PRICING POLICY
Our goal is to maintain consistent price levels for as long a period of time as fiscally possible. Unfortunately, sometimes prices increase due to unavoidable economic conditions. And sometimes prices may be different in our catalogs, online, and in our retail stores.
Sale Pricing
Items marked Sale, In-Store, Catalog, or Online indicate a price that is available for a limited time only; therefore, its price is subject to expire or change. Sale prices are honored on out-of-stock items you order, shown online as On Back Order, regardless of whether the items are on sale at the time they eventually ship.
Clearance Pricing
Items marked online as Clearance are usually being discontinued, with supplies limited to those on hand. The shown price is good only as long as that supply lasts. Clearance prices are subject to change at any time.
Non-Discountable Pricing
Items marked online as Non-Discountable are items that are not eligible for additional discounts via a catalog code or coupon code.*
Typographical Errors and Misprints
Utrecht strives to produce website content, catalogs, and sale flyers that are accurate and free from typographical errors. We reserve the right to make corrections in the event an error does occur. We cannot be held responsible for these errors.
Merchandise Availability
Due to several factors, our merchandise assortment and availability of specific items can vary by retail store location, online, by phone, or by mail order. When in doubt, please contact your local store or call Customer Service at 1-800-223-9132.
Coupons & Promotional Offers
Like most retailers, we offer "limited time only" promotional offers such as additional savings on orders exceeding a certain dollar amount, or savings on ground shipping charges. The following exclusions apply to promotional offers:
- Coupons cannot be combined. Only one coupon code can be applied per order.
- Coupons are limited to one use per customer. A coupon code can only be used one time, on only one order.
- Coupon codes cannot be applied to prior purchases.
- Some items are ineligible for additional discounts. These items include, but are not limited to: Sale or Clearance Items, Gift Cards, Special Orders, items marked Drop Ship Item (which ship directly from a vendor or factory), and items marked Truck Ship Item (which must be shipped via a special freight carrier).
Please contact Customer Service at 1-800-223-9132 if you have additional questions.
PRICING FAQs (Demystifying Pricing)
PART I: Demystifying MSRP (aka “List Price”)
What is MSRP?
MSRP stands for Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (also known as “list price”). MSRPs are published by the manufacturer of each product. Unless a product is our own brand, we do not set or inflate the MSRP. We report it. For our Blick and Utrecht brand products, the MSRP is established based on the MSRP of the third-party brand that most closely compares to ours in quality. This is admittedly somewhat subjective.
Does a discount off the MSRP represent a sale price?
Not necessarily. A typical example would be that a product has an everyday discount of 30% off the MSRP, but during promotional periods it may rise to 40% off the MSRP. Other products might be 40% and 50% off, respectively, and so on. Paint lines often use this type of model. Some products may never be promotionally priced.
Are the large discounts off the MSRP offered by Blick and Utrecht real?
Yes. Many retailers, if not the majority of them, use the MSRP as their everyday price. You will find this to be the case at big box craft stores. Blick, Utrecht, and other discount art suppliers offer significant value to the consumer by offering steep discounts. Both Blick and Utrecht (and our like-minded competitors) work hard to make sure artists get great value.
Why is the MSRP valuable to the consumer?
As long as the MSRPs provided by the manufacturer are reported honestly by the retailer, the larger the discount advertised off the MSRP is, the lower the price to the consumer will be. In other words, if one retailer prices a product at 50% off the MSRP and another prices it at 40% off, the retailer at 50% off the MSRP is indeed charging a lower price for that particular product.
PART II: Pricing
How do we set online prices?
Online prices are based on comparison shopping at other online retailers. Blick’s and Utrecht’s online stores adjust their prices both up and down every day based on these comparisons. In this way, we try to take price out of the equation, making the consumer’s purchase decision ultimately depend on service and selection, where we believe we excel.
Do you have a price match policy?
Yes. We do not want price to be a reason that you buy from another supplier if we are your preferred supplier.
When making an online purchase, if you see an online price at a major supplier that is lower than our online price, including all discounts and shipping charges, please place your order by phone and give the competitor’s price information to our Order Entry Specialist. Please note that the price match excludes any prices that require a purchased membership (e.g., Costco).
When making a purchase at one of our retail stores, we will match the price of an identical product at any competitor within a 25-mile radius of the store. Simply show us the ad for an identical product and we will refund 105% of the difference. We also have an automatic web-price matching rebate to DickBlick.com as stated below.
We reserve the right to limit quantities on the price matched items.
How do we set store prices?
We attempt to provide the best prices to our retail customers in two ways. First, we shop local retail competition and ensure our prices are as good or better. We also respond to customer feedback, so let us know!
Do I pay less online or at the retail store?
Including all delivery charges from online purchases, the prices in our retail stores are equal to or lower thanks to our Automatic Web Match Rebate Program. ALL retail transactions are processed through this program and if, after adding shipping and handling charges, a product could have been bought for less online, we provide a rebate for the difference between the two prices. For more details about our web price match rebate, contact your local store. Eligibility requires joining our free in-store preferred customer program.
How do we set catalog prices?
Annual catalog prices are set once, based on expected annual price increases from manufacturers. Unless a manufacturer has a very large price increase during the year (which is very unusual), these prices are honored throughout the year, but are typically higher than our online prices. Scholastic (K–12) and other institutional/business buyers are encouraged to contact our bid sales staff to establish a discount program off the annual catalog prices. Prices in our quarterly sale flyers are set based on the online price at the time of publication, but also include seasonal promotions offered through vendors.