Who Should Manage a Large Ecommerce Product Catalogue?

A large ecommerce catalogue is not simply a collection of product pages. It is a live operational system connecting suppliers, stock control, pricing, merchandising, website navigation, search, advertising and customer service.

When that system is well managed, new products can be launched quickly, customers can find what they need and advertising platforms receive accurate information. When it is poorly managed, products remain offline, specifications become inconsistent, Google Shopping listings are rejected and ecommerce staff spend their time correcting preventable errors.

This is why catalogue management becomes a dedicated business function as an online store grows. Many online stores with a turnover of €2m+ have a dedicated product manager. Some stores are still not profitable enough to afford the extra expense (c. €65k in Dublin) without realising how vital in nature this role will become for future growth.

It Is Not Realistic for One Person to Run an Entire Ecommerce Operation

Many independent retailers expect one ecommerce manager to manage:

• Website trading

• Product uploads

• Product research

• SEO

• Google Ads

• Email marketing

• Promotions

• Social media

• Customer service

• Reporting

• Website development

• Stock issues

• Supplier communication

• Marketplace listings

• Conversion improvements

• New technology and integrations

In smaller businesses, one person may initially handle several of these areas. However, this becomes increasingly difficult as the business, catalogue and online turnover grow.

The problem is not the ability of the ecommerce manager. It is the volume and variety of work involved.

At an average of just ten minutes per product, initially preparing 1,000 products for upload would require approximately 167 hours. In reality, an accurate product listing may also require manufacturer research, image sourcing, image cropping, specification checking, categorisation, search optimisation and quality control.

That is before the ecommerce manager has planned online merchandising, a promotion, reviewed sales, prepared an email campaign, checked advertising performance or dealt with a website issue.

A single person may temporarily keep all of this moving by working longer hours and reacting to the most urgent problem. That does not make it a sustainable operating model.

Dedicated Ecommerce Product Manager

High-Turnover Stores Need Dedicated Catalogue Ownership

As turnover grows, the catalogue becomes more commercially important.

A missing product is no longer a minor administrative issue. It can prevent a promotion from launching, reduce the size of an advertising campaign or send a customer to a competitor.

An inaccurate specification can cause a return or customer complaint. An incorrect barcode can prevent a product from appearing in Google Shopping. A badly structured variant can create stock discrepancies. Missing attributes can make filters ineffective and leave customers unable to narrow a large product range.

High-turnover ecommerce stores therefore need one of the following:

• A dedicated catalogue manager

• An ecommerce product manager with catalogue support

• A trained internal product team

• A specialist ecommerce company managing part or all of the catalogue process

• A combination of internal ownership, specialist support and automation

The catalogue manager does not necessarily need to decide the overall ecommerce strategy. Their responsibility is to make sure that products are complete, accurate, structured and ready to sell.

What Does a Catalogue Manager Do?

Catalogue management includes much more than uploading a title, price and image.

A catalogue manager may be responsible for:

• Receiving new-product information from buyers and suppliers

• Comparing the stock system with the online catalogue

• Identifying products that are missing from the website

• Researching official manufacturer information

• Standardising product titles

• Checking SKUs, barcodes and model numbers

• Assigning product categories

• Creating and maintaining product attributes

• Managing parent products and variants

• Writing or coordinating product descriptions

• Preparing SEO titles and meta descriptions

• Sourcing and checking authorised product images

• Managing discontinued and replacement models

• Correcting duplicate products

• Checking Google Merchant Center requirements

• Preparing files for bulk import

• Approving products before publication

• Documenting catalogue standards

• Monitoring overall catalogue quality

This is a specialised role involving ecommerce, data management, merchandising, SEO and retail operations. At Tivoli Media, we offer ecommerce catalogue management from as little as €350 per month for small retailers and from €1200 per month for large retailers or department stores cutting traditional costs by up to 80%!

The Best Structure Combines Internal and External Expertise

Catalogue management should not be entirely disconnected from the retailer.

An internal ecommerce or buying team still needs to decide:

• Which products are commercially important

• Which ranges should be launched first

• Which suppliers are approved

• How products should be priced

• Which discontinued products have replacements

• What customers commonly ask about each category

• Which features are most important to purchasing decisions

A specialist ecommerce company can then provide the resources and technical knowledge required to turn that information into a usable catalogue.

