Today, everyone is becoming more demanding regarding product data — from distributors to marketplaces and the brands themselves.
Here is what you need to know:
Standards are tightening
Data sharing rules (such as GS1 network standards) are becoming stricter. Formatting errors, missing fields, or inconsistencies are now visible and measured. In other words: your product data quality is under the spotlight.
Distributors are grading their suppliers
Major retailers like Carrefour are no longer just fixing errors after the fact: they track data quality via scorecards and require suppliers to improve their practices.
Marketplaces are clamping down
On Amazon, for instance, a “Listing Quality” dashboard highlights missing or incorrect data. Non-compliant listings can be temporarily hidden or removed.
Brands are discovering their weaknesses
Audits show that many brands are not yet fully leveraging all their products’ technical data. Blueprints, exploded views, detailed technical sheets, installation or maintenance information: these elements are often incomplete, scattered, or obsolete.
Yet, this data is now essential for distributors, installers, and end customers. When missing, products are poorly indexed, harder to compare, and less visible on B2B or B2C platforms.
These findings reveal a fundamental challenge: many companies have not yet implemented clear product data governance. Information flows between multiple departments or tools without global oversight, making updates difficult.
More and more brands understand that product data is becoming a genuine driver of sales and performance, just like customer service or technical quality.
Tools are getting smarter
New platforms continuously measure the “health” of product data (error rate, completeness, consistency, etc.) and offer category-based comparisons. This helps companies quickly target areas for improvement.
Europe is pushing for more transparency
With the upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP), manufacturers will have to share more information on product traceability and compliance. This will reinforce the need to use open and common standards.
Why it matters
Reliable and complete data means more visibility and more sales. On Amazon, a “high-quality” product listing can generate up to 21 times more conversions than an incomplete one.
What about tomorrow?
“Best practices” are becoming standard:
- Automatic data verification upon submission,
- Blocking of incomplete listings,
- Alerts for inconsistencies,
- Monthly quality monitoring.
In short: data is becoming a performance lever, and no longer just a technical constraint.
