A target price is a promise to yourself: at this number, you stop thinking and buy. The whole value of an alert depends on that number being realistic, and most disappointing alerts are really disappointing targets.
Base it on history, not on hope
- Start from the lowest price the product has reached, not from the price it shows today.
- Add a few per cent if that low happened during a once-a-year event you may not want to wait for.
- Sanity-check the result against a competing store selling the same thing.
If the lowest price in a year is 899 and the product normally sits at 1,199, a target of 950 will fire during most sale periods. A target of 700 will fire never, and you will end up buying at 1,199 out of impatience — which is the outcome the target was supposed to prevent.
Two numbers, not one
Many people set a dream price and then buy at something else entirely when they get tired of waiting. It works better to hold two figures in mind: the price you would take today without hesitating, and the price you would only take during a sale week.
Set your alert at the first one. The second is a fantasy that keeps you from acting when a genuinely good price appears.
A target you would not act on is not a target. If the email arrives and you hesitate, the number was wrong.
Adjust as the year moves
Prices drift. A target set in March for a laptop is stale by September, when last year's model is being cleared and the realistic floor has moved down by a couple of hundred. Re-check the targets on anything you are still waiting for a few times a year.
One product, several targets
- 01Save the same product at two or three storesEach page keeps its own target, because prices differ by region and currency.
- 02Set each target against that store's own historyA number that is aggressive at one retailer is conservative at another.
- 03Buy from whichever fires firstThat is the entire point: you are not predicting, you are waiting efficiently.
Common questions
What if my target is never reached?
Then it was set below what the market will bear, and you can raise it at any time. Nothing expires; the watch simply keeps running.
Can I set a different target for the same product at two stores?
Yes. Each saved page carries its own target, which is how you compare a domestic store against a cheaper import.
Should the target include delivery?
We compare against the item price, so subtract expected delivery from your real budget when choosing the number.
How aggressive should a first target be?
Around five to ten per cent under the median price is usually reached within a season without being unrealistic.