[White Paper] Pricing Scenarios
to outperform competitors and negotiate suppliers

Pricing Scenarios

We’ve already uncovered scenarios for profits and turnover increasing. In this white paper, we discuss the algorithms that retailers use to outperform their competitors and to negotiate suppliers.

Competitive Pricing Scenarios
  • Minimal by Key Competitor
  • Cheaper Than a Rival's Promotion
  • Below the Competitor's Minimal Price
Competitive Pricing Scenarios
  • MAP and Minimum Competitors' Prices
  • Non-competitive Purchase
  • Preferred Purchasing Price

At the end of this white paper, you’ll find a list of data that retailer needs to deploy scenarios efficiently; the tools to work with pricing; and useful materials on this topic.

Competitive Pricing Scenarios

Minimal by Key Competitor

the prices are equal
to the key competitor’s prices
while
the prices are equal
to the key competitor are in stock
else
the prices are equal
to the next key
competitor’s prices in a row

The script helps to work effectively with key competitors’ prices. The product prices are equally set by one of the key competitors while it has the goods in stock. If the products of this competitor are not available for buying, the prices are set at the level of the second key competitor; when the second competitor is out of stock, prices are adjusted by the third, etc.

Cheaper Than a Rival’s Promotion

the prices are equal
to the key competitor’s prices
while
a competitor with a
minimum price doesn't run
a promotion
else
decrease
the price by N%

The cost of the items is set to the minimum level among competitors. If a rival with a minimum price runs some kind of promotion (free gift, discount, etc.), we decrease the price by N%. With the support of an active advertising campaign, this scenario helps the retailer gain a part of the competitor’s audience.

Below the Competitor’s Minimal Price

the price is set to the minimum
level among competitors
and
decreased
by specific $ or %
while
new price differs
from the previous one
by less than 25%
else
send deviation alert

In this scenario, the price is set automatically less than the minimum price among competitors. In a case when the new price differs from the previous one by more than 25%, the manager receives alert about deviation. The scenario helps the retailer stay competitive and keep profits if one of the competitors starts aggressively dumping at the same time.

Pricing Scenarios for Negotiations With Suppliers

MAP and Minimum Competitors’ Prices

set MAP
while
N or more of competitors do
not comply with the MAP
else
set a minimum
competitive price

If the MAP is above the minimum price among competitors, the algorithm suggests setting the MAP for the product. A more detailed repricing algorithm can be set. E. g., if N or more of competitors do not comply with the MAP, the script suggests setting a minimum competitive prices.

Non-competitive Purchase

   if   
minimum competitor’s
price is lower than retailer’s cost
then
send a
“non-competitive purchase”
alert

Helps to identify unprofitable prices set by suppliers. If the competitor’s minimum price is lower than retailer’s cost, the retailer receives a “non-competitive purchase” alert. It’s a useful alert for supplier’s prices negotiation.

Preferred Purchasing Price

collect minimum
supplier’s prices
and
decrease them by 3%
(conventional number)
and
create a letter with the
desired cost prices for
sending suppliers

This scenario helps not only to collect non-competitive purchases data (see the previous scenario) but also to obtain the readymade desired purchase prices for sending them to suppliers.

Additional info

Data for working with scripts

In order to effectively work with the pricing scripts, you need high-quality (without errors), relevant (freshly collected at the time of the repricing) and correct data collected on aggregators and on competitors’ websites.

So, to work with the scenarios discussed earlier, retailers need the following information:

  • Product data: stock availability, price, cost, KVI-positions

    Item
    Stock attribute
    KVI tag
    Cost, $
    Multicooker Redmond RMC-M92S
    in stock
    YES
    95
    LCD TV Samsung UE43KU6000
    in stock
    NO
    700
    Notebook Apple MacBook Air 13'
    low in stock
    YES
    925

  • Business goals data: minimum markup, planned markup, turnover and margin plan, etc...

    Item
    Stock attribute
    KVI tag
    Cost, $
    Minimal mark-up, %
    Planned mark-up, %
    Planned turnover, units
    Planned margin, $
    Final price, $
    Multicooker Redmond RMC-M92S
    in stock
    YES
    95
    12
    18
    150
    3000
    115
    LCD TV Samsung UE43KU6000
    in stock
    NO
    700
    3
    6
    75
    3375
    745
    Notebook Apple MacBook Air 13'
    low in stock
    YES
    925
    5
    8
    120
    9000
    999

  • Competitor’s data: prices, stocks, promotions

    Item
    Stock attribute
    KVI tag
    Cost, $
    Minimal mark-up, %
    Planned mark-up, %
    Planned turnover, units
    Planned margin, $
    Final price, $
    Competitor 1 price
    Competitor 2 price
    Competitor 3 price
    Promo attribute
    Stock attribute
    Multicooker Redmond RMC-M92S
    in stock
    YES
    95
    12
    18
    150
    3000
    115
    120
    111
    115
    mark-down
    in stock
    LCD TV Samsung UE43KU6000
    in stock
    NO
    700
    3
    6
    75
    3375
    745
    750
    735
    720
    gift
    low in stock
    Notebook Apple MacBook Air 13'
    low in stock
    YES
    925
    5
    8
    120
    9000
    999
    995
    1019
    999
    no promo
    out of stock

By integrating this data into the scenario and analyzing its performance, you can build a Price Index report to understand how the value of the product affects its sales. It will help you track the effectiveness of your pricing and the impact of competitors even more effectively.

Tools for working with scripts

The simplest tool for working with pricing scenarios is, of course, an Excel spreadsheet. However, since this tool has far more disadvantages than advantages, it’s much more efficient to use services specifically created for this purpose.

The Price Management product, as part of the standalone pricing platform, Competera, integrates all of the internal and external data that was received and visualizes them by repricing the goods according to the pre-set rules in the scenarios and notifying managers about the opportunities to optimize pricing as well as the failure of scenarios. For most scenarios, you need to install limiting scenarios that will monitor the correctness of their execution. To calculate the payback rate of such a tool, contact our pricing experts.

Additional Sources

  • Article and free online course on Pricing Strategies
  • How to collect data: build or buy pricing solution
  • What is Agile PricingTM
  • How to explain pricing strategies in a way even child will understand
  • More scenarios of repricing: increase turnover and margin profit

If you want to know which of the above repricing rules will be the most effective for your online store, chat with our pricing expert — he will answer all of your questions.


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