What goes into the price of a 120-shot cake

Our peony 120-shot cake sells for ₹4,900. Customers who see similar-looking cakes elsewhere at different prices often ask what they are paying for. Here is a rough breakdown, so you can compare on more than the number on the box.

The largest part, about ₹2,600, is the cake itself as it leaves the maker in Sivakasi. That covers the 120 tubes, the effect in each one, the fusing that links them and the cardboard frame that holds them together. Peony cakes cost more than simple crackling ones because each shot carries a round burst with stars, which takes more composition and more careful filling.

Testing adds around ₹150 per cake. We fire one sample from every batch at our field outside Sivakasi, time it and note any slow or weak shots. The cost of the sample, the fuel and the half day of work is spread across the batch. If a batch fails our notes, we do not stock it at all.

Packing and storage in our Sivakasi godown add about ₹300: a double carton, a printed card with the duration and effect, and space in a dry room until dispatch. Our free show plan is part of the remaining amount, along with staff, rent on South Masi Street, payment fees and GST. Our margin on this cake is a little under ₹800. Transport is not in the price; it is charged at actuals, usually ₹300 to ₹700 per order. When you compare, ask whether the price includes testing, a show plan and a proper carton.