{"id":1258,"date":"2021-06-25T13:00:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/catalog-management\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T16:25:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T16:25:11","slug":"catalog-management","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/catalog-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecommerce Product Catalogue Management: Why It\u2019s Important for Your Store"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is catalogue management?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecommerce catalogue management: why does it matter?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7 ecommerce catalogue management challenges and solutions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips to improve your ecommerce catalogue management<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streamline inventory with ShipBob<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalogue management FAQs<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When you think of catalogue management, do you picture a glossy JC Penny paper booklet full of ~trendy~ new clothing that came in the mail? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the days of cheesy poses by unknown fashion models may be mostly long gone, catalogues in the context of ecommerce today are a lot more functional than fashionable. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while you might not have a catalogue as large as SkyMall, it\u2019s just as important to manage your products this way, so you can expand your product line, attract the right customers, and spend less time on managing your inventory. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll go over best practices on how to efficiently manage one or more product catalogues to increase sales and streamline inventory management.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is catalogue management?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For ecommerce, catalogue management is the process of ensuring that your product database is organised, structured, and up-to-date across all online sales channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalogue management is a vital component of building an online brand because it helps customers find what they\u2019re looking for and feel comfortable making a purchase based on the information provided. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For ecommerce logistics<\/a> purposes, it helps merchants manage product catalogues for different audiences and track inventory across multiple channels. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Product catalogues for online stores include information such as colour options, prices, sizes, country of origin, materials, and more, though different types of products require different details and information. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecommerce catalogue management: why does it matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Online sales continue to grow as customers become more accustomed to shopping (for everything!) online.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though online shopping provides convenience, it is harder to make purchasing decisions, especially when it comes to apparel<\/a>, makeup<\/a>, or home furnishings<\/a> \u2014 items that must be a specific size, colour, fit, or material <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to ensure customers are given as much detail as possible, so they feel comfortable making their purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poor catalogue management can lead to inaccurate product information (or a lack of information). Unavailability of product information can result in less sales; customers might feel hesitant to purchase, whereas inaccuracies can cause a higher volume of returns.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, catalogue management helps improve your online store as it makes it much easier to upload product information to your product pages and automatically organise it all. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if a customer is shopping for an electric mixer in a specific colour, you want to make sure you display all the colour options available. With proper catalogue management, the process of uploading new items with detailed information is much more efficient. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, if your online brands offer B2B ecommerce<\/a> services, then having an accurate and streamlined product catalogue helps attract the right suppliers and retailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7 ecommerce catalogue management challenges and solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The more products you sell, the harder it is to manage an accurate ecommerce product catalogue . <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are several solutions to common challenges that help simplify the process.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an overview of the most common catalogue management challenges and how to solve them.   <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Selling across multiple sales platforms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Between your online store, Amazon, Facebook, and other sales platforms, selling your products across multiple sales channels can be difficult to keep up with. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different sales channels might include their own specific compositions of your product information. You will have to remember which channels require what information and how customers view product details. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will also have to ensure consistency of product information across all channels. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: implement inventory management software<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

An <\/span>inventory management system<\/span><\/a> makes it easier to organise available products, and categorize and organise items by similarities. It also makes it much easier <\/span>to track inventory<\/span><\/a> across different sales platforms. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several inventory management solutions on the market. Large, established brands often implement an ERP inventory<\/a> system, but it can be costly. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, partnering with a tech-enabled 3PL<\/a> like ShipBob offers fulfilment services and the tools you need to organise SKUs, track products across channels, and collect data on past historical inventory trends to not only streamline your product catalogue but to also automate time-consuming inventory management<\/a> tasks (i.e., manual tagging or bulk updates for large catalogues).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Building trust with customers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Proper online catalogue management ensures customers can find what they need. For instance, if a shopper searches for a red blouse only to stumble upon a black blouse on your online store, you miss out on a potential sale. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, some shoppers are unsure of what they intend to buy when navigating through products online. The inability to freely navigate through a store\u2019s online catalogue can make it harder for customers to find what they\u2019re looking for based on the product category (e.g., pants) or specific detail (e.g., size 7).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: create a good user experience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Shopify shows that when customers searched for a product, they were 1.8x<\/a> more likely to add to cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great user experience is one of the best ways to build trust with your customers, help them find what they\u2019re looking for, and keep them coming back.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With accurate product information that is easily searchable, customers can navigate through your online store and stumble upon the perfect item to add to their cart.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Lack of consideration for different audiences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some ecommerce businesses have multiple catalogues for different audience, such as one for direct-to-consumer orders and another for B2B.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common mistake is not considering the audience of each catalogue . <\/span>As a result, the information across catalogues is too similar. This can cause issues, especially if you want to display bulk pricing only for B2B customers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring that you display the right information for different types of catalogues based on the audience is critical. