Перейти к содержимому
Термин

Competitive intelligence

Definition

Competitive intelligence is the systematic collection and analysis of competitor data — prices, stock levels, promotions, product pages and reviews — to make timely commercial decisions. The goal is to understand where margin and traffic are being lost and how to quickly regain leading positions on Kaspi.kz.

How competitive intelligence works

The process includes four main steps, each requiring configured tools and regulated update intervals:

  • Data collection. Automatic import of price lists, screenshots of product cards, search result positions and reviews. On Kaspi.kz, data on price, availability, delivery speed and participation in Kaspi Dni or special offers is especially important.
  • Normalization. Bringing titles, SKUs and attributes to a single format so similar offers can be matched. A common issue is different SKUs/descriptions for the same product across sellers.
  • Analysis. Calculating metrics: category average price, minimum price, seller share in the top-10, frequency of price changes, average competitor response time to price drops.
  • Reaction. Rules for automated pricing, inventory prioritization, participation in promos and adjustments to product pages.

Update frequency should depend on the category: electronics require updates every 15–60 minutes, home appliances and household goods — every 2–6 hours, medical and special categories — once a day.

Why a Kaspi.kz seller needs competitive intelligence

Without intelligence, a seller risks losing traffic share and margin because Kaspi ranks offers by a combination of price, availability and delivery speeds. Concrete benefits:

  • Reduce price wars. Intelligence shows who regularly undercuts prices in particular categories. If a competitor drops price by 10–20% every 2–3 days, manual reaction is pointless — repricing rules are required.
  • Optimize inventory. Using data on competitors' sales frequency you can forecast demand burn and adjust orders. Example: if three main competitors run discounts at the same time, demand may increase 1.5–2x over 3–5 days.
  • Improve product pages. Analyzing competitor reviews helps identify product weaknesses and add advantages to your own attributes and images. Often a Kaspi seller can raise conversion by 12–18% by changing 2–3 images and adding bullet points about delivery.
  • Protect margin. Knowing the minimum non-loss price per SKU allows setting automatic repricing limits and avoiding sales at breakeven or below.

Examples from practice on Kaspi.kz

Below are common scenarios and concrete actions drawn from seller practice on Kaspi.kz.

1. Sudden price dump by a new competitor

Situation: A new or aggressive seller lowers prices sharply to capture Buy Box or top search positions.

Actions: verify if the price is sustainable (check stock levels and other listings), set a temporary defensive repricing rule with a price floor, prioritize shipments for key SKUs, and prepare a brief promotional mix (e.g., small discount plus faster delivery) rather than a long-term margin-cutting war.

2. Competitors join Kaspi Dni

Situation: Several competitors participate in Kaspi Dni with discounts on high-demand items.

Actions: analyze which SKUs and time windows are affected, compare available stock and delivery speed, consider temporary participation in the promo for select SKUs with controlled price floors, and plan post-promo price restoration rules.

3. Low conversion despite competitive price

Situation: Price is competitive but conversion is lower than competitors.

Actions: compare product cards and images, extract insights from competitor reviews to identify missing benefits or perceived defects, update images, add clear bullet points about delivery and warranty, and monitor conversion uplift after changes.

4. Forecasting stockouts

Situation: Competitors' promotions or sudden demand spikes threaten to exhaust your stock.

Actions: use competitor sales cadence and promo schedules to model demand surges, accelerate replenishment for priority SKUs, or temporarily limit discounts to preserve margin until restock.

Practical advice: what to do step by step

  1. Define critical SKUs and categories. Start with top-selling and margin-sensitive items.
  2. Set update frequencies by category. Electronics — 15–60 min; home & appliances — 2–6 hours; regulated/medical — daily.
  3. Implement automated data collection. Capture prices, availability, delivery options, participation in Kaspi Dni and screenshots of product cards.
  4. Normalize and match offers. Use GTIN/EAN/UPC when available and fuzzy matching on brand/model/attributes for others.
  5. Calculate key metrics. Minimum and average price, share in top-10, Buy Box ownership (if applicable), price change frequency, stock levels.
  6. Define reaction rules. Price floors, cooldowns between repricing actions, inventory-based rules, and promo participation criteria.
  7. Test on a control group. Apply rules to a limited SKU set, measure impact on sales and margin, then scale.
  8. Continuous monitoring and refinement. Review rules weekly during volatile periods and monthly for steady categories.

