Overview - Costs and Retails

Costs and retails are set up after an item is added. Each cost and retail is associated with a particular cost/retail zone, allowing different pricing for the same item .

Note: Except where specifically mentioned, we will use the word "cost" here to mean both costs and retails.

Types of costs and retails

Item & Cost uses four types of costs and retails: Regular, Temporary, Promotional, and Informational.  

• A Regular cost is the normal or frontline price for an item. This type of cost/retail does not have an end date (as in a Temporary Cost).  For example, a net cost of $4.99 beginning 11/01/2005.

Important:  Each item must have at least one Regular cost in each cost zone to which it is authorized.  A Regular cost is one without an End Date, and is replaced when a new Regular cost is added.

• A Temporary cost is a cost with both an effective date and an end date. A Temporary cost is used to override a Regular cost for a set period of time.  Note:  Most retailer pricebooks will not accept temporary costs.  For example, a net cost of $4.99 from 11/09/2005 to 11/17/2005.

• A Promotional cost is set up through the Item & Cost Promotion system and is exported as a True cost to the subscriber (retailer).

For example, a provider (supplier) sets up an "off invoice" Amount Off deal of $0.25 on $4.99 sparkling water.  The exported "True cost" for the item and promotion will be $4.74.  When the promotion ends, the cost will return to $4.99.

• An Informational cost is a Promotional cost that does not change the pricing in a subscriber's (retailer's) pricebook. An Informational cost conveys pricing information, is reviewed online or in reports, and is used to make informed decisions.  For example, "BUY 700 Case(s) GET SPECIAL PRICE of $11.00 per Case."  These will appear in Cost Reports, e-mailed notifications, and other reports.

Adding costs and retails - Choosing an option

Your prices are entered and updated using any of the following utilities.

• Manage Costs & Retails for Multiple Items – Use this when you are adding or updating costs/retails for items that have similar costs, retails, and effective dates. This is the most common way to enter costs and retails.

• Manage Multiple Costs & Retails for a Single Item – Use this when you are adding or updating multiple costs/retails for a single item.  This is useful for entering several months worth of cost changes.

• Add costs and retails to multiple items - Use this (or the separate cost or retail options) when you are adding costs/retails for two or more items that have identical costs, retails, and effective dates.

• Work with your item costs from "Manage My Item Catalog" or Work with your item retails from "Manage My Item Catalog" - Use either of these to work with a single cost/retail for a single item.  These steps work best when you are performing simple price maintenance, such as updating a cost.

Any of these utilities can be used to work with your costs and retails. You should decide which to use based on your requirements. Examples of cost/retail data are listed on the next page.

Note: It is not necessary to complete fields that do not apply to your item. All costs must have a cost zone, a regular cost, and an effective date.

Choosing a pricing utility when you have multiple items and multiple costs

Use the following examples as a guide to deciding which cost and retail utility to use.

• Manage Costs & Retails for Multiple Items – Use this when you are adding costs/retails to a single item, or to items that have similar costs, retails, and effective dates.

• Add Costs & Retails to Multiple Items – Use this when you are adding costs/retails to two or more items that have identical costs, retails, and effective dates. The items must also have a common denominator such as merchandise category, part of the description, or part of the item number.

Use Manage Costs & Retails for Multiple Items if the cost/retail data for more than one item is similar to this example. This data has three costs that are the same, with similar effective dates and allowances.  See Manage Costs & Retails for Multiple Items.

Use Add Costs & Retails to Multiple Items if the cost/retail data consists of identical costs, retails, and effective dates. The items must also have a common denominator such as merchandise category, part of the description, or part of the item number.  See Add Costs & Retails To Multiple Items.

Note:  You can use Add Costs To Multiple Items or Add Retails To Multiple Items if you are just adding costs or retails.

Vers. 5/3/2005