Should every shop get the same price? Discounts, special prices and who decides

A big shop asks for ₹2 off. The salesman agrees, because the order is large. A week later the shop next door hears about it and wants the same. Soon half your shops pay a “special price”, nobody remembers who got what, and your margin is gone. Nobody decided this. It happened one shop at a time.

Why one price list works better

• Shops talk to each other. A special price is never secret for long.
• It protects the salesman. “This is the price for every shop” ends the argument.
• You can see your margin. With one price, you know what each sale earns.

Give extra value through rules, not secrets

Big or loyal shops deserve something extra. Give it in a way every shop can see and earn:

• Quantity schemes: buy 10, get 1 free. A big shop earns more because it buys more. See FMCG schemes and free goods.
• Cash discount: a small discount for paying on delivery. It also reduces your credit.
• Better service: more visits, priority stock in a shortage, quick replacement of damaged goods.

Before agreeing to any discount, work out what it costs you. See the wholesaler wants a bigger discount.

Decide who can change a price

• Salesmen sell at the list price. If they cannot change it, nobody can pressure them to.
• If salesmen need some room, set a small limit, and only for specific products.
• Anything beyond that goes to the owner.

Check the discounts every week

Look at a list of every price change and discount for the week, by shop and by salesman. You will see patterns quickly: one salesman who discounts far more than the others, or one shop that always gets a lower price. Most unofficial discounts stop the week salesmen know the list is being read.

Household customers are different

Some vans also sell to households, at the van or door to door. They buy one or two pieces, not cases, and a different price for them is normal. Keep it as a separate, fixed price, not a salesman’s decision on the spot.

How Mulberry Sales helps

Prices come from your product list. Price override is something you switch on only if you want it (Growth plan and up). When it is off, the server rejects any bill with a changed price, so it cannot be worked around from an old version of the app. When it is on, every discount is recorded shop by shop and salesman by salesman, and a discount can never be more than the bill. If your vans also sell to households, each product can carry a separate shop price and house price (Growth plan and up). See GST billing software for distributors.

Questions people ask