Promotions and sales: 33 ideas on how to attract a buyer

You will be surprised: sometimes the buyer is even ready to ... undress in order to receive the desired product. But seriously - you should not be limited to the typical "let's make a discount and let's distribute flyers." There are many options for promotions, even with discounts you can come up with something unusual - and effective.

explored

hypermarket

13. "Now or Never"

14. "Motivated" discount

Promotion in the Calipso store.

Presents

Promotion in the jewelry store

19. For the future

supermarket

Half a liter of blood for the iPhone.

"Silpo" and monsters Stikeez

Promotion at the Olvi gas station.

33. Original promotions

There are many ways to attract the attention of buyers - discounts, gifts, free samples and much more, but marketers do not stop generating new ideas and surprising consumers. We studied the experience of retailers from different areas and compiled a list of trade marketing promotions that work.

Discounts in online and offline retail

In mid-2016, marketing firm Nielsen investigated the impact of promotions on shopper choice in grocery stores. The results are impressive. Thus, 51% of 1,000 respondents confirmed that their interest in discounted goods increased over the year. Price reduction is the most common way to draw the attention of store visitors to specific products. However, discounts are different. Along with the traditional seasonal sales in Russian and foreign retail, there are quite creative promo solutions.

The action is often found in fashion retail. It allows not only to increase sales, but also to sell stale goods, receive funds and free up space in the warehouse for new arrivals. Larger events are also referred to as "warehouse liquidation". The mechanism works well - people are ready to buy things from last year's collections at a discount.

Liquidation in the baby store.

This model is used not only by retailers, but also by representatives of the restaurant business. On certain days and times, the store has big discounts on a specific product or category. Hours are usually known in advance.

However, Simteks, a St. Petersburg home appliances store, took a different path. The fact that on Friday there will be "happy hours" and a 30% discount on Italian household appliances, buyers were informed in advance. But the times change every week. Already for the third time the shops were in a rush from early morning. Marketers coped with the task of attracting customers to inconveniently located retail outlets.

This model is used when you need to attract the attention of a specific audience segment. There are a lot of options - discounts for mothers with children, owners of Maltese Shepherds, pensioners, etc. There are also more creative options - a promotion for visitors in white or customers with green handbags.

"Family" action in "Pyaterochka".

This mechanism is often used by fashion retailers. Girls love to go shopping in the company, so the “bring a friend and get a discount” marketing campaign is in demand, and the discount depends on the number of attracted customers - 5% for one, 10% for two, 15% for three, and so on. Another kind of such promotions is discounts for new visitors - a regular customer passes a coupon to a friend.

Multi-move "Refer a friend" promotion - perhaps too difficult to complete

This is how Alfa-Bank in Belarus attracts customers.

The store makes profitable offers to specific customers. For example, birthday people get a discount on a cake or other holiday products. The large Lenta hypermarket went even further. Personal offers are formed based on the analysis of the purchase history. The client receives information about discounts on goods of interest to him by mail or in an email newsletter.

50% discount on your favorite products in the "Lenta".

The promotion is more typical for online retail. Orders begin to be accepted when the goods are not yet in stock. To encourage buyers to pay in advance, the store reduces the price of pre-order.

Discount for pre-ordering RRD equipment.

The buyer is active - puts likes, subscribes to groups in social networks or e-mail newsletters, writes reviews - and receives a profitable offer. Such actions pursue several goals at once. They stimulate sales, increase the loyalty of the target audience, increase the subscriber base or community in social networks.

200 rub. to buy underwear in a couple of clicks on the social network.

One of the options is special offers for those who have spent a certain amount in the store one-time or gradually. In the latter case, the buyer is offered to keep receipts or is given special card, on which the seller puts marks with each purchase. The client receives a large one-time discount or bonus card. The percentage on it can increase as you pass the milestones - 5% for purchases of 5,000 rubles, 7% - for 10,000 rubles. etc.

More shopping - more discount.

The purpose of the event is to increase loyalty and increase the amount of the average check. Also used to sell slow-moving goods. An example of such an advertising campaign in footwear and accessories stores is a discount on a handbag when buying a pair of shoes from the same collection, in a supermarket - a discount on nuts when buying a package of beer.

Discounted accessories for smartphones and tablets.

This model is often used by grocery retailers. Every day in the store there is a discount on a certain category of goods. To attract the attention of the audience, they come up with creative names - “Fruit Tuesday” or “Meat Friday”.

Discounts on meat in the BIGZZ chain, Minsk.

Such a promotion is a good way to get rid of stale goods or draw attention to a new one. In order for buyers to better navigate, promotional products are marked. You can use bright stickers or price tags of the appropriate color.

Minus 30% for goods with a "red" price tag.

13. "Now or Never"

This technique is used by online retailers to combat abandoned carts. The visitor walks through the pages, selects products, but never reaches the checkout. After a while, an email arrives with a discount on the models added to the cart.

The buyer will receive a 5% discount and free shipping if they return and checkout.

But the MYTH does not reduce prices, but “squeezes” the buyer with a fragment of the book:

An extra free chapter is a good incentive to buy the whole book.

14. "Motivated" discount

To earn a bonus, the buyer must complete certain actions. What kind of madness people do not go for the sake of profit. For example, in the Moscow diving equipment store Diskus, customers were offered to put their heads in the aquarium. The size of the discount depended on the time that a person could spend under water holding his breath. There were always those who wanted to test their strength - people appreciate more what they get for a reason. And discounts, for which you had to try, are used more willingly.

People are gambling, they like to play and win. Buyers perceive positively promotions in supermarkets with elements of a lottery. For example, when making a purchase, an arbitrary discount breaks through on the receipt. The size can vary from 5% to 50%.

Random discounts on embroidery kits.

An original solution was found in a shoe store - the amount of the discount was tied to the size of the customers' feet. Another example is a marketing campaign in a sports equipment store. The buyer had to bring an old bike. It was weighed on the spot, the percentage discount on the new inventory was equal to the weight of the old one in kilograms.

Promotion in the Calipso store.

And here is another solution: “Turn in old clothes and get a discount”:

Price reduction is the most common, but far from the only way to attract visitors to the store and motivate them to buy more. This mechanism is good to use when, along with increasing sales, the goal is to get rid of individual products. However, increase average check and audience loyalty is possible without lowering prices.

