Methodology

How PriceSignal works

Simple, transparent notes on how we collect, clean, and report pricing.

💼 Business — Price tracking

Business price tracking

Custom monitoring for your products and competitors.

  • Custom list: you tell us the retailers, brands, and SKUs that matter.
  • Collection: prices are pulled from public product pages on a set schedule (daily or weekly).
  • Cleaning: we standardize units/sizes and flag obvious anomalies (bad matches, missing prices).
  • History: every observation is timestamped so you can see trends and changes over time.
  • Delivery: dashboard + export, and optional alerts when prices move past your thresholds.
🏠 Household — Price tracker

Household price tracker

A simple view of everyday prices and trends.

  • Basket: a fixed set of common items across groceries, gas, utilities, and essentials.
  • Sources: prices come from public retailer listings (where available) and public benchmark sources for categories like fuel.
  • Frequency: data is refreshed on a regular schedule (typically daily).
  • Index: we set a baseline period to 100 and track changes over time for MoM and YoY.
  • Limits: this is not official CPI; it’s a practical indicator and won’t match every household or every promotion.
🧭 Timing — When to buy

When-to-buy guides

Simple timing guidance based on seasonal patterns and pricing behavior.

  • Inputs: historical pricing patterns, seasonality, and common retail promo cycles.
  • Format: short “buy / wait / avoid” recommendations with a one-line reason.
  • Traps: we call out common ways people overpay (fake markdowns, bad timing, bundle tricks).
  • Scope: guidance is directional — it won’t cover every brand, region, coupon, or loyalty deal.
  • Updates: refreshed as new price data and seasonal events appear.