Quick answer
Your markup is small on the easy modes and zero on the hard ones, so profit mostly comes from buying below base value. Take wholesale piles, phone suppliers and cooled stolen goods. Then add income that does not need the counter: appraisals, bounties, marketplace requests and a production line.
On this page
Why you're still poor
Selling alone doesn't earn much. Your retail markup is 20% on Price Gouge, 15% on Mark Up and nothing on Thin Margins or Red Ink, while rent and nightly services keep rising.
The fix is to buy cheaper and add income beyond the counter.
Buy below base value
- Wholesale piles: Walk-in sellers discount their whole stock, often 15 to 33% off.
- Phone suppliers: Couriers sell at 20% off. Introductions cost 200 favor for Red Imp Brewery, 250 for Lower Levels Chemist or GP Mining Coop, and 300 for Upper Level Pharmacist.
- Bargaining: Once the Mentor teaches it, you can demand -10%, -25%, -50% or -75%. Demands cost reputation, and sellers can refuse. Better faction standing improves your chances.
If a customer walks out too often when you mark up, hover over the markup button. The game shows the chance there, and many players miss it.
Stolen goods and heat
Thieves discount by heat, but hot goods are dangerous: an inspector's chance of finding a stolen item equals its heat.
| Base value | Heat | Thief discount |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 17 | 0% | 10% |
| 18 to 49 | 25% | 10% |
| 50 to 84 | 50% | 15% |
| 85 to 139 | 75% | 20% |
| 140+ | 100% | 25% |
Regular stolen items lose 18 heat a night. Contraband cools more slowly: 16 for low, 14 for medium, 12 for high and 10 for critical. Hold hot goods out of the display case until they cool. The shop calculators show how many nights that takes.
Stock for events
Event prices apply at the counter, not in the Vending Machine.
| Event | Price change |
|---|---|
| Who Turned Out The Lights? | Energy Cell +50%, Weapon +25%, Ammunition +25% |
| Lower Levels Riot | Food +30%, Weapon +50%, Ammunition +50% |
| Water Supply Crisis | Water prices rise |
Income beyond the counter
- Appraisals: One run earned 214 credits from four Perfect estimates on Day 14. See the appraisal guide.
- Bounties: Nine criminals are worth 3,600 credits in total, led by Lou at 1,500. See the Wanted List.
- Marketplace Requests (250 favor): These usually pay above market. One example paid 100 credits for 3 Medical Supplies (Common) within 3 days.
- Production: Chemistry, water, wine or the 3D Printer turn cheap inputs into stock overnight.
- Vending Machine: It keeps selling after you close. Use the Vending Calculator to plan it.
- Georgio's loan (around Day 43): You lend a quarter or half of your cash, and he repays 4 times the amount within 25 days.
Wild's Network upgrades worth buying
Prices are favor on Mark Up. Call Joe Wild's Assistant on 8376 once his card arrives on Day 7.
| Upgrade | Favor | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer Referral Service | 200 | More customers, with a nightly fee |
| Showcase Expansion I / II | 200 / 500 | Bigger display case |
| Marketplace Requests | 250 | Store requests |
| Power Line Hijack | 300 | Free nightly power |
| Jackson Investment I / II | 400 / 650 | Dr. Jackson's budget and stock rise |
| Vending Machine | 1,200 | Overnight sales |
| Monday's Special Stock | 1,250 | Special stock |
| Wild's Endorsement I / II / III | 2,500 / 5,000 / 10,000 | +25% customer budget each, after you own the store |
Early on, prefer upgrades with no nightly bill. Showcase Expansion I and Power Line Hijack both fit, while referrals keep charging you every night.
Sources
- How to make money fast — AllThings.How, 2026-10
- How to bargain — AllThings.How, 2026-10
- Discussion: walkout rates — Steam Community, 2026-10-31
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