Presents

Even more than buying at a bargain, people love getting something for free. This is actively used by retailers, who come up with different mechanics with gifts. The attention of consumers is attracted by both really valuable goods and pleasant little things. The effectiveness of marketing campaigns can also be affected by the original presentation.

One of the most common mechanics. By purchasing a product of a certain category, the client receives the second one as a gift. These can be the same products - a common "two for the price of one" promotion. Also, as a gift to the main one, they often offer related products or consumables. Meet at all original combinations- vodka and Borjomi, Raffaello and condoms, etc.

Action in the salon of home textiles.

This option is not suitable for every store. But it works great in jewelry stores, where sales directly depend on the number of fittings. One of the stores managed to survive the crisis and increase sales by offering pearl jewelry for each fitting. Their prime cost is low, due to the increased sales, the action has more than paid for itself.

Promotion in the jewelry store

19. For the future

Sometimes a gift to a random visitor can increase sales if you need to take care of the free product and buy consumables. They decided to carry out an unusual marketing campaign in a pet store. The owner invited students from a nearby school on a tour. At the end everyone got a small fish for free. After a while, the parents came for aquariums, equipment and food. The cost of this living creature is low, but related products are decent.

We are talking about joint actions of companies from different fields. illustrative example- Supermarket "The Seventh Continent" and jewelry salon Sunlight. When buying products for a certain amount, the client receives a certificate for jewelry. The action usually involves cute trinkets - pendants or beads for Pandora bracelets.

Joint action of Pyaterochka and Sunlight.

Such promotions are usually carried out by manufacturers, but retailers also often use this mechanic. So, in one jewelry salon, expensive gifts were raffled among buyers - cars, apartments and travel. An even more creative idea came up with the marketing specialists of the Ukrainian Citrus store. They gave away a limited edition red iPhone 7 to blood donors. During the action period, in several centers, each donor was given something like a lottery ticket.

Half a liter of blood for the iPhone.

It is good to launch gift marketing activities at the opening of a new outlet in order to attract customers. A good example of a promotion was shown by the marketers of the Svyaznoy salon. Employees scattered "lost" wallets with an invitation to come to the opening of a new store and exchange the find for a gift - a T-shirt with the inscription "The most honest resident of the city."

In honor of the opening, Bukvoed exchanges balloons for books.

Marketers actively use techniques from computer games- achievements, awards, leaderboards, statuses and others. In grocery chain retail, customers are offered to collect toys. A collection of characters is created, an album or a box with slots for each figure is sold separately. There are a lot of examples from real practice - the Ukrainian network "Silpo" and monsters Stikeez, Russian "Dixie" with their "stuck" and "Magnet" with toys and tokens from Star Wars. The bottom line is always the same - in order to get or buy a figurine for a pittance for a collection, you must first purchase for a certain amount - 500-1000 rubles. Thus, the promotion increases the average check quite well, and at the same time increases the loyalty of the target audience - people like to play and share their successes in social networks.

« star Wars on the Magnit network.

Buyers are offered to collect a certain number of items and exchange them for valuable prizes. Network hypermarkets donate sets of knives, frying pans and other household items of good quality. A sticker is issued for a purchase for every 50, 100 or 200 rubles. Thanks to the promotion, collectors come to purchase in specific stores and pick up more items in order to get a prize faster.

Coupon for chips in the cosmetics store "Professional's Choice".

Action scenarios are limited only by the imagination of marketers and business owners. The main thing is to offer buyers what they need, or engage in interesting game with elements of competition.

Marketing activities have different goals - increase sales, attract customers to a new store or attention to a new product, increase reach or loyalty. All previous examples directly or indirectly help to solve all problems. In this section, we will talk about promotions that are mainly aimed at increasing the average check.

This is how they motivate to spend more in the “At the same time” network.

This model is most typical for online stores. The promotion is limited by the amount of the order - at least 1000-3000 rubles. Many people prefer to put an extra and not very necessary product in the basket than to throw away 300-500 rubles. to the wind.

Having tried a new product or drink, the visitor can buy something that he did not originally plan. The mechanics are used by market traders and sellers of watermelons - after tasting a refreshing treat on a hot day, it is impossible to pass by and not buy it.

Honey tasting at BeeHappy store

People like to feel that they are part of a big and useful cause, so the inscriptions “By buying this product, you help children” or “I love nature” work. Of course, a charity project should exist not only in promotional materials.

"Panda-karta" in the "M-video" store.

In grocery retail, you can often find products that sell no more than 2-4 pieces per person. Miraculously, a queue grows at the counter, where it used to be empty. The fear of not being on time, of missing out on something important, works into the hands of marketers. Even those who do not need the goods at all are in a hurry to pick up their portion of "exclusive".

Action in the Novosibirsk store "Holiday".

This model is used to increase the average check. Shoppers are offered a set of related items, such as tea and sugar or gin and tonic. The point is that buying a set is more profitable than buying each product separately. However, kits are chosen even by those who need one thing, thereby leaving more money in the box office.

In a set, each item is cheaper.

There are other strategies to increase the average check, the simplest of which is to increase prices. However, in this case, some buyers may go to competitors to save money.

Promotions to attract attention to the brand and increase loyalty

Creating a buzz around the store means attracting customers and almost guaranteed to increase sales. In the struggle for the attention of the audience, companies take risky steps, sometimes on the verge of a foul. But such events always bring results, and the winners are not judged.

Some stores encourage customers to do crazy things for gifts and discounts. One of the varieties of such promotions is the strip game. The pioneer in this business was Euroset, which 10 years ago gave phones to those who came to the salon naked. However, most retailers do not resort to such drastic options. So, in 2016, at the OLVI gas station, they gave a full tank of gasoline to everyone who came to refuel in a bikini and in heels. The conditions were the same for everyone without exception.

Promotion at the Olvi gas station.

Similar actions were carried out by fashion retailers in different cities and countries. As for loyalty, of course, one can argue here, but the marketers of these companies definitely coped with the task of attracting attention and creating a stir.

Action in one of the shoe stores in Grodno.

