Creating a buy catalog entry from category X, get additional catalog entries from category X at a percentage discount promotion

This promotion type discounts items from a selected category by a specified percentage when the order contains products from that same category. This promotion type can be used to create promotions such as buy any three t-shirts, get one more at 50% off. The promotion depends on the category, and not the specific catalog entries.

  1. Open the Promotions tool.

  2. From the toolbar, click

    New. The New Promotion page displays.

  3. In the Promotion Properties section, define general information about the promotion:

    Option Description
    Name Type a name that uniquely identifies the promotion.
    Promotion type Select Buy catalog entries from category X, get additional catalog entries from category X at a discount
    Redemption Method
    Select the redemption method that customers must use to apply the promotion to their order. You can choose from the following options:

    Qualifying purchase

    This option is the default. With this option selected, customers who have met the purchases requirements will automatically qualify for the promotion.

    Promotion codes

    This option requires that a customer enter a promotion code to have the promotion applied to their order.

    Coupon

    This option requires that a customer possess a virtual coupon. Coupons are frequently made available through e-Marketing Spots, which the customer clicks to acquire. When the order is evaluated, if the customer has the coupon, the promotion is applied to the order. If you select this option, also enter a number of days after which the coupon expires. This expiration date means that customers have a limited time in which to redeem the coupons.
    Combination with other promotions
    Select the degree to which multiple promotions can be combined. You can choose from the following options:

    Combine with other promotions

    Select this option to permit the promotion to be combined with all other promotions. The promotion is not exclusive. For example, a customer can receive both an order level promotion, and a shipping promotion, if they qualify.

    Exclusive within selected groups

    If the promotion is applied, no other promotions from the same group can be applied. Select this option to prevent the promotion from being combined with other promotions from the same promotion group. This means that if the promotion is applied to a catalog entry, the customer cannot receive any other catalog entry level promotions.

    Note that specifying an order level or shipping promotion as exclusive within the selected group effectively does nothing. By default, both of these promotion groups only allow a single promotion within the group to be applied to a single order.

    Exclusive within all groups

    The promotion is globally exclusive, so that if the promotion is applied, no other promotion can be applied to the order. Select this option to prevent the promotion from being combined with any other promotions.
    Priority

    Select the priority for the promotion. You can assign a number between 0 (lowest) and 1000 999 (highest) inclusive. When a single order qualifies for multiple promotions from the same promotion group, the promotion with the highest priority is applied first. In cases where multiple promotions are permitted, the promotions are applied in order according to their decreasing priority values. For example, consider a store that offers a 10% discount on the total order price promotion that has a priority of one, and a second order level promotion that gives $15 off promotion that has a priority of 10. If a customer's order qualifies for both, the second promotion is applied first, since it has the higher priority.

  4. Expand the Purchase Condition and Reward section:

    1. In the Target category field, enter the category name for which to offer the amount off discount. This is added under the Category Name column. You can either enter the category name and click

      Find and Add, or click the

      Show utilities view icon to open the utilities view, and then search or browse for the appropriate category. If the category is part of a sales catalog, use the Advanced Search option in the utilities view to select the sales catalog, and enter search criteria to find the target category. You can set a category to be excluded from a promotion. This is generally used to eliminate a subcategory from qualification, so that for example, certain brands can be excluded from the promotion.

    2. In the Excluded catalog entry field, enter catalog entries in the selected category that should be excluded from the promotion.

    3. In the Quantity of catalog entries from category X needed to qualify field, enter the number of catalog entries from the selected category that must be included in the order before it qualifies for the promotion.

    4. In the Quantity of additional catalog entries from catalog entry X field, enter the number of items to which the discount can be applied.

    5. In the Percentage discount off additional catalog entries from catalog entry X, enter the percentage discount that you want to apply to the additional catalog entries.

    6. From the Price adjustment base list, choose the price against which to apply the discount.

      Standard offer price

      The catalog entry price in the store's default currency, this is equivalent to the offer price in the Catalogs tool.

      Contract price

      The price negotiated when the applicable contract was created. In stores that do not use contract based pricing, the standard price and the contract price are the same.

  5. Expand the Redemption Limits section. The redemption limit defines the number of times that the promotion can be used, depending on the option you select.

    Option Description
    Maximum redemptions for this promotion Select either Unlimited, or Set maximum redemption, and then enter the total redemption limit in the Maximum Redemptions field. This option limits the number of times that a promotion can be used in total, by all customers. This could be used to define a loss-leader style of promotion, which limits redemption of the promotion to the first 100 qualifying orders. When the Maximum redemption limit is reached, the promotion status changes to Suspended the next time the promotion is evaluated.
    Maximum redemptions on a single order Select either Unlimited, or Set maximum redemption, and then enter the redemption limit per order in the Maximum Redemptions field.This option limits the number of times that a promotion can be used in a single order. This could be used to define a promotion, which limits redemption of the promotion to the first 5 qualifying catalog entries in an order. This option has no effect on order level or shipping promotions.
    Maximum redemptions by a single customer Select either Unlimited, or Set maximum redemption, and then enter the redemption limit per customer in the Maximum Redemptions field.This option limits the number of times that a promotion can be used by a single customer. This could be used to define a promotion, which limits redemption of the promotion to a single use per customer.

  6. Expand the Schedule section. Set the promotion dates:

    Option Description
    Dates promotion is available Select either Always in effect, or During a specified period, then enter the Start Date and End Date of the promotion.

    The date and time are based on the current system time for the machine where WebSphere Commerce Server is installed.

    Days promotion is available Select either Every day of the week, or Selected days of the week, then select the individual days when the promotion is applicable.
    Time of day promotion is available Select either All day, or During a specified time, then enter the Start Time and End Time of the promotion.

    The date and time are based on the current system time for the machine where WebSphere Commerce Server is installed.

  7. Optional: Expand the Target Customer Segment section. Using the Customer Segments field, select the customer segment to which a customer must belong in order to qualify for the promotion. You can either enter the name of the customer segment and click

    Find and Add, or click the Show utilities view icon to open the utilities view, and then search or browse for the appropriate customer segment.

  8. Optional: Expand the Miscellaneous section.

    • Target sales volume

      Use this field to record the target sales objective for the promotion. This information is used to record the goal of the promotion.

  9. Click the Descriptions tab. Enter the descriptions as appropriate.

    Option Description
    Administrative Description Enter a description that will be meaningful for business users. This description displays on the Promotions List in the Management Center.
    Customer Viewable Short Description Enter a short description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on product display pages.
    Customer Viewable Long Description Enter a longer description that will be meaningful for customers. This is typically used on promotion details pages to provide information about the promotion that customers might need to understand how to qualify for some promotions.

  10. Click

    Save to save the promotion, or click Save and Close to close the promotion editor, and return to the updated Promotions List. The promotion is displayed in the Promotions List, and set as inactive.

What to do nextBefore the promotion is available to customers, activate it.