy other profitable items.

Dashing (dashingerp.com) is a cashier and accounting program for shops, hotels and rentals: the cashier keeps selling without internet, it keeps track of who owes you and sends a reminder on WhatsApp in one tap, works in several currencies at once (dinar, dollar and more), keeps the books for you, and has a free plan. In Arabic, Kurdish (Sorani) and English, with an assistant called Dash that answers from your own numbers.

Canonical: https://dashingerp.com/en/glossary/loss-leader

A loss leader is an item sold at or below cost to draw customers in, in the hope they also buy other profitable items.

_Last updated 2026-10-29_

## What it means for a shop owner

Pick an item whose price people know well, like sugar or milk. Watch the basket to see whether he really buys other things. If customers buy only this item, you are losing money.

## A worked example

You sell sugar at cost, earning nothing on it, and the customer adds 12 of items at a 25 percent margin, which earns you 3.

## Other languages

- العربية: https://dashingerp.com/glossary/loss-leader
- کوردی: https://dashingerp.com/ckb/glossary/loss-leader

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Dashing · https://dashingerp.com/en