This mechanism is often used by home appliance stores. In exchange for an old washing machine or refrigerator, the buyer receives a new one with a surcharge. The surcharge is usually 10-30% less than the usual cost of equipment, and the store increases sales and receives working parts. HM also carried out a similar action - in exchange for a bag of old clothes, the visitor received a small discount on a new one.

Exchange old for new in MediaMarkt.

A prize received in a fair fight brings more joy than an ordinary gift. People are ready to compete for the sake of simple titles and ratings, and they are capable of much for a discount or a prize. Great Opportunities give social networks for drawings. Repost contests draw attention to the brand, increase the reach of the target audience and increase loyalty.

Another common model is pranks using special hashtags, including creative ones. You can also use this tool offline. So, a grocery supermarket arranged a competition for speed - the winner was the one who, at the set time, scored more purchases in the basket and ran to the checkout. The lucky one took everything for free, the rest of the participants received a discount. Another example of gift chasing is a promotion at a sports equipment store. Customers had to choose any product and run to the checkout in a minute. A wet t-shirt photo contest was organized by a plumbing store for its customers. Photographed on the spot, the winner got a shower.

Creative competition in the fabric store.

33. Original promotions

Unusually designed advertising campaigns attract attention and are remembered, and the coupon for the next purchase becomes a reason to look into the store again. On New Year's Eve, the children's supermarket launched the Compliments and Wishes campaign. At the checkout, customers pulled out a beautifully designed scroll with wishes and a coupon for a gift or discount. Customers liked the event so much that the store began to repeat it before every holiday.

This is far from full list ideas that will attract visitors to the store and increase sales. In each area of ​​retail, you can come up with a dozen more creative promotions. To increase response, reach and achieve better results, it is worth combining offline and online tools, constantly analyzing the reaction and needs of the target audience. A careful calculation of marketing promotions will help not to go into the red.

trade marketing, marketing campaign https://www.site Promotions and sales: 33 ideas on how to attract a buyerhttps://www.site/articles/143779/ 2019-02-18 2019-02-18

ON THE. Abramova General Director of Trade House "Alfa-Service"
Journal "Planning and Economic Department", No. 3 for 2011

New Year, February 23, March 8... On the eve of holidays, the number of buyers in stores increases. And so that everyone leaves the store satisfied and with a lot of purchases, he can be gently pushed to these same purchases. The main thing is to correctly calculate the size and duration of discounts in order to cover momentary losses by increasing sales. The seller's hesitation is always understandable: excessive extravagance, without leading to a tangible increase in sales, guarantees a decrease in profits, excessive caution, especially during the holidays, will lead to an outflow of buyers and a decrease in sales. How to find a golden mean that will allow us, sellers, to make a profit, not lose customers, and increase sales? Let's figure it out.

If you ask sellers for what purpose they provide discounts, you can hear different answers:

• Everyone gives discounts, and so do I. Buyers are not interested in goods if there are no discounts on them;
• if the buyer doubts whether to purchase the goods or not, then the simplest and most effective way to persuade him - to provide a discount;
• market prices for the same categories of goods are approximately the same. To attract a buyer, you need to make a discount.

First, let's look at the moments when discounts are ineffective and do not live up to expectations. The seller's first mistake is that he did not calculate the economic efficiency of the discount provided, did not estimate how much the turnover should grow in order for the discount to pay off and income not to fall. A small calculation (below we will see how to make it correctly) will show that a 5% discount requires an increase in turnover by at least 30%, and this is a significant increase.

You won't surprise anyone with discounts now. And sellers often do not take into account that many buyers believe that the sellers first put the goods up for sale at an inflated price, and after two weeks they put up a discount label and began to sell the goods at the “correct” one. To be honest, sellers often do this. Therefore, before buying an expensive durable product, such as a refrigerator or a car, customers will go around several stores, look for information on the Internet, and only then make a choice in favor of one or another store. And the main element of choice for the majority will be the final price and product quality, warranty periods for the goods, but no discount provided.

For your information. The psychology of people is arranged in such a way that the first noticeable and significant figure for them is 15%. Whether they got a pay raise, a discount, or a gas price hike, most people will only notice if the change is more than 15%. Therefore, discounts of 5 or even 10% will not add noticeable attention to the product. And vice versa, if the product is liked, the buyer will buy it without a discount.

For any buyer, the value is the product itself, the purchase of the right to own it, and not its cost. Price targeting begins where there is not enough information about the product itself, or where the market is oversaturated with products of one category. After all, you can go the other way and not provide a discount, reducing the price of the product, but, for example, offer a bonus, a gift that increases the value of the product itself, some related product. But these should not be old 3.5 floppy disks for a computer that no one buys, and other unnecessary stale goods. But the free delivery of heavy goods will definitely interest the buyer. This will be a good counterbalance to discounts, which also really works.

Note! It often happens that the seller reduces his profit by offering discounts without first calculating their cost-effectiveness. But sometimes it is easier and more economical to resort to other effective methods.

So do you need discounts or not? And if so, in what cases would it be most effective to use them? What will help the seller to make the right choice - common sense, the pursuit of public opinion or accurate calculation?

So, the seller must understand that discounts are not a necessary evil, but a means of increasing income. The most effective in practice is not one or two discounts on a specific product, but whole system discounts, simple and understandable for both employees of the trading company and customers. Discounts, aggravated by additional conditions, should not lead employees and customers into the jungle of these conditions. The use of the discount system also determines a bright, accessible and understandable advertising campaign for everyone, from bright stands at the entrance and inside the store to announcements and commercials on television and radio.

By and large, all the variety of applied discounts can be divided into the following groups.

• Temporary discounts. They are provided at a certain time interval (morning, night), during the season (summer, winter) or on holidays.
• segment discounts. Provided to a certain circle of persons or social group (housewives, students, pensioners).
• Hidden, or inconsistent, discounts. The product of marketers who are "not friends with the head." The type of discount that the buyer learns about only when standing at the checkout and about to pay or receive it as a "gift" awful looking whistling kettle. It makes me want to ask: why? There is this discount or not, it does not matter.
• Saved from additional costs. Sale of stale, unfashionable goods or sale due to the end of the season and getting rid of the cost of storing and transporting goods.