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: keep the customer in mind<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The best way to streamline different product catalogue based on different audiences is to consider all audiences when curating a catalogue , and set it up that way in your ecommerce platform. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, by implementing inventory technology to automatically display the right details and information for each audience can help eliminate manual work and improve accuracy and consistency.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. High return rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Poor product cataloging can lead to more ecommerce returns<\/a><\/span>and losing out on building brand loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returns are inevitable, but if the reason there is influx in returns because product information was inaccurate or not detailed enough, then there is an opportunity to make catalogue management improvements to increase sales.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: stick to consistent product catalogues<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Always be consistent with product catalogues using clear descriptions that give your customers all of the information they need. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you utilise product images, be sure to link the correct image to the product to avoid errors. Also consider the type of product you sell and key buying considerations. For example, furniture should always display weight, material, and dimensions, while food items should always display ingredients. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Standardizing product catalogue management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Retailers with a strong product catalogue management system can make it easy for brands to attract different audience segments, such as B2B buyers and other types of customers, by automatically organising and categorizing different products available to certain audiences and display the right information accordingly. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a standardized catalogue management process, expanding your business with new product lines or sub-brands can be a challenge, and you\u2019ll be spending all your time and effort manually organising products for different audiences and sales channels. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: implement a PIM system<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Using a product information management (PIM) system will streamline your product catalogue and standardize data to suppliers. It organises product data into one centralised space, eliminating a chaotic hub of information. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the PIM system quickly uploads your information across all sales channels, allowing it to be easily accessible across different audiences. A PIM system is a powerful tool that can integrate with other inventory management solutions,, which can enhance your tech stack and streamline product data and information all in one place. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Inaccurate product tags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Product tags<\/span><\/a> used on a store\u2019s website help identify the product by type so it can easily be searched for and found on your online store. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also helps with internal efforts, such as tracking inventory at the SKU level across channels and in distribution centres<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With improper catalogue management, product tags will be inaccurate, causing internal inefficiencies and displaying the wrong information for customers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: create a product tagging system<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Most of the major ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, allow you to tag products as you add them to your online store. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all of your tags in one centralised location, it streamlines the process of updating your online catalogues. This allows your customers to easily browse and find the properly tagged items, and enables better inventory control<\/a>, so you can enhance logistics operations<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Poor SKU reorder points and management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Having poor SKU management<\/a><\/span>can lead to a number of inventory issues that go beyond product cataloging, such as stockouts<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without easily tracking inventory by SKU number, it makes it difficult to track which items need to be reordered, where to store certain items based on demand, and ensuring the information displayed online is accurate across channels.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution: automate reorder point notifications and management<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For each product you sell, you should pay attention to real-time inventory counts and set up notifications that alert you when they fall below a certain threshold so you don\u2019t risk you running out of stock. With this easy process, you never have to worry about running out of your most high-demand products<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipBob\u2019s built-in inventory management tools allow you to access inventory data to decide on the best time to reorder more inventory and create <\/span>reorder points <\/span><\/a>that notify you when SKUs have reached their predetermined low levels. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cShipBob\u2019s analytics tool is also really cool. It helps us a lot with planning inventory reorders, seeing when SKUs are going to run out, and we can even set up email notifications so that we\u2019re alerted when a SKU has less than a certain quantity left. There is a lot of value in their technology.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oded Harth, CEO & Co-Founder of MDacne<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Tips to improve your ecommerce catalogue management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Want to improve catalogue management and spend less time on logistics-related tasks?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipBob\u2019s best-in-class fulfilment services and technology help you optimise your supply chain while spending less time and energy on managing inventory, organising storage, and shipping orders. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Personalise your product catalogues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Different types of products require different details and information. <\/span>By personalising your product catalogues across your online store and multiple sales platforms, you\u2019re able to display the right information, even for different audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, apparel sales are based on different colour options, sizing and fit, and where the item is manufactured. But lighting products need specifics on installation, brightness, and different use cases. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipBob makes it easy for you to add, update, and remove SKUs all from a single dashboard using the Product Details page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also optimise fulfilment by setting packaging preference for each SKU, set a default action for returns<\/a>, and even add customs<\/a> information for international shipping<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe roll out new products and designs on our website 1-3 times a month and send new inventory to ShipBob each week. It\u2019s really easy to create new SKUs and restock existing ones using ShipBob\u2019s technology, which is especially important with high inventory turnover.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carl Protsch, Co-Founder of FLEO<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

2. Implement a warehouse management system<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A <\/span>warehouse management system<\/span><\/a> (or WMS) aggregates inventory data and provides supply chain visibility within a fulfilment centre. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A WMS is essential especially as you expand into multiple fulfilment centres<\/a>. If you partner with a third-party logistics (3PL<\/a>) provide like ShipBob, their WMS allows you to:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n