The most effective structure is often:

1. An internal owner sets commercial priorities.

2. A catalogue specialist prepares, enriches and checks the product data.

3. The ERP, EPOS or stock system supplies agreed operational information.

4. Automated processes transfer approved information between systems.

5. The ecommerce manager focuses on trading, performance and growth.

This prevents the ecommerce manager from becoming the person who must personally research and upload every product before anything else can happen.

Decide Which System Controls Each Field

Retailers often refer to having one source of truth. In practice, different systems may be responsible for different types of information.

For example:

• The EPOS or ERP system may control SKU, stock, cost and selling price.

• Shopify may control customer-facing titles, descriptions and SEO content.

• A supplier feed may provide technical specifications.

• A Product Information Management system may store attributes, documents and images.

• Google Merchant Center may require additional advertising fields.

The important step is defining which system has authority over each field.

If a price changes in the ERP system, should it automatically update Shopify? If a description is improved in Shopify, could the next supplier import overwrite it? If a product has two supplier records, which one should be retained?

Automation should only be introduced after these rules are agreed. Automating an unclear process will usually create incorrect data more quickly.

Audit the Catalogue Before Adding More Products

Before improving a large catalogue, export the existing data and establish its current condition.

The initial audit should identify:

• Products with missing or duplicate SKUs

• Duplicate GTINs or barcodes

• Inconsistent brand names

• Missing manufacturer model numbers

• Products without images

• Products with inaccurate or very short descriptions

• Products assigned to the wrong category

• Missing SEO titles and meta descriptions

• Inconsistent product types and tags

• Products without important specifications

• Out-of-stock products that may be discontinued

• Draft products that were never completed

• Products in the stock system that are missing online

• Products online that no longer exist in the stock system

The audit should also compare systems. Looking only at Shopify will not reveal the products that have never reached Shopify.

Do not try to correct the entire catalogue at once. Divide it into manageable groups based on category, brand, supplier or commercial value.

A retailer might begin with its highest-performing appliances, the products currently being advertised or the ranges required for an upcoming promotion. This allows the new structure to be tested before it is applied across thousands of products.

Understand How Products and Variants Are Structured

One of the most common catalogue problems appears when information moves from an ERP or EPOS system into Shopify.

The stock system may treat every colour, size or configuration as a separate product. Shopify may need these records grouped as variants under one parent product.

Before importing products, establish:

• Which records are individual products

• Which records are variants

• Which options customers should select

• Which products should have separate URLs

• Which products should be visually connected

• How stock will be tracked at variant level

• How orders will return to the ERP or EPOS system

This becomes particularly important for clothing, furniture, flooring, paint, bundles, configurable products and products sold in fixed case quantities.

Incorrect grouping can create an unmanageable number of product pages. Over-grouping can create confusing products with too many options. The structure needs to reflect how customers shop while preserving accurate SKU-level stock control.

Standardise Product Names and Identifiers

Every large catalogue needs written naming rules.

For branded retail products, a consistent title structure might be:

Brand + Product Type + Important Specification + Model Number

For example:

Beko 8kg 1400rpm Washing Machine | BM3WT3841W

The exact structure can vary by category, but it should remain consistent within that category.

Product titles should explain what the product is without becoming overloaded with every available specification. Temporary promotional wording should normally be kept outside the permanent title.

Product identifiers must be managed separately from customer-facing copy:

• SKU: The retailer’s internal stock identifier

• GTIN or barcode: The recognised product identifier

• MPN: The manufacturer’s product or model number

• Brand: The correct manufacturer or brand name

• Handle: The Shopify URL identifier

A GTIN uniquely identifies a particular product and should never be invented to fill an empty field. GS1 Ireland explains how GTINs identify products.

Google uses identifiers including GTINs, manufacturer part numbers and brand names to understand and match products. Missing or conflicting information can affect product approval and visibility. Google’s product data specification explains the current requirements.

Build the Category and Attribute Structure

Retailers often attempt to improve website filters before correcting the underlying product data.

Start with a clear category structure. Decide how customers naturally shop the range and where each product belongs.