Let's see what positive and negative sides discounts have, what they are interesting for the seller and the buyer, and learn how to calculate the economic efficiency of the discount.

Growth of the discount with an increase in the volume of purchases

This type of discount is used most often. The seller develops a scale of percentage discounts, which increases with an increase in the volume of purchases in a certain period of time. For example, in a month you bought an iron and a coffee maker and received a 4% discount, and if you want to buy a microwave oven as well, then the discount will be 6% on all purchased goods. The example is the simplest to understand the principle. In most cases, such discount systems are drawn up "from the ceiling", and even the seller himself does not undertake to determine their effectiveness.

Initially, we assume that the appointment of a progressive discount scale will first of all provoke an increase in sales, that is, an increase in volume. Based on the economic concept of profitability, the profit received at a discounted price and increased sales should be no less (and even more) than the expected profit at undiscounted prices and the current level of sales.

So, we make a formula for calculating a progressive scale of discounts:

Profit - the current amount of commodity revenue minus variable costs (for an industrial enterprise) or the cost of purchasing goods (for a trading enterprise). If a trading company has its own production, then all variable costs must also be deducted from revenue.

The expected increase in profit is the planned revenue for the increased volume of goods. The larger the enterprise, the more complex the calculations for commodity items, prices, sales volumes and units of measurement are forthcoming. It should be noted that the scale of discounts is developed not for one product, but for a whole category of products, the volume of sales of which needs to be increased. The scale of discounts can be applied both targeted to each client, and made it the same for all clients, without singling out any of them. Let's look at both examples of progressive discount scales.

Example 1

Our regular customer counts on an additional discount. We will calculate whether it is beneficial for us and offer a specific buyer additional condition to provide a discount.

This buyer already has a 3% discount and buys goods from us for 50,000 rubles every month. in the amount of 50 pieces. That is, taking into account the discount, the commodity price of all goods purchased by him is 51,546 rubles. (50,000 / (1 - 3% / 100%)). The trade margin for this product is 20%. The purchase price or cost of production - 42,955 rubles. (51,546 / (1 + 20% / 100%)), and the profit is 7045 rubles. (50,000 - 42,955).

How much does a customer have to buy a product to get a 5% or 7% discount? We want to create a discount scale, so each percentage of discounts will have its own calculation conditions. Consider that the seller wants to get an additional profit of 200 rubles for a 5% discount, and 500 rubles for a 7% discount. The calculation is given in table. one.

Table 1. Calculation of new sales volumes

Indicator	Discount percentage
Expected increase in profit, rub.
Profit, rub.
Purchase price of the entire volume of goods, rub.
Quantity of goods, pcs.

Calculations were made using the above formula. For the first column, the discount is 0, the markup is the same for all columns and equals 20%. Expected profit growth for the first column = 0. Find the required sales volume at a discount equal to 0: (7045 - 0) / (1 - 1 / ((1 - 0 / 100) × (1 + 20 / 100)) = 42,269 rub.

The required sales volume is equal to the full price because there is no discount in the first column.

We remove 20% of the surcharge from the full price and get the purchase price: 42,269 / (1 + 20 / 100) = 35,224 rubles.

The ratio of the required volume to the current one is calculated as a percentage: (42,269 - 50,000) / 50,000 × 100% = -15.5%.

When providing a discount of 5%, we want to increase our profit by 200 rubles. for the entire volume of goods. Now the formula will look like this: (7045 + 200) / (1 - 1 / ((1 - 5 / 100) × (1 + 20 / 100)) = 58,995 - the required sales volume at a discount.

The full price will be 62,100 rubles. (58,995 / (1 - 5 / 100)). Purchase price - 51,750 rubles. (62 100 / (1 + 20 / 100)).

The ratio of the required volume to the current one is 18% ((58,995 – 50,000) / 50,000 × 100%).

All other calculations are made in exactly the same way.

The buyer can count on a 5% discount if he increases the purchase of goods by at least 18%. This will be our counter offer. And if he wants a 7% discount, then purchases should almost double. If the buyer agrees to this, such cooperation will be mutually beneficial.

Example 2

Now consider the general case of calculating the scale of discounts. What is needed for this? First, let's determine the volume of sales, so to speak, the lower limit of the volume of purchases, from which the discount begins. This stage of calculations is the most difficult, requiring a comprehensive analysis of the sales volume of a trade organization or the marketing policy of an industrial enterprise. The lowest limit can be considered the break-even point, that is, the provision of discounts at the very beginning of sales. Of course, in this case, the profit will be less than expected. But many trade and industrial enterprises offer this type of discount scale in order to increase competitiveness and attract potential buyers.

It is also necessary to determine the expected amount of profit that the company would like to receive for the volume of goods sold. This is not about profitability, which is calculated in the calculations per unit of output, but about profit for a certain amount of products sold. In this case, the expected profit cannot be less than profitability, but its upper limit is limited by the competitiveness of the price of the goods and the consumer demand for this category of products.

To determine the size of the steps of the calculated discounts, you can arm yourself with the practical experience already accumulated on this issue and not reinvent the wheel. But if the product is new or the circle of buyers is fairly stable, then you can conduct a survey or a full-fledged sociological study and calculate the scale for reducing the price of the product to increase the interest of potential buyers, then calculate the scale of volumes of products sold for it (Table 2).

Table 2. Calculation of the scale of discounts

Indicator	Discount percentage
Full price of the entire volume of goods without discounts, rub.
The purchase price of the entire volume of goods or the cost price, rub.
Required sales volume at discounted prices, rub.
The ratio of the required volume to the current one,%
Quantity of goods, pcs.
Profit, rub.

What can be the conclusion? The purpose of discounts is to increase sales, as in the calculations we are considering. The level of profit will increase only if the volume of sales at the provision of each discount exceeds the calculated for each percentage of discounts. And if it is quite simple to make such a calculation with wholesale regular customers and determine the size of the discount, then in retail trade the indicators will always differ from the calculated ones. Ignoring the reasons for the decrease or increase in consumer demand can lead to the fact that the actual figures may differ significantly from the calculated ones, and it is good, if in a big way. This can threaten both a decrease in expected profits and the appearance of illiquid, stale goods. Maybe that's why real discounts in stores do not exceed 3-5%: sellers trust their caution more and do not organize constant trade with large discounts.

