Retail Pricing Strategies and Tactics

Mother with daughter shopping at grocery store

In today’s competitive retail market, it is more important than ever for retailers to have a clear and well-defined pricing strategy.

A pricing strategy is a plan that a business uses to determine what to charge for its products and services. However, it’s not as easy as just picking a number out of thin air. There are a number of factors that must be considered, such as the cost of goods, the desired profit margin, customer demand, and competitor prices.

Retailers use various different pricing strategies and tactics to attract customers and drive sales. Some of the most common include MSRP, competitive-based pricing, cost-plus pricing, penetration pricing, discount pricing, keystone pricing, and loss leaders, among others.

In this article, we will take a closer look at these pricing strategies, as well as some tips on developing and implementing an effective retail pricing tactic to gain a competitive advantage and keep your business profitable.

Types of Retail Pricing Strategies

As mentioned above, there are numerous pricing strategies that retailers can use to price their products and services.

The best pricing model for a business will depend on a number of individual factors, so you have to know exactly the characteristics of your business, your needs, and your expectations.

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The vast variety of pricing tactics include:

MSRP

MSRP, or Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, is the price that a manufacturer recommends a retail business charge for a product. MSRP is generally higher than the wholesale pricing that the retailer pays for the product, as it includes the retailer’s markup.

This is the starting point for most retailers when pricing their products. It considers the production cost, the desired profit margins, and any competition in the market.

Pros:

  • Easier to calculate
  • Gives customers a reference point

Cons:

  • Can be higher than what customers are ready to pay
  • Competitors may price lower

Competitive-Based Pricing

Competitive-based pricing is when a retailer prices their products based on competitor pricing. This pricing strategy can be used to either match with the same price or undercut the prices of competitors. It is a common pricing method used by businesses in highly competitive markets.

Pros:

  • Can help win market share
  • Can help improve margins

Cons:

  • Can lead to a race to the bottom on prices
  • May not be sustainable in the long run

Cost-Plus Pricing

Cost-plus pricing refers to a situation when a seller determines the retail price of a product by adding a markup to the cost of the product. The markup is usually a percentage of the cost, but it can also be a flat fee. It is a simple pricing strategy to calculate, but it does not take into account competition pricing or customer demand.

Pros:

  • Simple to calculate
  • Can help ensure that the desired profit margins are met

Cons:

  • May result in prices that are too high or too low
  • May not take into account customer demand

Discount Pricing

A discount pricing strategy involves temporary reductions in the retail price of a product or service. They are typically used to increase sales or clear out inventory. Discounts can take many different forms, such as a percentage off, buy one get one free, or free shipping.

Pros:

  • Can help increase sales
  • Can help clear out inventory

Cons:

  • Can lead to lower profits
  • Can train customers to only buy when there is a discount

Loss Leaders

A loss leader is a product that is sold at a loss in order to attract customers to a store or website. The hope is that once customers get interested in the said product, they will purchase other, more profitable items. The loss leader pricing strategy is typically used by businesses that have a large selection of products.

Pros:

  • Can help attract customers
  • Can lead to additional sales

Cons:

  • Can lead to losses
  • May not be sustainable in the long run

Limit Pricing

Limit pricing is when a business sets a price that is low enough to discourage competitors from entering the market, but high enough to cover the costs of production and still make a profit. This pricing tactic is typically used by businesses with a large market share or those in monopoly markets.

Pros:

  • Can help protect market share
  • Can help ensure profitability

Cons:

  • May result in prices that are too high
  • May discourage customers from purchasing

Penetration Pricing

A penetration pricing strategy involves setting a lower price for a product or service in order to gain market share. This pricing strategy is typically used by businesses when they first enter a market or launch a new product or service.

Pros:

  • Can help gain market share
  • Can help increase sales

Cons:

  • Can lead to lower profits
  • May not be sustainable in the long run

Skimming Pricing

Skimming pricing refers to setting a high price for a product or service in order to maximize profits. This pricing strategy is typically used by businesses when they first enter a market. Then, with time, a company lowers the prices to attract more price-sensitive customers.

Pros:

  • Can help maximize profits
  • Can help recoup development costs

Cons:

  • Can lead to lower sales
  • May discourage customers from purchasing

Value-Based Pricing

Value-based pricing is when a business determines the retail price of a product or service based on the perceived value to the customer. This pricing strategy takes into account the customer’s needs and wants, as well as the competition.

