E-Commerce

Clean product data as a basis for scalable e-commerce

How we made Zooplus' e-commerce even more efficient with a new PIM system

In 20 years of e-commerce, Zooplus has become the European market leader for pet supplies and is the German online shop with the highest turnover in this segment. In order to be able to scale its own business model in a future-proof manner, the company depends on harmonized product data. With this goal in mind, we have successfully introduced Zooplus to a modern PIM system and thus created the basis for efficient & scalable e-commerce.

An unstable foundation for outstanding e-commerce know-how

Zooplus is the only Europe-wide online retailer for pet supplies and positions itself primarily with the unique selling points of price attractiveness, wide selection and high delivery quality. Despite market leadership, Zooplus was not yet ready to implement new trends such as vertical brands, omnichannel or multiple touchpoints (online and offline) in 2019. The reason for this: A missing, central product base. Etribes was brought in to start at this stage and implement a new PIM system.

Data fragmentation and inefficiencies
Before introducing the PIM system, Zooplus was confronted with fragmented and inconsistent product information. Typical sources of error included, for example, the parallel use of data systems, department-specific data silos or even external and sometimes barely tested data sources or partner integrations. This led to increased manual review processes in every step, i.e. increased operational workload for employees.

Manual & error-prone processes
Before implementing the PIM system, Zooplus statically managed its 40 online shops active in various markets. Meaning: When launching a new shop, an existing page was copied and adapted to its specifics in each country. The product data did not provide any support. By automating these processes with the PIM system, Zooplus can increase efficiency, shorten time-to-market and improve data quality.
‍‍
Lack of flexibility when scaling
Prior to integrating the PIM system, Zooplus was struggling to keep pace with the growth and expansion of its product offering. Manual and hard-to-scale systems have made it difficult to present new products efficiently on various channels. In particular, this hampered opportunities in omnichannel and multi-touchpoint communication.

‍

“Even if you think you have the necessary expertise, you should get it from external consultants like Etribes. In this case, it was important to bring the various people and experiences together to help us develop a vision and strategy.”

Alexander Ott

This is how inventory data is automatically enriched in the new PIM

Importing inventory data from various systems

The first step is to import product information from various data sources. This is usually ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and/or CRM (Customer Relationship Management). But external sources such as supplier catalogs or product feeds, which are often maintained in SQL databases or classic Excel lists, are also possible. The data is recorded in a structured manner and loaded into the PIM system.

Data consolidation and cleansing

After the import, the data is consolidated and cleaned in the PIM system. This means that duplicates are removed, missing information is added and inconsistencies are resolved. The aim is to obtain high-quality and consistent product information that is ready for the next step. At this point, it is recommended to have the data assessed by an external party that does not belong to any existing department or project of the company and can therefore proceed as objectively as possible.

Data enrichment and management

The third step is to enrich and manage product information. Additional data such as descriptions, images, technical specifications, prices, packaging information, and more is added here. The PIM system offers functions for the structured collection, organization and maintenance of data. Rules and workflows can be defined to ensure data quality. In order to reduce costs, it often makes sense to use image databases from suppliers, for example.

Distribution of data

In the last step, the product information is removed from the PIM system
distributed for various sales channels and distribution media. This could include e-commerce websites, online marketplaces, printed catalogs, mobile apps, and other channels. The PIM system makes it possible to select and compile relevant information for each channel and ensures that the data is published efficiently.

Our project highlights

cooperation

In daily routines, our Etribes incubation teams worked with the core team from Zooplus. Within this framework, some of our most experienced employees were closely involved in internal and operational processes in order to actively support the development and implementation of new digital structures and to enable the Zooplus team to achieve independent digital success.

Partner selection

We have involved our network in the project. On the one hand, this was the digital talent from our Etribes Entrepreneur and Expert Network. And on the other hand, these were our strong technology partners such as Riversand, whose software solutions we worked with at Zooplus.

Project setup

We carried out the project in the midst of the pandemic situation. Means: Together, we had to find a good mode for working efficiently. For example, we met regularly with all stakeholders at Zooplus HQ in Munich and handled the times in between completely remotely.