Price changes, heads up, or just do them?

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Price changes, heads up, or just do them?

Downsizer Forum Index -> Small Business Questions, Ideas and Advice

Changing prices, should we...

Keep all the prices as they are now, same 'almost trade' price throughout

[ 0 ]

Publicise the change, give people warning/boost last minute sales

[ 0 ]

Just do it, people will adapt fast or go elsewhere

100%

[ 7 ]

Something else, I'll explain...

[ 0 ]

Total Votes : 7

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sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 4:48 pm Post subject: Price changes, heads up, or just do them?

When we first started selling the plague rat cat toys, we hadn't really thought about people wanting to resell, so the price was always pretty much 'trade' price to everyone.

These days, we have a few, but gradually increasing, group of people who buy somewhat discounted packs to resell at shows or at their catteries. Its not a big part of the turnover, but I think it could get bigger.

However, these days, people do of course look at the website on the label, and its hard for these resellers to charge 'full' price for their ratsies when we are doing a 'direct from the maker' price as standard.

So, we're planning on putting the price of an individual rat up to £4.50 on the webshop, to make it more attractive for local buyers to go back to their cattery or petshop for a restock, but to bring back the 4pack at the 'direct' price ( £3 a rat, so £12 per pack) so we still accommodate our typical buyer who wants a few at once at the current price, plus the tradepacks which work out at £2.27 a rat bought 55 at a time.

Its got to happen, but I can't decide if its better to publicise that the change is going to happen to allow people who really do only want one rattie to get an order in, or just change it, so its either pay full rrp, or buy a 4pack at the direct price. Almost all our web sales buy more than one anyway as postage is so high - any number of toys up to at least a dozen goes out in the same small parcel bracket

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 4:50 pm Post subject:
Just do it.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46169
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 4:57 pm Post subject:
what sean said,if sales go up you were correct ,if they drop have a rethink.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 5:27 pm Post subject:
Just do it and email all your existing customers with a well crafted letter that puts a positive spin in the increase.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 5:35 pm Post subject:
Do it. Email everyone who's ever bought less than 40 with the new price and a voucher for twenty percent off any purchases in the next six weeks. Courtesy, a price rise, and the risk of a boom in sales. What's not to like? Clearly, edit the three variables to suit reality.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 5:50 pm Post subject:

Ok, I've done it.

Its the big cat show tomorrow so I can explain why to anyone who asks, and although I like the idea of emailing all previous etc, I'm also doing an emergency shop transplant after the main webshop went terminally glitchy, and I suspect attempting a mailout may make what's left of it implode, so looks like we're going for the 'avoid explaining, and apologise later if anyone doesn't like it' tactic. Which is so not my usual modus operandi that I've had a stiff drink whilst altering things, but we shall see what happens.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 11:19 pm Post subject:
I think they're right, for what it's worth. If you lose a few customers that will balance out with the higher price.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 15 11:22 pm Post subject:
Yep, me too. If there's a clear reason why, most people will not be put out by it. They may be put off by it, but that's no reason to continue producing something for the sake of it.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46169
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 15 12:04 am Post subject:
well done ,decisive ,based on your and other folk's instincts is often wise. ps having turned a few tails i recon they are a great product and im not a cat

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