The Portal provides several ways for items to be discounted for a promotional period. In this tutorial we will explore how to apply discounts based upon a minimum quantity of an item being bought, how specials can be applied for a specific period, promotions that affect all items in a Department, promotions on specific items and rebates for sales.

 

In this tutorial we will discuss the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu. Open the Inventory Menu by selecting Menus and Inventory from the Navigation Menu and the Discounts section by clicking on the Discounts link.

 

 

The Bulk Discounts link in the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu opens the Bulk Discount Report screen. This report lists each item that has a bulk discount applied to it in the selected Site. Some details about the discounts are displayed including the Item Description, Item Code, Site, Entry Order, Discount Percentage, Minimum Quantity for the Discount, Expiry Date and Date Changed. Selecting any item in the report opens the Inventory Management screen to the Bulk Discount tab where you can add or edit bulk discounts for the item.

 

 

Similarly, the Specials link in the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu lists all specials that have been set up in the selected Site that will expire after the entered date. Details of the specials displayed in this report include the Item Description, Item Code, Site, Start and End Date and Time for the Special and the reduced Price for the item. Selecting an item in this report opens the Item Management screen to the Specials tab to allow you to edit the special or add new specials for the item.

 

 

Department Promotions in the Portal allow you to run promotions on all items in a Department, meaning that items are discounted according to a specified rule across an entire Department. The Department Promotions link in the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu opens the Department Promotions Report screen which outlines the previously created promotions for the selected Site that expire after the entered date. Details of each promotion that are displayed in the report include the Description of the Promotion, the Promotion Number, the Site, the Start and End Dates, the Minimum Quantity of Items and Minimum Amount to be Spent in order to receive the Discount Percentage, whether the discount is received as a Voucher and whether the Promotion is only open to Loyalty Members.

 

 

Select an existing promotion's name to edit it or click on the Create New Department Promotion link to create a new promotion. The Department Promotion Maintenance screen is loaded. The Promotion Number for the promotion is automatically generated when the promotion is created and this drop-down list can be used to load the details of another promotion from this screen to edit it. Select the Site for the promotion in the Location drop-down list. Enter a Start Date and End Date for the promotion - note that these dates are inclusive. The Description and POS Description fields should describe the promotion to aid in identifying it in reports. The Minimum Sales and Minimum Items fields specify the amount that the sale must total and the number of departmental items that must be included in the sale for the Discount to be applied - note that the discount is a percentage amount. If you want the promotion to apply to Loyalty members only, check the box marked Loyalty Only. It is possible to distribute vouchers instead of giving a discount immediately for the sale in the promotion - tick the box marked As Voucher and enter a number of Days to Expire for the voucher. Select the Department for the promotion to effect and press the Commit button to save the promotion details to the Portal. When editing an existing promotion, the Delete Promotion  button can be used to remove it from the Portal.

 

 

An Item Promotion is one that relies upon the sale of a specific number of certain items in order for the discount to be received. Selecting the Item Promotions link in the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu opens the Promotion Report screen which outlines the Item Promotions that have been created for the specified Site that expire after the entered date. Details of the promotions displayed in this report include the Promotion Description, Promotion Number, Site, Start and End Date, Quantity of Items to be sold to trigger the promotion, the Type of Promotion, whether it is valid for Loyalty members only and whether the promotion has been Committed to the Portal.

 

 

Select the name of a promotion to edit or the Create New Promotion link to start a new promotion. This opens the Promotion Maintenance screen.  The Promotion Number for the promotion is automatically generated when the promotion is created and this drop-down list can be used to load the details of another promotion from this screen to edit it. Select the Site for the promotion in the Location drop-down list. In the Details tab, enter a Start Date and End Date for the promotion - note that these dates are inclusive. The Description and POS Description fields should describe the promotion to aid in identifying it in reports. If you want the promotion to apply to Loyalty members only, check the box marked Loyalty Only. The Promotion Type sets the way in which items must be sold in order to obtain the discount:

 

 

When editing an existing promotion, the Commit button will save the changes that you make, or press the Delete Promotion button to remove the promotion from the Portal.

 

 

In the Items tab of the Promotion Maintenance screen, enter the items that the promotion applies to by entering the Item Code and pressing the Add button. Use the Find button to search the Inventory for the item you wish to add if you do not know the item code. Enter a quantity that must be sold for the item and the percentage discount that the promotion will receive. Press the Update button to save the promotion details or press the Delete button to remove a selected item from the promotion.

 

 

Rebates are handled in the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu also and they allow the Company to reward customers for purchasing certain combinations of products. Select the Item Rebates link to open the Rebates Report screen. This report details each rebate for the selected Site that expires after the specified date. For each rebate the following details are displayed in this report: Rebate Description, Rebate Reference Number, Site, Start and End Dates, Number of Items, Item Description, Rebate Amount, whether the rebate is for Loyalty sales only and whether the rebate's details have been Committed to the Portal.

 

 

Click on a rebate's description to edit it or select the Create New Rebate link to create a new one. This opens the Item Group Rebate Maintenance screen. When the rebate is created it will be given a Rebate Reference number by the Portal to identify it and this drop-down allows you to select a rebate to edit from the maintenance screen. Select the Site for the rebate from the Location drop-down list. In the Details tab, enter a Description for the rebate and set the Start Date and End Date for the rebate period. Enter the Item Code for the Rebate Item and the POS Description will be loaded. The Rebate Item is used to ring up a negative sale for the rebate amount. An example is the item attributed to the barcode for a fuel voucher that applies a discount at a petrol station. If the rebate is only for sales made to Loyalty members, select the Loyalty Only checkbox. Enter an Amount for the rebate and press the Commit button to save the changes. If you are editing an existing rebate, the Delete Rebate button can be used to remove it from the Portal.

 

 

In the Items tab you can add quantities of items that must be sold before the rebate is triggered. Enter an Item Code and press the Add button to add it to the requirements of the rebate. You can use the Find button to search for the item if you do not know the item code. Enter a Minimum and Maximum quantity for the item to be sold for the rebate to take effect. Press the Update button to save the item details to the rebate or use the Delete button to remove a selected item from the rebate.

 

 

In this tutorial we have discussed the Discounts section of the Inventory Menu in detail. We have looked at the reports and maintenance of Bulk Discounts, Specials, Department Promotions, Item Promotions and Rebates. Using these features in the Portal provide a flexible way of promoting your business.