Let's see how the volume of goods sold should grow with an increase in the discount percentage and maintaining the same profit share (see figure).

Dynamics of the volume of goods sold

In life, everything can be calculated much easier, without resorting to complex academic formulas. The above formula is not entirely convenient for practical calculations, since we put the dependence of the volume of additionally sold products on the expected profit. More often, you need to calculate the optimal discount percentage for a particular customer or a single optimal percentage for all customers, and the formula for calculating the optimal discount percentage will help in such calculations:

Max % Discount = (Profit - (Profit × Min Volume / Expected Volume) / Unit Price.

Example 3

Let's use the data of example 1. (7045 - 7045 × (62 100 - 42 269) / 62 100) / 1031 = 4.7%. The minimum additional volume of goods sold is determined by the difference between the expected sales volume and the existing one. The price of the goods is known and established. Based on this calculation, the seller understands that with an increase in sales by 18%, the maximum possible discount will be 4.7%. To get additional profit, you need to either make the discount lower, or increase sales even more.

Note! The seller, providing a discount, has two goals: to get additional profit or get rid of unfashionable, uninteresting goods for buyers. Permanent discounts eventually lose their relevance, they cease to pay attention.

Contract discount

Very interesting is contract discount. There are a lot of options for both the buyer and the seller. These are discounts for prepayment, when buying certain types of goods, and even when using various types of payments in foreign currency. Different types of discounts under the contract can be combined, always taking into account the interests of the buyer. If our proposals are not of interest to him, in no case should they be imposed. For example, transport services can be added to the discount system, which is widely used by companies that have their own transport. A discount is provided for the goods if the buyer ordered from the company of the seller or manufacturer and transport for its delivery. The economic efficiency of discounts is calculated in the usual way.

Pre-holiday or seasonal discounts

These are the same discounts that we talked about at the beginning of the article. Such discounts require promotions. Before the holidays, each potential buyer will look for gifts for his family and friends. It is necessary to focus his attention on our store. Basically, this type of discount is used for retail, unlike seasonal sales. The question arises: what to do with unsold items, for example from the summer collection? Is it cheaper to sell them at a significant discount or leave them to gather dust on store shelves in anticipation of a brighter future? In this case, the size of the discount and its effectiveness are determined by the cost of storing the goods in the warehouse and the low probability of selling the goods at the original price. Many shoppers look forward to seasonal sales with enthusiasm, when prices can drop by up to 80%. But there is another way for seasonal discounts - to sell goods at a discount before the main season, offering new products that are interesting for the buyer.

Such discounts are used daily by supermarkets to reduce the load on the store in the evenings and weekends. They provide discounts on all purchases up to 12 noon on weekdays and at night, so that interested people come to the store for purchases not during the hours of the greatest pandemonium. In this case, the amount of discounts and their effectiveness depend on the amount of lost profits if customer demand is not met during peak hours.

Retain existing customers and attract new ones

When customers are “accustomed” to buying goods in a certain store, it is necessary to develop a system of cumulative discounts in order to retain them, in which the discount percentage increases for a particular customer when a certain amount of the cost of all his purchases is reached. For example, when shopping for more than 5000 rubles. a 3% discount is provided, when stepping over the barrier of 10,000 - 5%, 15,000 - 7%, etc. When a certain amount of the purchase price is reached, the maximum possible percentage of the discount is assigned, which is significant for the buyer, which will not allow him to change the store with discounts. The amount of the purchase and the provision of a discount will have to be taken into account using magnetic cards, the cost of manufacturing which and the cost of readers will also have to be taken into account when calculating the scale of discounts. Some supermarkets offer a discount or a gift when buying goods for a certain amount at the same time, which may also be of interest to the buyer.

Note! A very interesting method is used by many supermarkets to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Indicator goods are selected - milk, bread, cereals, which are most often purchased by each person, and the price of these products decreases quite noticeably. At the same time, for other products of the same category that have more beautiful packaging or long term storage, as well as goods purchased for gifts or pleasure, prices may be inflated.

Discounted items should be popular, few in number (no more than three to five in each category), but in high demand on a daily basis. Then, in order to buy cheap bread and milk, the buyer will come to this store, while purchasing other products at prices without discounts or even inflated prices, which compensates for the discounts on popular goods.

Network discounts

A separate group are discounts intended for network distributors, distributors, dealers and other network marketing sellers. Goods are sold to distributors at a discount, approximately equal to the cost of finding a potential buyer and subsequent sale of products. The size of such discounts can vary from 15 to 100% depending on the implementation of the sales plan.

The sale of goods by catalogs in online stores is gaining momentum, as well as a new online service - a collective purchase. The meaning of the idea lies in the fact that lots with certain goods and services are put up on the site, up to going to a restaurant or a fitness club. The discount grows when you attract other customers and is distributed equally among all customers at the time of sale. The more customers buy a product or service, the cheaper it costs them. The scale of discounts is simple and clear, any user can see how many more buyers are needed for this or that discount to take effect. In this case, the buyer himself is interested in attracting new customers and performs the functions of free advertising. On such sites, you can find offers with a 90% discount, which is valid for a short time only in order to attract potential buyers of goods or services.

The benefits of such discounts are obvious: you can buy a product or service that you could not afford at full price, new types of services can be “tasted” for a small fee, a purchased coupon can be used as a gift, you can get together with a large company, negotiate and redeem coupons with a big discount for a holiday in an expensive restaurant or nightclub. You can also earn money by attracting customers: many sites pay a certain amount for attracting customers or give gifts.

To sell a lot of goods and with a good profit, you do not have to be the smartest or most experienced. Most likely, it is necessary, on the contrary, to forget about what you were once taught. For example, it is necessary to forever forget the rule of American businessmen that the buyer can be manipulated. Forget also that the salesman is a hard and thankless profession, and forbid your hired salesmen to remember this too.

If you want to have a high volume of sales, do not start with discounts or bonuses. There is something very cheap in terms of money and expensive for any person - in our case, the buyer. Smile, polite and even attitude, friendly communication. Let the prices in your store be higher than those of your neighbors, and there will be no discounts, but there will always be an influx of customers.