Pros:

  • Can help ensure that customers are willing to pay the price
  • Can help differentiate the product or service from the competition

Cons:

  • Can be difficult to calculate
  • May result in prices that are too high or too low

Target Pricing

Target pricing is about setting a price for a product or service based on the desired profit margin. The company then works backward to determine the cost. This pricing strategy takes into account the competition, customer demand, and the desired profit margin.

Pros:

  • Can help ensure that the desired profit margin is met
  • Can help control costs

Cons:

  • May result in prices that are too high or too low
  • May not take into account customer demand

Hand arranging wood block stacking with icon graph and shopping cart symbol upward direction

Psychological Pricing

Psychological pricing is when a business uses pricing tactics that exploit the psychological biases of customers. This pricing strategy can take many different forms, such as odd-even pricing, bundle pricing, and anchoring.

Pros:

  • Can help increase sales
  • Can help improve margins

Cons:

  • May result in prices that are too high or too low
  • May not be sustainable in the long run

Bundle Pricing

Bundle pricing refers to selling two or more products or services together for a discounted price. This pricing strategy is typically used to increase sales, clear out inventory, or attract customers.

Pros:

  • Can help increase sales
  • Can help clear out inventory
  • Can help attract customers

Cons:

  • Can lead to lower profits

Price Discrimination

Price discrimination is when a business charges different prices from different customers for the same product or service. This pricing strategy is typically used by businesses that have a monopoly in the market.

Pros:

  • Can help maximize profits
  • Can help increase sales

Cons:

  • May result in prices that are too high or too low
  • May not be sustainable in the long run
  • May damage brand reputation

Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing is a business changing the price of a product or service based on real-time demand. This pricing strategy is typically used by businesses that sell products or services with limited availability, such as concert tickets or hotel rooms.

Pros:

  • Can help ensure that prices are in line with demand
  • Can help maximize profits

Cons:

  • Can lead to lower sales
  • May discourage customers from purchasing

Geographical Pricing

Geographical pricing is a practice in which businesses charge prices depending on the customers’ locations. This pricing strategy is typically used by businesses that have a large geographical reach, such as online retailers.

Pros:

  • Can help ensure that prices are in line with demand
  • Can help improve margins

Cons:

  • May result in too high or too low prices
  • May not be sustainable in the long run

Premium Pricing

Premium pricing is when a business charges a high price for a product or service. This pricing strategy is typically used for luxury goods or products with a high perceived value.

Pros:

  • Can help increase profits
  • Can help improve margins
  • Can establish a premium brand reputation

Cons:

  • May result in lower sales
  • May discourage customers from purchasing

Keystone Pricing

Keystone pricing is about setting the retail price at double the wholesale price. So, if the wholesale price of a product is $10, the retail price would be $20. This pricing strategy is typically used by businesses that have a large market share or by businesses in monopoly markets.

Pros:

  • Can help protect market share
  • Can help ensure profitability

Cons:

  • May result in prices that are too high

Developing a Retail Pricing Strategy

developing retail pricing strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all pricing strategy for retail businesses. The best pricing strategy for your company will depend on a number of individual factors, including the type of products or services you sell, a healthy profit margin, customer demand, and competition in the market.

Now that we have looked at some of the most common retail pricing strategies, it’s time to start developing a pricing strategy for your business.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Define Your Business Goals

The first step in developing a pricing strategy is to define your business goals. What are you trying to achieve with your pricing strategy? Do you want to increase sales, improve margins, or attract new customers?

Your business goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Understand Your Costs

To develop an effective retail pricing strategy, you need to start by understanding your costs. This includes not only the production cost of the goods or services you sell, but also the costs of running your business, such as rent, labor, utilities, payroll, and marketing. Knowing your costs will help you determine a price that covers them and still leaves room for a profit.

Once you have a clear understanding of your costs, you can start to develop a pricing strategy that meets your desired profit margin.

Determine Your Desired Profit Margin

Once you have considered all of the above factors, you must determine your desired profit margin. This is the amount of money that you want to make on each sale.

To calculate your desired profit margin, you need to know your gross margin percentage. This is the difference between the selling price of a product and the cost of the product, divided by the selling price of the product.

Know Your Target Market

The next step is to consider your target market. Who are your ideal customers? What are their needs and wants? What are they willing to pay for your product or service?

The answers to these questions will help you get a grasp of how to price your products and services.

