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Price Adjustments

19 January, 2016 - 17:13

Organizations must also decide what their policies are when it comes to making price adjustments, or changing the listed prices of their products. Some common price adjustments include quantity discounts, which involves giving customers discounts for larger purchases. Discounts for paying cash for large purchases and seasonal discounts to get rid of inventory and holiday items are other examples of price adjustments.

A company’s price adjustment policies also need to outline the firm’s shipping charges. Many online merchants offer free shipping on certain products, orders over a certain amount, or purchases made in a given time frame. FOB (free on board) origin and FOB delivered are two common pricing adjustments businesses use to show when the title to a product changes along with who pays the shipping charges. FOB (free on board) origin means the title changes at the origin—that is, when the product is purchased—and the buyer pays the shipping charges. FOB (free on board) destination means the title changes at the destination—that is, after the product is transported—and the seller pays the shipping charges.

Uniform-delivered pricing, also called postage-stamp pricing, means buyers pay the same shipping charges regardless of where they are located. If you mail a letter across town, the postage is the same as when you mail a letter to a different state.

Recall that we discussed trade allowances in Chapter 12 "Public Relations and Sales Promotions". For example, a manufacturer might give a retail store an advertising allowance to advertise the manufacturer’s products in local newspapers. Similarly, a manufacturer might offer a store a discount to restock the manufacturer’s products on store shelves rather than having its own representatives restock the items.

Reciprocal agreements are agreements in which merchants agree to promote each other to customers. Customers who patronize a particular retailer might get a discount card to use at a certain restaurant, and customers who go to a restaurant might get a discount card to use at a specific retailer. For example, when customers make a purchase at Diesel, Inc., they get a discount coupon good to use at a certain resort. When customers are at the resort, they get a discount coupon to use at Diesel. Old Navy and Great Clips implemented similar reciprocal agreements.

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Figure 15.3  When customers made a purchase at the clothing chain Diesel, they were given a bounce back card to be used during certain dates as shown in this photo. The bounce back card gets customers back in the store for additional purchases.  
  
 

A promotion that’s popular during weak economic times is called a bounce back. A bounce back is a promotion in which a seller gives customers discount cards or coupons (see Figure 15.3  When customers made a purchase at the clothing chain Diesel, they were given a bounce back card to be used during certain dates as shown in this photo. The bounce back card gets customers back in the store for additional purchases.  ) after purchasing. Consumers can then use the cards and coupons on their next shopping visits. The idea is to get the customers to return to the store or online outlets later and purchase additional items. Some stores set minimum amounts that consumers have to spend to use the bounce back card.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Both external and internal factors affect pricing decisions. Companies use many different pricing strategies and price adjustments. However, the price must generate enough revenues to cover costs in order for the product to be profitable. Cost-plus pricing, odd-even pricing, prestige pricing, price bundling, sealed bid pricing, going-rate pricing, and captive pricing are just a few of the strategies used. Organizations must also decide what their policies are when it comes to making price adjustments, or changing the listed prices of their products. Some companies use price adjustments as a short-term tactic to increase sales.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. Explain the difference between a penetration and a skimming pricing strategy.
  2. Describe how both buyers and sellers use sealed bid pricing.
  3. Identify an example of each of the following: odd-even pricing, prestige pricing, price bundling, and captive pricing.
  4. What is the difference between FOB origin and FOB destination when paying for shipping charges?
  5. Explain how trade allowances work.