The new price matrix feature looks good! One suggestion, make the upper limit infinite. You can set the number incredibly high, I would prefer to have the upper limit set with a + sign.
 
Administration > Products > Widgit > Prices
 
Min Qty Max Qty
10 19 $10
20 + $8
 
Then render it like this
 
Qty 1 10-19 20+
Price $4.00 $2.50 $2.00
 
As it is, you have to set that end point well above the limit (looks silly having 1-10,000) your client will buy -- if they order over the limit the cart reverts to 1-off prices.

Good idea Waz.
 
+ makes more sense.

I have already mentioned this to Viart and they will look into it. It should have been obvious if you ask me, it's hardly intuitive.

We updated this on our test site by doing the following:
 
/includes/items+properties.php
 
Find line 295: $matrix_quantity = $min_quantity ."-".$max_quantity;
 
Change it to:
$matrix_quantity = $min_quantity ."+";
 
This will remove right number from the matrix, so instead of:
 
1-9 10-23 24-1000000
 
You will see:
 
1+ 11+ 24+
 
Be sure to set the upper limit in the price matrix to a huge number.

Good one wazoodle - that worked a treat, thanks.

Actually, I would love it if the matrix could also work on the basis of % discount for increased qty.
 
For example:
 
Qty 1-9 at 100% (of initial price on main product screen)
Qty 10-99 at 90%
Qty 100-199 at 80%
Qty 200-999999 at 70%
 
To the user it would look like:
Qty 1-9 at $1.00
Qty 10-99 at $0.90
Qty 100-199 at $0.80
Qty 200-999999 at $0.70
 
Or with wazoodle change, it would look like this to the user:
Qty 1+ at $1.00
Qty 10+ at $0.90
Qty 100+ at $0.80
Qty 200+ at $0.70
 
Can anyone think of a way to make this happen? I know formula cannot be entered into the value fields - I tried that and they won't accept anything but price value "$$$.ccc".

I have found this very helpful, wazoodle, thank you.
 
One more point - it would be even more useful if the price matrix could work at category level — so that ALL products in the category could be aggregated to determine a %age change for them as a group.
 
Chris

All good stuff, when will we ever get to the end

Would anyone be interested in splitting the customisation costs of the % decrease option I mentioned above?
 
The primary objectives are:
* make calculating the price break points easy and automatic based on % you are willing to discount for quantity buys;
* matrix automatically updated whenever the initial price changes.
 
Anyone care to join in a customisation - ViArt estimate is approximately $600.

Five5 - it would certainly interest me, but only if it could also work at *category* level as well as by product

Hi Chris,
 
Could you elaborate on your requirements a bit more. Then I can build it into the spec and get a revised quote.
 
Also, the % structure I proposed was the best I could think of and what was on my mind at the time. If anyone has any more suggestions or tweaks to the requirements, please speak up.

Five5 - I sell many categories of product - it is a big catalogue : http://www.malikstores.co.uk
 
EXAMPLE:
One category is hair (wigs and hair pieces). I would like to aggregate a customer's order across all products in the category on one order and offer a price sliding scale according to the total of all hair pieces ordered - not just the volume for any individual item (SKU).
 
Does this help?
 
Chris

Thanks Chris.
 
I get it now. Is there a risk with that approach, see this example:
 
Most item in the category are $40. One item is $1.
The customer buys 2 x $40 items and 8 x $1 items.
Your price matrix configuration deducts 20% for 10 items in that category.
 
So the customer saves $9.60 by loading up with minor items they don't really want just to force the system to apply a discount that you did not intend them to have.
 
Your thoughts?

Chris,
 
I am starting to see some useful applicaitons for your function for my own stores. But if my example above of potential trip us is correct.... well that is something the administrator just has to watch out for.
 
 
Would you expect to operate this funciton like this:
 
Set the price matrix rules on the Category|Edit page?
 
If the price matrix is completed at category level, all price matrix rules at product level are ignored (not overwritten).
 
My thinking for not overwriting the product price matrix rules is so you can easily revert back to individual product price matrix rules by simply deleting the category level price matric rules.

What if the matrix offers a %age price change per product in the category?

With regard to using percentages have you considered how the prices may potentially look "ugly" if not using 10, 20 or 30% as in the example.
 
10, 20, 30%
e.g Qty 1-9 at $1.00
Qty 10-99 at $0.90
Qty 100-199 at $0.80
Qty 200-999999 at $0.70
 
no problem there but
 
3, 5, 7.5%
e.g Qty 1-9 at $7.60
Qty 10-99 at $7.37
Qty 100-199 at $7.22
Qty 200-999999 at $7.03
 
Do you think maybe a rounding up or down feature would help.
 
3, 5, 7.5%
e.g Qty 1-9 at $7.60
Qty 10-99 at $7.35
Qty 100-199 at $7.20
Qty 200-999999 at $7.05

Freezer - good idea, much nicer.
 
So Chris - how about this:
 
Price Matrix is completed per product in category as per above spec (based on %).
 
Some products in the category may not have a price matrix (only qty 1 price) - these are effectively excluged from the aggregation thing.
 