Understand Customer Demand

Next, you have to identify customer demand. This includes determining what customers are willing to pay for your products or services, as well as what motivates them to make a purchase.

When you know everything about customer demand, you can go about developing pricing strategies and tactics that appeal to your target market.

Research Your Competition

Finally, you should take a closer look at your competition. This includes checking what your competitors are charging for their products or services, as well as their overall pricing strategy.

What are their strengths and weaknesses? How does their pricing compare to your costs? Answering these questions will help you better position your products and services in the market.

When you have researched your competitors, you can create competitive pricing strategies and tactics that give you an advantage.

Implementing a Retail Pricing Strategy

Finally, having learned all there is to learn before setting prices for your products and services to create a retailers pricing strategy for your business, you need to implement it in a way that is both effective and efficient.

Implementing retail pricing strategy

There are a few things you have to keep in mind when implementing your new pricing strategy:

Set Prices That Meet Your Goals

First and foremost, you should make sure that your prices meet your business goals, whether it’s to increase sales, improve margins, or attract new customers. Make sure that your prices are in line with these goals.

Don’t Be Afraid to Test Prices

Second, don’t be afraid to test prices. It is important to find the right price for your products and services, but this can be a difficult task. A good way to find the right price is to test various methods and see how customers react.

This can be done by offering discounts, running promotions, or simply changing the price of a product or service for a period of time.

You can use A/B testing to test different prices and see which one generates the most sales. This will help you fine-tune your pricing strategy and ensure that it is effective.

Train Your Employees

Then, you have to train your employees on your new pricing strategy. Your employees are the ones who will be implementing it on a day-to-day basis. They need to know how to properly price your products and services and properly explain them to customers.

Giving your employees the tools and training they need will help ensure that they are able to effectively implement the new pricing strategy and achieve the desired results.

Communicate the Changes to Your Customers

When you are ready to implement your new pricing strategy, make sure to communicate the changes to your customers. This will help them understand the reasons behind the changes and ensure that there is no confusion as well as how it will impact them.

You can communicate the changes to your customers through a variety of channels, such as your website, email, social media, or even in-store.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

In today’s digital world, there are a number of software programs and online tools that can help you automatically update your prices based on changes in the market. This can help you stay competitive and avoid the need to manually update prices, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.

There are a number of different software applications and tools that can help you with pricing, such as pricing optimization software, competitive pricing intelligence software, and customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Monitor Your Results and Adjust When Needed

Finally, you have to monitor your results. This includes tracking sales, margins, and customer behavior to see how your new pricing strategy is impacting your business. Make sure to adjust your prices as needed to ensure that you are meeting your business goals.

Again, you don’t need to (in fact, you shouldn’t) do it manually. You can use analytics software to track your results and make the necessary adjustments.

Box market electronic ordering shop basket

Mixing Pricing Strategies

Obviously, you don’t need to stick to only one pricing strategy. On the contrary, in many cases, it is beneficial to mix and match pricing strategies and tactics to find the right combination for your business.

The key is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each pricing strategy, as well as how they can be used together to create a comprehensive pricing strategy for your business.

For example, you could use skimming pricing when you first launch a new product, then switch to penetration pricing once you have gained market share.

Or, you could use a value-based pricing strategy (or premium pricing) for some products and services, and competitive pricing strategy pricing for others. Then, you can use psychological pricing (bundle pricing or discount pricing) once in a while.

The important thing is to experiment and find the right mix of pricing tactics and tactics that work best for your retail business.

Final Thoughts

Developing and implementing an effective retail pricing strategy is essential for any business that wants to be successful in today’s competitive marketplace. There is no one-size-fits-all pricing strategy, so you must take the time to understand your business, your customers, and your competition before you can create a strategy that works for you.

When developing a retail pricing strategy, you should start by defining your business goals. You then need to understand your costs, know your target market, understand customer demand, and research your competition. Once you have considered all of these factors, you can determine your desired profit margin and start to develop an effective pricing strategy that meets your needs.

Finally, when implementing your new pricing strategy, you should test it out, communicate it to your employees and customers, and monitor your results. Doing so will help you determine if your pricing strategy is effective and make the necessary adjustments to improve your results.

Here, at Brandly360, we make it our mission to help entrepreneurs focus on what really matters. Our pricing management and monitoring automation tools are designed to help you optimize your pricing strategy and increase profits.

If you have any doubts or further questions, feel free to contact us. Our team will be more than happy to help you.

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