We are currently overhauling the pricing model used in Znode (expected to be released in Jan '08). I thought I would let our readers know about this in advance so we can solicit some feedback. The goal is to create an "enterprise class" promotions engine that can satisfy complex requirements.

For instance here is an example of a promotional campaign: A manufacturer wants to offer 20% off on all T-Shirts during Fall. Shipping is free on orders over $50. If dealers login, they get an additional $5 off on each product. Customers can also use an additional coupon to get an additional 5% discount. If customers order more than 100 T-Shirts they get a different base price on the shirts over which all the above promotions are applied.

Sounds complex? Well, with our new promotions architecture, the above scenario can be implemented easily.

Here are some of the changes we will be implementing:

(a) The Product table will contain 3 pricing columns - RetailPrice, SalePrice and WholesalePrice. If the sale price exists then it will be used to override the retail price. The wholesale price will be used if the current user profile is marked for wholesale pricing.

(b) The SKU table will contain corresponding pricing columns - RetailPriceOverride, SalePriceOverride, WholeSalePriceOverride. These values will override the product table values (if specified). This will allow manufacturers to have a different price override based on product variations (such as "color")

(c) A new ProductTier table is being introduced to add Tiered Pricing. This will allow you to add different pricing levels to a product depending on the quantity ordered.

(d) A new Promotions table is being introduced to manage site wide promotions. This will allow you to address the following promotions:
-- Apply $ or % off to the entire order
-- Apply $ or % off to a specific product
-- Apply $ or % off to shipping
-- Require coupon codes to be entered to avail promotions
-- Require a particular login profile to avail promotions

(e) We are also adding a powerful profile management scheme. This will help create "Dealer Profiles" that will allow you to create promotional campaigns based on specific dealers.

We feel this new promotions architecture will be very beneficial to large storefronts as it will allow them to be extremely competitive in their product offerings.

Any feedback is welcome!