All retailers need a pricing strategy for their retail products, however, for many inexperienced retailers, this can prove to be a tiresome task. After thorough research and trials, you may be able to set an optimum price. High prices will give you higher profit margins but can affect your sales. Similarly, low prices can boost your sales but you may not make enough money to balance it out. So, the dilemma is to find that perfect middle spot for profitably pricing your products.

There is no right or wrong way to pricing and, depending on your business model and type of product, you will need to set a pricing strategy accordingly. The two basic factors that you must incorporate into your pricing are the cost of goods and operating expenses. The cost of goods includes any cost that you bear while acquiring or manufacturing the product plus any additional shipping costs. Operating costs are associated with your payrolls, marketing costs, and other overhead costs.

Strategies to Price your Retail Products

MSRP

The ‘manufacturer suggested retail price’ is exactly what the name suggests. The manufacturer of a product sets a standardized price for multiple retailers. The bargaining power of the manufacturer and exclusivity of the product are the two main factors in setting up the price. Retailers now need not worry about profitably pricing their products as the prices are already set by the manufacturer, saving them a lot of nuisance. However, it is hard to sustain an advantage over your competitors using the MSRP pricing strategy.

Dynamic Pricing

A dynamic pricing for your products means that you will need to alter the prices depending on the current market conditions. This type of pricing can be beneficial for you, however, you will need to monitor the market very closely and make accurate predictions constantly. Airlines often opt for a dynamic pricing strategy as it is most optimum for their business model. This allows you to meet real-time customer expectations, however, monitoring the market and correctly predicting it is a tough job and can easily go wrong.

Mark-up Pricing

Mark-up pricing is calculated by adding a definitive profit margin to the cost of retail products. Ensure to keep the mark-up high enough to cover any price reductions, discounts, or other scenarios. It is one of the simplest pricing strategies and can be used variably for each product line. This is one of the preferred pricing strategies for retailers as you can set the mark-up at a point that’s optimum for you.

Competitive Pricing

Because of the availability of so many options to consumers, they are willing to search the market for the best price. Profitably pricing your products can be challenging in such a competitive market as you have the option to either set your product below or above the competition prevailing in the market.

A below competitor pricing strategy would work best if the retailer is able to negotiate the prices with the manufacturer and is able to reduce the cost. For retail products that are priced above the competition, the retail location must be exclusive and the product quality should be exceptional. Also, the customer service should justify the high pricing and customers should be able to associate a higher value with your products.

Psychological Pricing

Have you ever wondered why stores charge $99.90 instead of $100? This is referred to as psychological pricing as consumers are more likely to buy a product in which the price ends with a 9, 7 or even 3. These numbers have proved to appeal the audience as the tendency is to round down the price to $99 instead of rounding it up.

However, psychological pricing does not work well with high-end products as it gives away a cheaper perception. Psychological pricing is a useful way of profitably pricing your products and keeping your customer satisfied at the same time.

Discount Pricing

There is no doubt in the fact that everyone loves sales and discounts. Sometimes the situation demands you to opt for a discount pricing strategy. Seasonal discount offers are quite prominent as consumers are able to buy products at a discounted price and retailers are able to offload the inventory. A large number of customers are attracted to the store when you have put the stock on sale. However, sales and discounts should only be used occasionally as it can give away a bad reputation for your business. You can be labeled as a bargain retailer and people would not shop at your store otherwise.

Anchor Pricing

This pricing strategy for retail products also tends to be more psychological in nature. Both the original and the sale price of the product are listed together for the customer to make a comparison. The original price serves as an anchor for the sale price and customers perceive to have found a great deal. Another tactic is to place a higher priced item next to a cheaper one to attain customer’s attention.

A higher original price compared to the sale price is more likely to result in a sale, however, if the price seems unrealistic and the customer finds out, there is a probability that the situation can turn bad for you.

Conclusion

There is never one perfect approach to pricing retail products and it is recommended that you revisit your pricing strategy from time to time in order to stay germane.

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