Tools and metrics to track

Essential tools:

  • Automated crawlers or API integrations for timely price and stock data.
  • Snapshot/visual monitoring for product cards to detect changes in images, titles and promo badges.
  • Normalization and matching engine (GTIN-based + fuzzy rules).
  • Analytics dashboard with trend charts and alerting for critical events.
  • Repricing engine with rules, floors and cooldowns.

Key metrics to monitor:

  • Minimum price and category average price.
  • Your SKU share in top‑10 search results and Buy Box ownership.
  • Competitor stock levels and availability.
  • Frequency of competitor price changes and average reaction time.
  • Participation in Kaspi Dni and special promotions.
  • Delivery speed and expected shipping times (Kaspi factors these into ranking).
  • Conversion rate and CTR of your product cards versus competitors.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

  • Poor matching accuracy. Mistakenly treating different SKUs as identical leads to wrong repricing and stock decisions. Avoid by improving normalization, using GTINs and periodic manual validation.
  • Overreacting to short-term price moves. Reacting to every price change can trigger a race to the bottom. Use cooldowns and analyze whether the change is part of a promo cycle.
  • Ignoring delivery and availability. Focusing only on price misses other ranking factors. Factor in delivery speed and real availability when deciding on price and promo participation.
  • Not setting price floors. Without a minimum price, repricing can erode margin or cause loss-making sales. Always set floors based on cost and target margin.
  • Lack of testing. Applying untested rules broadly can harm sales. Test on a subset, measure impact, then roll out.

Conclusion

Competitive intelligence on Kaspi.kz is a continuous cycle of data collection, normalization, analysis and automated reaction. Properly implemented, it reduces unnecessary price wars, protects margin, improves conversion and helps you make data-driven decisions about promos and stock. Start small, validate rules on a control group, and scale as your confidence in the system grows.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

What update interval should I choose for electronics and home appliances on Kaspi.kz?
For electronics it’s recommended to update data every 15–60 minutes due to high price volatility. Home appliances and household goods can be updated every 2–6 hours, while medical and special categories — once a day. Choose the interval based on category price-change speed and your internal SLA for reaction.
Which metrics should be monitored first to assess threats from competitors on Kaspi.kz?
Priority metrics: minimum and average category price, your assortment share in the top‑10 results, competitors’ availability and stock levels, frequency of price changes and average response time to price moves. Also track participation in promotions (Kaspi Dni, special offers) and delivery speed — these affect ranking. Joint analysis of these metrics shows where traffic and margin are lost.
How to correctly match identical products if competitors use different SKUs and titles?
Normalize data: standardize titles and attributes, use GTIN/EAN/UPC where available, and set up fuzzy matches on key attributes (brand, model, capacity/color). For ambiguous matches, regularly perform manual sample checks and update matching rules. This reduces errors in price and stock analysis.
How to react if competitors launch a campaign in Kaspi Dni and drop prices on popular items?
Assess the impact: check which items and time windows are involved, compare stock and delivery speed. Quick reactions may include joining the promo, a temporary price reduction with a defined price floor, and prioritizing stock for key SKUs. Monitor margin and set temporary automatic pricing rules that revert to normal prices after the promo ends.
What automated pricing rules protect margin while keeping competitiveness?
Set a minimum price floor (considering cost and target margin), limits on discount steps and a cooldown between price changes to avoid endless price wars. Include availability and delivery speed as factors: raise price or pause decreases when stock is low. Test rules on a limited SKU group and regularly review them based on sales performance.