Conversely, you can label your store with discount labels and the word "sale", but gloomy and even rude salespeople, long lines, ignoring the customer or overly intrusive staff will cause all correctly made cost-benefit calculations to be shattered by the soviet mentality of your store employees. and the buyer will refuse to even cross the threshold. Sometimes it is the goodwill of the seller that becomes the main incentive for shopping in this store.

For your information. Now the so-called trust marketing is gaining momentum. Its meaning lies in the fact that by "taming" the buyer to your store, giving him increased attention, you win his heart and affection, and the buyer is already ready to come to your store over and over again for a kind word and your attention.

Suppose we are going to establish a trusting relationship with the buyer in our store. Where to begin? You offer a potential buyer some chip with the address, phone number and email address (if any) of your store (a magazine with interesting articles, a chocolate bar, a small bottle of shampoo) in exchange for the phone or email address of the future buyer. Few would refuse such a trifle. Then you can call or write to the future buyer and offer a free service or product with a good discount. The main thing is that this call / letter should correspond to the interests of the client, that is, at the time of writing down the address and name, you must find out what the future buyer was interested in and offer him only what he really needs. As a result, the buyer himself matures to the need to purchase goods from you and will maintain a pleasant and long-term relationship with your store. How to calculate the economic efficiency of such a step? Almost impossible, but the result will be worth the effort.

The listed marketing moves also have all the signs of discounts: the seller reduces the price of the goods. Another interesting example is the use of discounts for segments of consumer demand. For example, a pensioner will always go to buy goods in a store that offers a discount to pensioners. And when he sees an advertisement about such discounts, he will remember it and use it, because he has a lot of time, but little money, and he agrees to go where the goods will cost him less. Discounts in shops and cinemas in the morning and afternoon hours of working days also have their own contingent of buyers of goods and services - pensioners and unemployed. Market segmentation also includes the division of stores into expensive, medium and cheap. Market segmentation has simply permeated our entire lives.

Summary

The psychology of sales is a whole science that has developed along with humanity throughout its history. Despite all the calculations of economic efficiency, you can end up with something completely different from what was expected, if you do not take into account the nuances of human psychology. The easiest way to trade food and essentials. However, there are convenience stores in almost every yard, and their profit margin is limited by the number of residents living in the district. Such stores do not need to arrange any sales (if only out of a desire to lure customers from a neighboring store). Marketing moves and discounts are of interest primarily to large stores and chains, and the cost of a mistake when choosing a marketing policy can be significant.

We must also not forget that in order to effectively use the discount system, in addition to advertising, the charm and goodwill of sellers, a system of motivating employees is also needed. It is necessary to develop a clear and understandable system of bonus payments, when a successful seller is rewarded not only for the volume and quantity of goods sold, but also for the absence of complaints about his work, attracting new customers, etc.

Each seller is obliged to know that, when offering a discount of 20% or more, he must prepare supporting documents to explain his actions: issue an appropriate order or order for the enterprise to assign a discount and the reasons for its appointment, attaching the necessary economic calculations, or indicate the reasons for reducing discounts in a contract with a buyer. Such actions are necessary to justify and explain their actions to the tax authorities, since according to Art. 40 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, a short-term decrease or increase in the price of goods by more than 20% must be checked tax authorities on the legality of the application in order to protect the market from dumping or shortages.

The seller needs to be able to correctly calculate the cost-effectiveness of the discounts provided in order to get the maximum possible profit while building confidence and interest from buyers. The discount system should be beneficial for both the seller and the buyer. Only in this case it is possible to strengthen and develop long-term relationships to mutual satisfaction.

Discounts represent a reduction in the standard price of a product depending on certain positive or negative purchase conditions for the seller. The discount functions are shown in fig.

Rice. Discount functions

In world practice, there are about one and a half dozen varieties of discounts. The most common of them are shown in Fig.

Rice. The main types of discounts

progressive discount provided to the buyer for the amount of purchase (in value or in kind), the number or series of purchases. There are different mechanisms for the formation of discounts for the volume of purchases of goods (Fig.).

Rice. Mechanisms for the formation of a progressive discount

seasonal discount provided for the purchase of goods outside the season of its active sale.

Discount for faster payment provided when paying for goods earlier than the term established by the contract.

Discount on trial lots of goods is given by the manufacturer to the buyer in order to interest him in a new product.

Special Discounts provided on special occasions (holidays, anniversaries, etc.).

Functional discounts provided by manufacturers to the trade sector for the performance of certain works (layout, pre-sale preparation, storage, etc.).

Trade credit- a discount for the return of an old product purchased from this company earlier, going towards the purchase of a new product.

Complex discounts are a combination of two or more types of discounts.

Hidden discounts given to the buyer in the form of free services, free samples, etc.

markups represent an increase in the standard price of the goods due to the fulfillment of additional requirements of the buyer in relation to the goods (services).

Rates can be set:

for improved quality (in stock trading);

for the urgency of the service;

for the delivery of goods directly to the place of use, etc.

The table below shows the most common types of discounts from the established price, recommended for use in spa practice.

Topic 16. SALES POLICY OF THE COMPANY. SALES PROMOTION. FORMS OF SALES PROMOTION. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS OF GOODS AND SERVICES.

Sales(distribution, product distribution, bringing the product to the consumer) - an element of the marketing mix that characterizes the activity of a commodity producer aimed at ensuring the physical availability of its products to target consumers. Sales includes the following activities:

Formation of a sales network (selection of distribution channels and resellers);

Warehousing of goods;

Transportation of goods;

commercial operations.

The main tasks of the company's marketing policy are shown in Fig.

Rice. The objectives of the company's marketing policy

When formulating a marketing policy, a firm must answer the following basic questions:

Where and when is it more convenient for the consumer to purchase goods?

What level of service does the consumer expect?

How to interest intermediaries in cooperation?

What will be the marketing costs?

The most likely expectations of consumers regarding the sale of goods:

Finding goods on sale in the right place at the right time in the required quantity;

Timeliness of delivery;

Safety of goods in the process of distribution;

Willingness of sellers to quickly replace defective goods;

The readiness of suppliers to meet the individual needs of buyers.

