Marketplace promo campaigns — to join or not

Promo campaigns on WB and Ozon are discount sales events in which the platform pushes sellers to participate. The dilemma: joining cuts your margin, while opting out often cuts your visibility: non-participating cards may rank worse and lose the discount badge and sales during the event. The decision comes down to numbers: if the SKU stays profitable at the promo price by unit economics and the campaign brings volume — joining pays off.

In short: a promo cuts margin, but opting out cuts visibility. Run the unit economics: if you stay profitable at the promo price — join.

• Pros: more traffic and sales, a discount badge, better visibility during the campaign.
• Cons: lower margin, the risk of training buyers to expect a low price.
• Hidden effect: skipping major campaigns sometimes pushes the card down in search results.

• Calculate your margin at the promo price — the SKU must stay profitable. The formula for the required sales uplift — promo participation economics.
• Build promos and SPP into your price in advance (see how to price a product).
• Participate selectively: enter products where volume outweighs the margin loss.
• Do not dump below cost just to tick the box.

"Is participation in marketplace promo campaigns mandatory?" No, participation is voluntary. But skipping major campaigns often reduces the card's visibility and sales during the event, so the decision should be based on numbers.

"Why does opting out of a promo reduce sales?" Non-participating cards may rank worse during the campaign and lose the discount badge that buyers respond to. As a result, impressions and orders drop.

"How do I know if a promo is worth it?" Calculate the margin at the promo price using unit economics. If the SKU stays profitable and the campaign brings volume — join. If it goes into the red — skip it.

"How do I join a promo without losing margin?" Build the discount into your price in advance: raise the base price before the campaign and discount from there, and only enter products where volume outweighs the margin loss.