Final answer:
The conventional retail method is used to determine ending inventory at cost. To calculate this, we need to find the cost-to-retail ratio and apply it to the ending inventory at retail value.
Step-by-step explanation:
The conventional retail method is used to determine the ending inventory at cost by estimating the cost based on the retail value of the inventory. To compute the ending inventory at cost, we need to calculate the cost-to-retail ratio and apply it to the ending inventory at retail.
Cost-to-retail ratio = Cost of beginning inventory / Retail value of beginning inventory = $12,000 / $20,000 = 0.6
Ending inventory at cost = Ending inventory at retail x Cost-to-retail ratio = $25,000 x 0.6 = $15,000