Sales promotion(sales) - incentive measures, as a rule, short-term nature, facilitating the sale of goods (services). Sales promotion is based on the call: “Buy our product immediately." In fact, sales promotion is a complex marketing microprograms created to solve tactical problems (Fig.).

Rice. The main objectives of sales promotion

There are two forms of sales promotion - price and non-price(rice.).

Rice. Forms of sales promotion

Coupons- certificates issued to customers, giving the right to receive a certain discount when purchasing a particular product. There are the following types of coupons:

Included in the packaging of goods;

Distributed by sales agents;

sent by mail;

printed in newspapers;

Distributed through magazines and supplements to them.

The advantages and disadvantages of the main non-price methods of sales promotion are shown in the table.

Here is another question on which I observe porridge both in the minds and in the price lists of companies.
How does this porridge look? Let me give you a non-fictional dialogue. I think it's very recognizable, isn't it?

Dialogue of the village and the beginning. sales department:

Sereg, TransTech is asking for a discount... more.
- And what? How much does he have?
- minus 7%
- Wow! and how does he take, and how does he pay?
- normally takes, here for 200 thousand vzal.
- on credit?
- Well, yes, he does. Let's give, he says, he will take more discount.
- and pays, pays how?
- Well, yesterday I paid 100
- owe how much?
- 400, but he says he will pay in a week.
- well... well, give him another 2%... no, give him 1%

In a rush to show professionalism, and realizing the senselessness of the dialogue, many of us will immediately rush to comment: it is not clear what 1% is, for what, what does it mean to "take more"? And of course we will be right with you. Let's figure out what you need to "give" for and how much to "give".

Discount classification

The discount can be one of three types:

• marketing discount;
• marketing discounts;
• logistics discounts.

Direct discounts are referred to as marketing discounts. unrelated with current and well-established sales logistics: goods - in exchange for money. These discounts affect development prospects, stimulate partner relationships (CRM), and structure the sales channel.

Sales discounts include discounts directly related to current transactions, to ensure a given profitability of sales and the current planned inventory turnover for concluded (concluded) transactions.

Logistic discounts include discounts for optimizing cash and commodity flows that affect current financial indicators company activities.

Marketing Discounts

Hidden promotional discount

Such discounts include the organization by the manufacturer of advertising their products with a list of trading companies that sell these products. Thus, the manufacturer actually saves the money of its dealers on advertising their trade names, which, by its economic nature, is tantamount to providing them with an additional discount.

Functional discount (discount for distribution)

The manufacturer provides various functional discounts to the players of the trading channel who provide him with different types services (logistics, services for the development of a sales network, building a dealer network). Functional Discount in the Marketer's Dictionary

Dealer discount

It is provided by the manufacturer to its permanent representatives or sales intermediaries (for example: an affiliate program for customer service in a chain of stores: promotions, use of promotional rooms, merchandising, etc. are stimulated by a dealer discount).

Discounts based on intercultural communications

In practice, marketing is faced with a very important circumstance, which should be attributed to the so-called cultural differences, which is also the subject of marketing research.
In the Central Asian, Arab, some Balkan countries and some Transcaucasian republics, in the course of trade negotiations it is considered a matter of honor to achieve a large discount from the offer price. And although this circumstance is associated with a complex of Eastern mentality, many importers will not sign an agreement that does not contain a clause on discounts exceeding 20-30% of the offered price in general. Since this fact is known in the marketing and sales environment, some companies consider it necessary to artificially inflate prices by the expected percentage, and then present it with a discount specified in the contract.

Service discounts

Substantial part industrial products needs to maintenance during the period of operation. Creating and maintaining an efficient service network, which requires significant investment and effort, is preferred to provide a service discount. This approach to solving the problem would be acceptable if it were possible to monitor the implementation of additional functions by the recipient and a way to evaluate the effectiveness of such a discount.

• on the part of the buyer - the amount of costs for storing the goods purchased in advance before the start of the season of its sales (including payment for loans attracted for this);
• on the part of the manufacturer - the amount of costs and losses that he would have to incur if the manufactured goods were stored before the start of the season in his own warehouses, and production was either stopped due to deadness working capital in stock finished products or was supported by additionally raised loans to replenish working capital.

Therefore, the amount of discounts should provide the buyer with savings greater than the increase in his costs of storing goods before the period of seasonal demand rise. On the other hand, the manufacturer can provide such discounts - for an amount no greater than the amount of his losses due to a slowdown in capital turnover as a result of storing goods before the start of the season in his own warehouses and not receiving sales proceeds.
The logic of discounts for out-of-season purchases requires their differentiation in time: the earlier the product is purchased before the start of the season, the greater the discount should be.

Discounts to encourage new product sales.

Such discounts can be seen as an addition to the planned discounts that promote the promotion of a new product to the market. As a rule, such discounts in the form of financing a national advertising campaign with the names of trade companies selling this product are not enough. For example, such advertising does not really give consumers information about where they can actually buy the mentioned product in their city (district).

Therefore, dealers and end sellers have to run their own advertising campaigns using local authorities. mass media(advertising rates which are usually lower than those in the national press or on national television). This gives them the opportunity to indicate the addresses of their stores in such advertising, which really provides an increase in sales.

Discount to encourage sales - a measure of reduction in the standard selling price that is guaranteed to resellers if they take on new products for sale, the promotion of which on the market requires increased costs for advertising and sales agents.

Sales discounts

Discount for turnover, bonus discount (bonus)

The discount is provided to regular customers on the basis of a special power of attorney. The contract in this case establishes a scale of discounts (scale of discount), depending on the turnover achieved within a certain period (usually one year), as well as the procedure for paying amounts based on these discounts.

Such a system of discounts is drawn up in the form of columns price list. This is the price list. I call (well, I like it this way) the price columns - price protocols: 1st protocol, 2nd protocol. Why so? Coordination and recording of prices is the legal basis for transactions, fixed in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. If somewhere in other articles you stumble upon "price protocols" - this is from this.

