Zalando: how to set up promotions (pricing v2)

This article describes how to set up promotional prices for Zalando, using pricing v2 on ChannelEngine.

Table of contents

Introduction

Requirements

Interactive demo

Set up promotions

• Step 1: map price attributes
• Step 2: set a promotional mode
• Step 3: choose start and end date (optional)

FAQs

Introduction

Zalando's promotions allow you to apply discounts or special offers to your products. You can use them to sell excess stock, attract new customers, or increase sales volume.

The setup of promotions on Zalando can involve two parts:

• Zalando's own promo attributes (required) - provide values for Zalando promo price that are exported to Zalando.
• ChannelEngine promotions (optional) - set start and end date by creating a temporary price reduction in Pricing, Promotions.

The article describes both of these parts: required and optional, under Set up promotions.

The setup process differs between pricing v1 and v2. If you are using pricing v1, check out Zalando: promo prices pricing v1 (microlearning).

Requirements

Pricing v2 is required to use this feature. Pricing v1 will be deprecated soon. If you currently use pricing v1, activate pricing v2 before you continue:

1. In the Pricing step of a given channel, click Configuration mode to start configuring pricing v2 while pricing v1 stays active.
2. When you are ready to fully switch to pricing v2, reach out to the Support team to activate pricing v2 on the respective channel(s).

Interactive demo

Set up price mappings for the promotion

Set up a start and end date for the promotion

Set up promotions

Step 1: map price attributes

In pricing v2, mapping of price-related attributes takes place on the Price rules tab.

Regular price

1. Go to Pricing, Price rules.
2. Find the country-specific price attribute (e.g.: Price NL in EUR). This is your regular selling price, and all reductions are displayed as discounts from this price.
3. Set a regular price for each Zalando country in which the article is offered for sale. E.g.: Zalando DE, Zalando ES.

4. Map the price attribute using at least two fields: Min. price and Base price. This ensures the price does not drop below the minimum you set. Note that ChannelEngine exports the higher of the two values –  typically the Base price. To learn more about mapping price attributes, check out the article ChannelEngine: price rules v2.

   NB: Zalando must first receive and accept the regular selling price before a promotional price can be applied. Do not set up your promotional price at the same time as the regular price.

   

Promotional price

To avoid errors, configure promotional prices only after the product and its regular price have been exported and successfully created on Zalando.

1. Go to Pricing, Price rules.
2. Find the promotional price (e.g.: Promo price NL in EUR). This is a promotional attribute specific to Zalando. This price must be lower than the regular price for the same country.
3. Set a promotional price for each Zalando country where a discount is offered.

4. Map the price attribute using at least two fields: Min. price and Base price, just as you did for the regular price. ChannelEngine exports the higher of the two values –  typically the Base price, so make sure the value configured here is lower than the Base price of your regular price mapping.

   NB: if your promotion applies to a specific group of products, apply it to a product selection only. In the Product selection price overrides section, select Add product selection and go through steps 2-4 configuring your promotional prices. For more details on creating price selection overrides, check out ChannelEngine: price rules v2.

Step 2: set a promotional mode

Promotional mode defines how Zalando handles the combination of regular and promotional prices. You must select the appropriate mode to avoid validation errors from Zalando.

Bear in mind that promotions can only be configured if the offer – that is, the product and its regular price – already exists on Zalando. What is more, you cannot update both the regular and promotional prices at the same time – only one can be changed per update.

1. Go to Mappings, Offer mappings.

2. Find the Promo mode [country] attribute.
    

   

3. Choose one of the following options:
   • Dynamic promo - the recommended option for most setups; uses the Promo price [country] if the offer already exists on Zalando and ignores any regular price changes. If the offer does not exist on Zalando, the regular price is used instead, and no promotion is applied. 
   • Force promo - uses the Promo price [country] and ignores any regular price changes. The regular price cannot be increased for a promotion. To avoid errors when using this option, make sure the offer already exists on Zalando.
   • Skip promo - excludes the product from Zalando promotions, even if the Promo price [country] is mapped. Your regular price is exported to Zalando instead.
   • Regular - uses the Promo price [country], but also allows the increase in the regular price. Note that if you simultaneously change Promo price and the regular price, this causes an error.

Step 3: choose start and end date (optional)

Optionally, timebox your promotion with start and end dates. If you do not specify start and end dates, your promotional prices remain active until you manually unmap your promotional prices.

1. Go to Pricing, Promotions.
2. On the Promotions tab, create a promotion by following the steps in the article ChannelEngine: promotions. 
3. Set the promotion's name, define the start and end date, and select the products to be included in the promotion.
4. Optionally, set a price for the Promo price [country] for each country where a discount is offered. Prices set on the Promotions tab override the prices defined on the Price rules tab. With one exception – prices cannot go below the Min. price. E.g.: if Promo price NL in EUR has a minimum of EUR 30, and you set a price on Promotions of EUR 27, ChannelEngine exports EUR 30 instead. To allow prices set on the Promotions tab to go below the Min. price:
   1. Go to Mappings, Offer mappings.
   2. Find the Allow promotion below Min. price attribute.
   3. Set its value to ‘true’.

FAQs

What happens when the promotion end date is reached?

If the promotion is created on the Promotions tab with an end date, the promotional price applies only during the configured period. Once the end date is reached, the price reverts to the regular price. You do not need to unmap Promo mode or manually clear the promotion for the price to revert.

If you do not create a promotion with start and end dates, the mapped Promo price remains active until you remove or change the Promo price mapping.

How should I map Promo mode?

Dynamic promo is the recommended option because it avoids common Zalando validation issues. Dynamic promo uses the Promo price only when the offer already exists on Zalando. If the offer does not exist yet, ChannelEngine exports the regular price instead and does not apply a promotion. 

To set your promo mode attribute to Dynamic promo:

1. Go to Mappings, Offer mappings.
2. Find the Promo mode [country] attribute.
3. Select Dynamic promo as your option.

Why is my discount showing as a regular price reduction instead of a promotion?

This usually happens when the discounted price is mapped to the regular Price [country] field instead of the Promo price [country] field. In that case, Zalando receives a lower regular price and does not treat it as a promotion or strikethrough discount.

To resolve this and set up a promotion:

1. In Pricing, Price rules, put the full price back in Price [country].
2. Wait until the corrected regular price is exported to Zalando.
3. Configure the discounted price in Promo price [country].
4. Be aware that Zalando may temporarily block promotional prices if the regular price was changed recently.

Why does Zalando reject my promotion after I changed the regular price?

Zalando may block promotional price updates if the regular price has been changed recently (i.e.: in the previous 10 days). If price updates are blocked, ChannelEngine cannot override the Zalando restriction.

To resolve this, wait until Zalando allows the promotional price again, or contact Zalando to ask if they can remove the blocker.

Is it possible to set multiple promotions at Pricing, Promotions for the same product?

You can create different promotions for the same product, but the promotion dates must not overlap. If the dates overlap, you cannot set multiple promotions.