The Difference between a Price Book and Price List
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Price Book
A price book is created when normal prices of items, discounts, coupons are modified for a specific location. The unique pricing can be set not only at the item level, but can be applied to specific classifications, vendors, and customer groups. The user can discount their shoe department or all red sweaters. There is flexibility for discounting that allows for targeted promotions.
The price book can be applied to specific location, as the same store with locations across the country can have pricing specific to their region. A price book would be created if user wanted to make the prices higher in only west coast stores. The price book created would be a west coast stores price book.
The user has two options select the price book by group or by specific item number to create a price book. The user can also modify discounts or coupons on this screen as well by typing in the old value and the new value. This is done to allow items to be sold inside individual stores for different amounts than what is listed in the master item table. Using Group Level discounts the merchant is able to add specific discount to the department or attribute selected. User can select department, category,sub cat, or attribute then attached the discount to it. Once saved all merchandise is the selected department or attribute will be affected.
Once the price book has been created it needs to be added to a venue or store to take effect. To add, go to CAS>Management>Hierarchy>Modify Hierarchy >(Store or venue). From this UI you can add the price book from the drop down selection.
Price List
The Post dated price list allows a user to change the price, tax or discount level of multiple items and have them updated at some future date . The price list is broadcasted to the online POS machines and will go into effect when the time on the POS passes the "Effective Date".
The effective date found for price list is the date that the price list will be active from. Price lists that have a future date will be modifiable until the effective date. From the effective date, the most current price list will be active, and won't be found for modification. Price lists can be used for updating a product price from a certain date forward. The price list drop down does not includes expired price lists.
A merchant with merchandise that will be set a different price for part of the year, can create a price list to be effective the June 1, 2012, that list will be modifiable until it's effective date. From that date forward the new prices will be in effect and the user won't be able to modify that list. They can however, create a new list, or Price Book;if they wish to be able to set the prices to be active and inactive.
The Difference between a Price Book and Price List
While Price books and Price List operate similarly, they are two separate functions. They both have the ability to change prices, but accomplish that for two different enterprises. Price books are set at a location, they can be removed and placed at different hierarchy levels. So user can create them and re-use a price book by applying it and removing it from a store or venue. Price Books can also be applied for multiple stores, venues, and customer groups if need be. A price list is a static feature only one can be applied at a time, from it's active date.
While a price list will effect all prices set globally. So once a user has saved a price list it will effect how that item rings up from the active date on. Once a price book is set it can not be removed, but has to be modified. User that are looking to make CAS wide changes to a grouping of items can use the price list to do that, these will be changes that are going to continue from the active date until the price book is going to be modified.
In example: A merchant has stock that is seasonal, he is trying to push that stock out of inventory, he decides to deduct a certain amount form each items ranging from 5%-15%. These items will remain at this discounted price until they have left inventory. He creates his price list and saves the items. He has set the active date to be the last day of the season for those items. On that day the items will now ring up the discounted price across all venues and stores and will continue that price till modified.
A price book for example: A merchant is offering a promotion at a single location, for a customer group. This promotion is only going to run for a week. The users adds the items to the price book and selects an attribute to be included with this promotion and saves the price book. Since this is a price book for a customer group it was applied to the group and when customers in that group are rung up and added to the sale it will be applied.
After the week long promotion the users can modify the group and remove the price book and that group goes back to regular set prices for that location.