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1. Visit the Windows Azure Marketplace (datamarket.azure.com) and search for “Digital Folio”.

   

2. Selected the data set and volume tier you desire.

   

   There are currently two types of data sets available: Summaries and Event History.

   Summaries provide interval roll-ups and statistics at Hourly, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly levels containing Open/High/Low/Close Prices plus frequencies and volatility. Event History provides each discrete price change event. For each data set type you can choose the level of additional data - either Price Only or All Product Elements which includes Availability and Channel activity as well as other data elements.

3. Sign in with your Windows Live ID and complete your Account set-up. If you don't have a Live ID you will be able to create one.

   

Analyze

1. Explore data with your browser by clicking on "Explore This Dataset" on the data set page to access the DataMarket Service Explorer.

   

2. OR, Download the DataMarket Add in for Microsoft Excel so you can import data directly into Excel.(https://datamarket.azure.com/addin)

   

Important to Note

1. Metering is per Record. A Record is one row of returned data. For example, retrieving 10,000 rows of price change data counts as 10,000 Records whether retrieved via a single query or over the course of multiple queries. Your number of monthly queries is unlimited. The number products that can be queried is also unlimited. NOTE: The Azure DataMarket's tip-tool descriptions for Records/Month are incorrect (e.g. data cleansing) and Microsoft is working to correct this within their system.

2. Only products with related price changes are returned. Unchanged products are excluded. Thus, we avoid returning thousands/millions of unnecessary records as well as related subscription record consumption. Please contact us if you desire a reference listing of all of a Retailer's or Category's product assortment.

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Key Resources

Currently Supported Retailers and Categories

Retail Intelligence API Documentation

Retail Intelligence Excel 2010 Sample Workbook and Data Set (PowerPivot Add-in Required)

Retail Intelligence Excel 2013 Sample Workbook and Data Set (Excel 2013 Required)

For support please reach us here or at team@digitalfolio.com

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Tips

1. Note:The DataMarket Service Explorer supports listing values for query parameters. The Excel Add in DOES NOT (still in beta).

   

   DataMarket Service Explorer providing parameter values

   

   Excel Add In requiring manual entry of parameter values

2. The API UPC field is a string to accommodate leading zeros and comma separated lists of multiple UPCs. There is a bug in the beta Excel Add-in that erroneously converts the string to numeric. If this field is important to you, we advise that you use: a. the Service Explorer and export and save your queries by choosing CSV and then import into Excel identifying this field as a 'string' or, b. export to PowerPivot which handles this field correctly.

3. Remember: set ISMarketplace to "False" to filter out a Retailer's 3rd-party merchants if you only want to see data related to SKUs sold direct from a Retailer.

4. You can convert the API’s Date/Time text to an Excel DateType utilizing the following:

   For API Summary Records:
   “=DATEVALUE(MID([@IntervalStart],1,10))+TIMEVALUE(MID([@IntervalStart],12,8))”

   For API Event History Records:
   “=DATEVALUE(MID([@DateTimeRecorded],1,10))+TIMEVALUE(MID([@DateTimeRecorded],12,8))”

5. Use a Retailer–SKU combination to obtain cross-retailer data for individual products. The API will automatically return matching SKUs for other Retailers.

   1. The parameter ReturnedDataScope defaults to a value of AllRetailers unless explicitly set to InputedRetailerOnly in which case only data for the retailer set in the Retailer parameter is returned.

6. Excel PowerPivot and Excel 2013 along with PowerView provide powerful, self-serve analytical capabilities out-of-the-box. The Images below are from the "Retail Intelligence Excel Workbook and Data Set Sample".

   

   PowerPivot Charts

   

   PowerView (Excel 2013)