Seasonal repricing: adjusting prices through the year
Demand for many products follows the calendar. Heaters in autumn, air conditioners in early summer, school supplies in August, gifts before the holidays. Keeping the same markup all year means leaving money on the table in the peak and holding on to stock that will not sell once the season is over. Seasonal repricing adjusts prices to these predictable swings.
Know your seasons
Look at your sales over the past year or two by category and mark:
- when demand starts to rise;
- when it peaks;
- when it falls off.
Many categories have a short pre-season window when customers buy early and are less price-sensitive, a peak with the strongest competition, and an end-of-season period when remaining stock has to move.
A simple seasonal pattern
- Pre-season: standard or slightly higher markup. Early buyers compare less.
- Peak: competitive prices on the most compared items, standard markup on accessories.
- End of season: gradual reductions on your own stock. For items shipped from supplier warehouses, there is often no need to discount.
- Off-season: back to normal markups, minimal advertising.
Watch the supply side
Seasonal demand also affects suppliers. Before the peak, their prices may rise and stock may run short. Updating purchase prices daily during the season protects your margin from these changes.
Plan, then automate
Seasonal changes are easy to forget in a busy period. Put the dates in a calendar and change the markup rules for the affected categories on schedule, rather than adjusting individual prices.
Short-term patterns
Seasonality also exists on a smaller scale. Some categories sell differently on weekends than on weekdays, or in the evening than in the morning. Small markup differences by day or time can follow these patterns.
Check the results
After each season, compare units sold, revenue and margin with the previous year for the same categories. Note what worked and adjust the plan for next year.
Seasonal pricing with YfiFX
In YfiFX, markups are set by category, brand and price range, and can depend on the day of the week and time of day. Changing the rule for a seasonal category updates all its prices on the next run, recalculated from current supplier costs. Competitor monitoring shows how the market moves during the season, and the history of price changes helps plan the next one.
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