Logistic discounts

Other types of discounts can be categorized tactical logistics.
They are united by an economic source - profit(!), as well as common task- creating additional incentives for the buyer to make a purchase. The use of logistics discounts leads to a decrease in the real purchase price of the goods and, accordingly, to an increase in the buyer's premium. This premium is the difference between the economic value of the product for the buyer and the price at which he was able to buy this product.
The main types of discounts include:

Volume discount

Proportionate price reduction for buyers purchasing large quantities one kind goods. Usually the discount is set as a percentage of the total cost or unit price of the set scope of delivery, for example, 10% discount for orders over 1000 pieces. Discounts may be offered on a non-cumulative basis (per order placed) or on a cumulative basis (on the number of items ordered in a given period).
Quantity discounts should be offered to all buyers, but in this case, the supplier/seller should ensure that the amount of the discounts does not exceed its cost savings due to the increase in the volume of goods sold. This savings can be formed by reducing the costs of selling (trade processing), warehousing, maintaining inventory and transportation of goods. Discounts of this kind can also serve as an incentive for the consumer to make purchases from one seller (constant purchases).

Discount for cash payment

If it is necessary for you, reduction of the price for buyers who promptly pay bills in cash. A buyer who pays within 10 days receives, for example, a two or three percent reduction from the payment amount. This discount can also be applied partially, for example, only for a percentage of the total amount received within 30 days. With a larger volume of delivery or more expensive equipment, this type of discount can greatly activate the local counterparty, who is interested in selling faster and getting his considerable income.
Such discounts are widely used to improve the liquidity of the supplier / seller, the rhythm of his cash receipts and reduce costs in connection with the collection of receivables.

Discount for waiving receivables (for reducing the terms of receivables)

The discount can also stimulate the reduction of the terms of the commodity credit provided by the supplier to the client.

Progressive discount

A discount for quantity or series is provided to the buyer on the condition that he purchases a predetermined and increasing in quantity product. Serial orders are of interest to manufacturers, since production costs are reduced in the manufacture of the same type of product. The discount is given after the fact, or in advance, under an agreement fixing such a progression. Sells often gives such a discount without a contract, by verbal agreement. These are the agreements that need to be recorded in any case, at least within the company in the CRM system.

Export discounts (export rebate)

Provided by sellers when selling goods to foreign buyers in excess of those discounts that apply to domestic buyers. Their goal is to increase the competitiveness of goods in the foreign market.

Discount for faster payment.

The main task of discounts for accelerating payment is to reduce the maturity of receivables and accelerate the turnover of the firm's working capital. Therefore, this commercial tool can be more attributed to the field of management than the actual pricing. But since such discounts are set in relation to prices, they are traditionally determined by price makers together with financiers and accountants.

Discount for expedited payment - a measure to reduce the standard selling price, which is guaranteed to the buyer if he makes payment for the purchased consignment of goods earlier than the period established by the contract.
The Fast Payment Discount Scheme has three elements:

• the actual quantitative value of the discount;
• the period during which the buyer has the opportunity to use such a discount;
• the period during which payment of the entire amount of the debt for the delivered consignment of goods must be made, if the buyer does not exercise the right to receive a discount for accelerated payment.

The amount of the rate for expediting payment is usually determined by two factors:

• the level of such rates traditionally prevailing in the given market;
• the level of bank interest rates for loans for replenishment of working capital.

The connection of the discount for the acceleration of payment with the price of credit resources is quite logical. If the manufacturer cannot accelerate the repayment of receivables, then he has to replenish his working capital mainly at the expense of the loan. Faster payment for shipped goods reduces the need to raise funds and generates savings through lower interest payments.

At the same time, the level of discounts for expediting payment is usually significantly higher than the price of credit resources.

This excess of the discount level over the price of loans is justified by the large positive effect that accelerated payment has on the financial condition of the selling company. This effect arises due to the fact that early payments:

• speed up admission Money to the seller's account and improve the structure of his balance sheet, which is essential for obtaining loans by him, and also affects the assessment of the position of the company by investors (including the price of its shares on stock exchanges);
• reduce credit risks associated with accounts receivable, and increase the reliability financial planning;
• reduce the company's costs of organizing the collection. accounts receivable.

Discount for off-season purchase

This is a measure to reduce the standard selling price, which is guaranteed to the buyer if he purchases seasonal goods outside the period of the year for which they are intended. The purpose of using discounts for out-of-season purchases is to encourage buyers to purchase these products before the start of the next season, at the very beginning, or even out of season. This provides faster asset turnover and allows seasonal manufacturers to reduce seasonal fluctuations in their capacity utilization.

With a well-established system of seasonal discounts, manufacturers get the opportunity to organize and complete the production of goods for the next season long before it starts and start preparing for the production of products for the next season in a timely manner.
The amount of seasonal discounts is usually quite small and is determined by:

Discounts for complex purchases of goods.

Many firms that sell complementary product lines use a special type of discount to encourage customers to purchase several products from such a line, i.e., to buy in bulk.
Discount for complex purchase of goods - a measure of reduction in the standard selling price that is guaranteed to the buyer if he purchases this product together with other complementary products of this company.
The logic of such a discount is that the price of each of the goods in the set is lower than in an isolated purchase, even if in the same company.

Discounts for the return of previously purchased goods from this company (trade-in)

Discounts are provided to the buyer when he returns the goods of an outdated model previously purchased from this company. Such discounts apply to the sale of vehicles, electrical equipment, rolling stock, standard industrial equipment, etc.

Discounts on the sale of used (defective) equipment.

V different countries there are opportunities to profitably purchase used machines, mechanisms and other equipment. If, in addition, the service is well organized, such an acquisition is a reasonable alternative to buying new equipment. On not new equipment, you can work for a long time, while operating costs are low.

Tests

Offsets are understood as other types of discounts from the list price. For example, an exchange offset is a reduction in the price of a new product subject to the delivery of an old one. The barter offset is most commonly used in the sale of automobiles and some durable goods. Sales promotion credits refer to payments or price discounts to reward dealers for participating in advertising and sales promotion programs.

Who is responsible for discounts

More precisely, this section should be called: "Who gives discounts?". However, to an inquisitive salesman, everything is clear:

• for marketing discounts, the marketing department is responsible, guided by the marketing policy;
• sales discounts are the responsibility of the sales department, guided by the norms of profitability of sales and inventory turnover.
• behind the logistics - the parity department of commodity logistics, the purchasing department, the financial department, acting in accordance with the financial policy of the company.