To activate the aggregation:
 
Either a checkbox in each product price matrix section that if checked would include that product with others similarly checked in the same category and do the aggregation thing.
 
Or, a checkbox at category level that says all products with price matrix completed would be included in the aggregation thing.

I do not have the problem that freezer expresses - my prices are generally not as "tidy" as he suggests anyway - I would have no problem with rounding as an option of course.
 
My concern now is that this is getting more complex and the Viart charge for this may be more than the benefit we would get from using it - could be worth checking with Viart before going further?
 
Chris

Yes, I plan to document as concisely as possible the specification and email to ViArt to review. Then report back here.
 
If no one has any more to offer I will go with what we have discussed.
 
Freezer, are you interested in participating in the customisation?
 
Anyone else interested, please speak up soon. I don't expect commitments until I get the doability and quote back from ViArt.

One final thing. Regarding Waz's solution for replacing "1-10" with "10+", do we want this to be part of the spec as well?
 
I cannot see any benefit in retaining the quantity range over + symbol, so I would prefer to spec it in and that way not have compatibility issues in the future, or have to make Waz's change every time there is an upgrade price matrix related scripts.
 
You thoughts gentlemen?

Hi,
 
Whilst I appreciate the benifits of the % idea. I personally at present are experiencing a different problem in that 95% of my range is a zero priced bundle with subcomponents and the matrix is not supported using this structure. Whilst the multiple prices for the subcomponent do carry though to the basket.
 
They do not
 
1). show in any matrix (unless multiple pricing are set for the main product nothing shows)
2). the price on screen does not change either as each different qty is chosen
 
Which defeats the whole object really as the reason for the discounts is to attempt the clients to buy more. the only way they would know is if they kept incresing the qty by 1 and adding to cart to see if it changed the price. Try explaining that to a new user !!
 
For that reason at the moment I cannot really use this feature other than for a few (product with option) structured items. In this case all works well.
 
Has any one experienced or raised this issue with Viart. I am told much more attention will be paid to bundle and subcomponent structures in the next release.

And would you rather enter the % like this:
Qty 1-9 at 100% (of initial price)
Qty 10-99 at 97% (of initial price)
Qty 100-199 at 95% (of initial price)
Qty 200-999999 at 92.5% (of initial price)
 
Or like this:
Qty 1-9 at 0% (discount)
Qty 10-99 at 3% (discount)
Qty 100-199 at 5% (discount)
Qty 200-999999 at 7.5% (discount)
 
And your reasons?

" replacing "1-10" with "10+" " yes, makes total sense
 
Your last message, Five5
... there is mileage in having customisation options in admin. Thus we could have %ages, absolute amounts, rounding amounts or not, etc?
 
For me I would not use the %ages idea in your last message as that means customers have to work out what the price is.
 
So we could specify whether the price bracket shown on page is
1: an absolute or %age change from standard price change as required -- and may be either for different products or categories
2: whether the outcome that is displayed is accurate or rounded
 
" . would know is if they kept increasing the qty by 1 and adding to cart to see if it changed the price " An interesting point. I presumed that the list of price brackets would be automatically displayed below the price - this eliminates trial and error by the customer.
 
This all illustrates the need, Five5, to be really specific as misunderstanding readily creeps in - you are so right to say "I plan to document as concisely as possible"!!

Here is a scope summary - trying to keep this thing doable and inexpensive.
 
Product Level Requirements:
 
Prices are defined like this: Min 1 Max 9 (as is)
 
Prices are defined like this: Individual price field (as is), or % of initial price (new).
 
Rounding options: No rounding (as is), round to nearest 5c (new), round to nearest 10c (new), round to nearest $1 (new).
 
Choice to display in price matrix to use as: 1-9 (as is), or 10+
 
Category Level Aggregation Requirement:
 
Aggregation setting is activated in Category | Edit screen (new).
 
Any products selected by user within a category with price matrix settings are counted towards total qty, and relevant product specific discount are applied based on this aggregated qty (new).
 
Key:
(as is) = function exactly the same way it does now.
(new) = new function.
 
I know it does not help Freezer out, but may meet Chris and my needs.

Five5 - looks good.
 
Small added point, in category aggregation, the price matrix on screen to be shown with line - "this special pricing applies to all [category] products that you add to this order" ?
 
Also, hope you don't mind me being pedantic - I have done a number of customisations and I recognise, like you, this need for clarity. I have seen some get utterly confused at user and Viart seem to fail to find common understanding.
 
May I suggest a small change to:
 
Rounding options: No rounding (as is), round to nearest 5c (new), round to nearest 10c (new), round to nearest $1 (new).
 
- to be ...
Rounding options: No rounding (as is), round to nearest currency value 0.05 (new), round to nearest 0.10 (new), round to nearest 1.00 (new).
 
If only because I work in £STG and Euros - I am sure that Viart would see this but it is worth the detail - hope that's OK?

Sorry to say but some other priorities got the better of me and I have not completed the requirements doc for review. Hopefully in a couple of days I will post it here.