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Термин

Demand elasticity

Definition

Demand elasticity is a quantitative measure of how sales volume responds to a change in price or the price of related goods; it is calculated as the percentage change in sales volume divided by the percentage change in price.

How it works: formulas and interpretation

The basic formula for price elasticity of demand (E):

E = (% change in sales volume) / (% change in price)

Interpretation of values:

  • |E| > 1 — demand is elastic: a small price change leads to a relatively larger change in volume.
  • |E| = 1 — unit elasticity: percent change in revenue from price is neutral.
  • |E| < 1 — demand is inelastic: price change is proportionally larger than the volume change.

Examples with concrete numbers:

  • Product price 10,000 tenge, sales 200 units. Price increased to 11,000 (+10%), sales dropped to 170 units (-15%). E = -15% / 10% = -1.5 — demand is elastic.
  • If the same product at 10,000 is reduced to 9,500 (-5%) and sales rise from 200 to 210 (+5%), E = +5% / -5% = -1 — unit elasticity.

Practical interpretation for a seller: when |E| > 1, lowering price may increase revenue; when |E| < 1, raising price usually increases revenue, but always account for margin and commissions.

Why a Kaspi.kz seller should calculate elasticity

Elasticity helps make concrete decisions about pricing, promotions and inventory. On Kaspi.kz it affects revenue, listing visibility and competitiveness in search results and the shopping cart.

  • Optimize revenue and profit: knowing E lets you understand whether a price cut will improve revenue after commissions and delivery costs are taken into account.
  • Plan promotions: which SKUs to put on sale and which to keep at the current price.
  • Inventory management: for elastic products, reducing price can free up warehouse space faster, which matters during seasonal peaks or limited turnover.
  • Respond to competitors: understand how competitor price changes affect your listing (cross-elasticity).

Keep in mind that on Kaspi.kz buyers’ choices are influenced by additional factors: seller rating, availability of Kaspi Delivery or FBS, shipping speed, number of reviews and participation in marketplace promotions. These factors change the effective elasticity compared to a pure price-only model.

Practical examples from Kaspi.kz sellers

Example 1 — High-elasticity consumer goods: a low-cost accessory with many close substitutes. A 10% price cut led to a 25% volume increase, E = -2.5. After accounting for commission and shipping the increase in gross profit was modest, but warehouse turnover improved and the listing gained visibility in search.

Example 2 — Inelastic branded product: a branded appliance with few substitutes and strong seller rating. A 5% price increase caused only a 2% drop in sales, E = -0.4. Revenue and gross margin increased, making a price hike profitable.

Example 3 — Seasonal item: during the season demand becomes more elastic as many sellers compete with discounts. Outside the season the same item may behave as inelastic due to low overall demand — test separately for different periods.

How to measure elasticity step by step in practice

  1. Collect data: historical daily or weekly prices, sales volumes, promotion flags, returns and fees.
  2. Clean data: remove outliers caused by stockouts, glitches, one-off bulk purchases or marketplace-wide events.
  3. Segment periods: separate regular periods, promotional windows and seasonal timeframes.
  4. Calculate percentage changes: for each test interval compute % change in price and % change in volume.
  5. Compute E: use the formula E = %Δvolume / %Δprice. For small changes, use midpoint method to reduce bias: E = [(Q2 - Q1) / ((Q2 + Q1)/2)] / [(P2 - P1) / ((P2 + P1)/2)].
  6. Adjust for confounders: include controls for visibility changes, ad spend, stock level, or listing changes.
  7. Validate with tests: run controlled A/B price experiments across comparable buyer clusters or marketplaces segments.

Tools and sources: seller cabinet exports, own CRM, warehouse records, traffic analytics. For statistical analysis use spreadsheets, basic regression or time-series methods when data size allows.

Cross-elasticity and product interactions

Cross-elasticity measures how the price change of one product affects the demand for another. It’s useful for bundles, substitutes and complements.

  • Positive cross-elasticity: if a price rise in product A increases sales of product B, they are substitutes.
  • Negative cross-elasticity: if a price rise in A reduces sales of B, they are complements (e.g., a phone and a case in a bundle).

To estimate cross-elasticity, analyze joint purchase data and basket composition. For bundles, model combined pricing scenarios to find the optimal mix that maximizes overall basket margin, not just single-SKU revenue.

Practical tips and a checklist for a Kaspi.kz seller

  • Start with high-volume SKUs — they give cleaner signals.
  • Always model margin, not just revenue: include commissions, delivery and cost of goods sold.
  • Run short controlled tests and monitor metrics daily during the experiment.
  • Keep external factors in mind: ads, platform promotions, competitor actions and stockouts.
  • Automate data exports and calculations where possible to refresh elasticity estimates regularly.

Which metrics to watch during price changes

  • Sales volume (units) and revenue (tenge).
  • Conversion rate and impressions — visibility effects may bias pure price elasticity.
  • Average order value and basket composition — to capture cross-effects.
  • Gross margin per unit and total gross profit.
  • Return rate and complaint rate — price-driven traffic might change return behavior.
  • Stock levels and fulfillment metrics (FBS vs Kaspi Delivery).

Limitations and common mistakes when estimating elasticity

Common pitfalls:

  • Attributing changes to price when visibility or platform features changed at the same time.
  • Using too small a sample size — noisy estimates for low-volume SKUs.
  • Ignoring cross-product effects, promotions and seasonality.
  • Relying only on short-term experiments without checking medium-term customer behavior (returns, repeat purchases).

Mitigate these by controlling experiments, aggregating similar SKUs, and using regression models or longer observation windows when possible.

Short summary and practical tip

Elasticity is a practical lever for pricing strategy on Kaspi.kz. Measure it with clean data, account for fees and margin, and validate with controlled tests. For most sellers, the best immediate action is to run small, time-bound price tests on representative SKUs and model the impact on gross profit rather than on revenue alone.

Practical tip: prioritize elasticity analysis for SKUs with stable traffic and sufficient volume, and integrate the results into your promotional calendar — that will let you increase profit while keeping inventory healthy.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

How often should a Kaspi.kz seller recalculate price elasticity for each product listing?
Recalculate elasticity whenever there’s a noticeable price change, after marketing campaigns, or at least monthly for active SKUs. For low-turnover items, update less frequently but always after you collect a meaningful sales sample. Analyze quick price tests immediately after the experiment ends.
What specific data are needed and where to get them to correctly calculate elasticity on the marketplace?
You need historical prices, daily or weekly sales volumes, promotion/discount flags, return data and commission schedules. Export these from the Kaspi seller cabinet, your CRM and warehouse systems, and use traffic/impression analytics. Include timestamps and promo flags for accuracy.
How to account for commissions, delivery and margin when making decisions based on calculated elasticity?
Use net profit per unit in your calculations — price minus commissions, delivery and cost of goods. If elasticity suggests higher revenue but margin becomes negative, increased sales will be unprofitable. Always model changes in gross profit under different price scenarios.
What if sales volumes are small and direct elasticity calculations are noisy?
Pool data across similar SKUs or categories to increase sample size, or run controlled A/B price tests across buyer clusters. Use longer observation periods and adjust for seasonality and promotions. If experiments aren’t possible, make cautious price changes and monitor reactions step by step.
How to account for cross-elasticity when pricing bundles and related products on Kaspi.kz?
Analyze how a price change for one item affects sales of related items: a price increase for a main product may shift demand to cheaper substitutes or accessories. Use joint-purchase and basket data to identify positive or negative cross-elasticity. Based on that, create bundles, accessory discounts, or adjust prices of substitute items.