Proposal: Standardized Deals String
I’ve been keenly interested in the “Deals thread” since I found and joined this forum.
I’m a software developer by trade and thought I’d help the preparation of this thread by preparing a excel spread sheet for the generation of “deal” text lines.
The intent is to reduce calculation errors and provide additional information to the line to facilitate sorting, store identification, provide flyer page reference (for simplified price matching), specific coupon identification, highlight hot deals and overages and to allow for history pricing information to be collected, and maybe most importantly to make the thread and content effectively printable on a B&W printer. ( Laser ).
The current “deal” line is something like:
Ziploc Bags $2.49 - $4 WUB 2 printable and/or B2G2 Free (insert coupon) = .49/$1.25
Or
Betty Crocker Frosting $1.49 - $1 coupon = .49
I propose the following standardization of this line to the following format.
Basic Line CentsOff {}@TEST[] <> 1/$5.00 - $2.50 WUB1G0 ( ) = $2.50
Where :
Basic Line CentsOff = Product description (from flyer – including size and other traits)
{} = Deal effective dates (SAT,SUN, TILL JUN 10,ect)
@TEST = Where the deal can be found (Store ID SDM-W, METRO-O, As per table)
[] = Flyer page reference ()
<>= Statistical Values - RegPrice, Average, and Min
1/ = Unit count for the deal (to support “3 for X”, and like “multi” deals)
$5.00 = selling price
- $2.00 WUB1G0 = Coupon code ()
( ) = coupon details (from coupon DB – if specific coupon is referenced)
"= $2.50" = Calculated deal cost
Each highlighted area can show more detail that the sample shown, The intent is to standardize the string so that it can be parsed and relevant values be extracted for “two way” deal importation. (SCr’s can provide deals in standardized form, this can be parsed and then added to Spreadsheet and can then be generated to produce the same deal string) with little or no fuss.
Each deal would be shown on a separate lines so, the first example would be rendered as:
Ziploc Bags {}@FB[] 1/$2.49 - $4.00 WUB2G0 ( printable ) = $0.49
Ziploc Bags {}@FB[] 1/$2.49 - $0.00 WUB2G2 ( insert ) = $1.25
Every coupon need not be listed, as there may be quite a few applicable at any one time. I suggest only the top two that make the deal good be prepared. Other coupons that may be applicable can be deduced by the user, intent is to identify the most common deals. (I know for example that there are a number of Ziplock coupons currently valid, I know which ones I’ve got, I need only know which store has them at a good price.) FPC’s and MIR’s need not be rendered because every store will effectively provide a “hot deal”
Personally, I find it useful to have both the current presentation (by Store – ordered by description) and one that I prepare (by description then by ultimate cost).
The first useful when I’m in the specific store, I can reference all the flyer deals, so as not to miss anything. The second to both determine where the best deal is on a particular product and to quickly check if I find a in-store special, if it is indeed special or not.
For the submission of deals, only the basics need be provided:
Basic Line CentsOff {}@TEST[] 1/$5.00 - $2.50 WUB1G0 ( ) = $2.50
Where :
Basic Line CentsOff= Product description (from flyer – including size and other traits)
{ SUN,MON, Limit:5 } = Deal effective dates (SAT,SUN, TILL JUN 10,ect)
@RCSS-O= Where the deal can be found (Store ID SDM-W, METRO-O, As per table)
[page4] = Flyer page reference ()
3/ = Unit count for the deal (to support “3 for X”, and like “multi” deals)
$10.00 = selling price
- $2.50 WUB1G2 = Coupon code ( Provide Cents off, Number following B and Number following G)
( ) = coupon details (either “( )” or the Coupon Number “( 44405074 )”
XXX = Calculated deal cost ( Not really required as the spreadsheet will calculate this, but can be useful to ensure that the deal is calculating correctly)
An example from May 6-12 Deals thread (Revision 38 at Thu, May 5th, 2011 02:17 PM) Food Basics Section
• Bick's Relish .99 - .75 (tear pad) = .24
• Black Diamond Cheese Strings $3.99 - .75 (tear pad) = $3.24
Would be presented as: ( in proposed standard)
Bick's Relish 375ml {}@FB[4] 1/$0.99 - $0.75 WUB1G0 ( tear pad ) = $0.24
Black Diamond Cheese Strings 336g {}@FB[4] < $6.89 > 1/$3.99 - $0.75 WUB1G0 ( tear pad ) = $3.24
Here is a more resent example having statistical values:
Bick's Relish {}@FB[] < $0.00 : →$1.60← : ↓$0.99↓ > 1/$0.99 - $0.75 WUB1G0 ( ) = $0.24
Black Diamond Cheese Strings {}@FB[] < $0.00 : →$4.63← : ↓$2.99↓ > 1/$3.99 - $0.75 WUB1G0 ( ) = $3.24
For Hot, Free and Overages:
Since I’m relatively new to couponing, I still have yet to be able to determine what are hot and good deals. Free and overages are easy to calculate and automate presentation. Identification of the hot and good deals still needs expert guidance. At least until some historic pricing data can be referenced.
The prototype spreadsheet is in Excel.
It includes a number of internal sheets for encoding and decoding, a coupon DB ( from the http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/174557-...-skank-canada/ Thread ) and a store reference table. Among pivot tables for Pricing, Wiki generation, and a simplified shopping list calculator
The basic operation for the user would be to copy a submitted deals string to the decode sheet. Copy the decoded values to the encode sheet, verify any details to ensure submitted deal is valid. Sort and query the table as needed.
Optionally the user could republish the deals, for a particular region, product type into a new Wiki thread.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
