Soma Books POS Data Dictionary
Column Definitions
| Column | Type | Description | Example Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| store | Text | Store location in Dar es Salaam | "Oyster Bay", "Kariakoo", "Mikocheni" |
| category | Text | Product category | "Fiction", "Non-Fiction", "Children's", "Stationery", "Cafe" |
| subcategory | Text | Product subcategory within category | "Literary Fiction", "Notebooks", "Coffee" |
| title | Text | Book title or item name | "Things Fall Apart", "A5 Spiral Notebook", "Americano" |
| author | Text | Book author (null for non-book items) | "Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie", null |
| price_tzs | Numeric | Unit price in Tanzanian Shillings | 25000, 5000, 4500 |
| quantity | Integer | Number of items in this transaction | 1, 2, 25 |
| transaction_date | Date | Date of the transaction (YYYY-MM-DD) | "2025-06-15" |
Business Terminology
Stores: Soma Books operates three locations in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:
- Oyster Bay -- The flagship store in an affluent neighborhood. Higher-value transactions, more international titles, strongest cafe business.
- Kariakoo -- Located in a busy commercial district. Highest foot traffic of the three stores, but lower average transaction value. Stronger in children's books, educational titles, and stationery.
- Mikocheni -- A mid-range residential neighborhood. Balanced profile across categories.
Categories: The POS system organizes products into five categories:
- Fiction -- Novels and short story collections. Subcategories: Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Poetry, Drama.
- Non-Fiction -- Informational and reference titles. Subcategories: History, Biography, Business, Science, Self-Help.
- Children's -- Books for young readers. Subcategories: Picture Books, Chapter Books, Young Adult, Educational.
- Stationery -- Writing and art supplies. Subcategories: Notebooks, Pens, Art Supplies, Cards.
- Cafe -- Food and beverages from the in-store cafe. Subcategories: Coffee, Tea, Pastries, Snacks.
School partnerships: Soma Books partners with local schools to supply books. Schools place bulk orders, typically in January (start of the academic year) and September (start of the second term). These orders appear as transactions with quantity >= 10, usually in the Children's category or the Educational subcategory. Bulk orders represent roughly 20% of annual revenue but are concentrated in two months.