The next step is to define the attributes required for each category.

A washing machine may require:

• Load capacity

• Maximum spin speed

• Energy rating

• Colour

• Installation type

• Dimensions

• Warranty

A television may require:

• Screen size

• Display technology

• Resolution

• Smart platform

• HDR formats

• HDMI connections

• Refresh rate

These specifications should be stored in structured fields rather than appearing only inside the description.

Shopify’s Standard Product Taxonomy provides predefined product categories and category-specific attributes. Shopify explains that category metafields can help make products more discoverable on the website, marketplaces and search engines. Read Shopify’s category-metafield guidance.

Retailers can also create custom metafields for information specific to their own products and customers.

Separate Verified Facts From Marketing Content

A well-managed catalogue should distinguish between factual information and customer-facing content.

The factual layer includes:

• Brand

• Model

• GTIN

• Dimensions

• Capacity

• Materials

• Energy rating

• Technical features

• Compatibility

• Warranty

• Box contents

The content layer includes:

• Product title

• Short description

• Enhanced description

• Key selling points

• SEO title

• Meta description

• Image alt text

This separation makes information easier to maintain and reuse.

A technical specification can be updated once without rewriting the entire product description. The same verified facts can support filters, comparison tools, Google Shopping, advertising and marketplace listings.

Information should be checked against reliable sources such as:

• The manufacturer’s official website

• Official technical documentation

• Approved supplier files

• Verified product data supplied directly by the brand

AI can assist with structuring and formatting information. It should not be allowed to invent specifications, model features, compatibility claims or warranty details.

Prioritise by Commercial Value

A catalogue containing 5,000 products does not require every product to receive the same level of attention immediately.

A practical priority order is:

1. High-revenue products

2. Products receiving significant website traffic

3. Products currently included in advertising

4. Products with strong stock availability

5. Important new releases

6. High-margin products

7. Products required for upcoming promotions

8. Remaining active products

9. Discontinued and long-term out-of-stock products

This approach improves the section of the catalogue most likely to produce a return.

It also prevents the team from spending hours perfecting low-value products while important products remain missing or incomplete.

Use Controlled Bulk Updates

Managing a large catalogue one product at a time is rarely sustainable. Bulk imports, spreadsheets, supplier feeds and integrations will usually be required.

Shopify supports bulk product imports and exports using CSV files. Product categories and defined metafields can also be managed through CSV. Shopify provides its current CSV guidance here.

Before running a significant update:

• Export a complete backup.

• Test the process with a small batch.

• Confirm how existing products will be matched.

• Include only the fields that should change.

• Check variant rows carefully.

• Review image URLs and image order.

• Use draft status where appropriate.

• Check the finished products on desktop and mobile.

• Confirm that stock and pricing integrations still work.

• Keep a record of the changes made.

Shopify can overwrite existing information when imported handles match. A badly structured file can therefore create duplicates or replace information unintentionally.

For large updates, process the catalogue in labelled batches and maintain a change log recording what was changed, when and by whom.

Build a Proper New-Product Intake Process

A cleaned catalogue will quickly become disorganised again if every new product arrives through a different process.

Create a standard product-onboarding template containing the required information.

Every new product should normally include:

• SKU

• Barcode or GTIN

• Manufacturer model number

• Brand

• Product title

• Product category

• Product type

• Price and cost

• Tax status

• Weight

• Stock source

• Images

• Short description

• Enhanced description

• Category-specific specifications

• SEO title

• Meta description

• Image alt text

• Product status

• Launch or publication date

The product should then move through defined stages:

Received → Researched → Prepared → Checked → Approved → Published

Someone must own final approval. Without clear ownership, unfinished products are often published because everyone assumes someone else checked them.

Prepare Products for Every Important Sales Channel

Product data should not be prepared exclusively for the website.

Google Merchant Center, social catalogues, marketplaces and comparison platforms may each require additional information.

Important fields may include:

• GTIN

• Brand

• MPN

• Google product category

• Condition

• Availability

• Shipping weight

• Colour

• Size

• Material

• Age group

• Item group ID

Google advises retailers to provide accurate titles, descriptions, prices, identifiers and landing-page information. Inconsistent or incomplete data can contribute to reduced visibility or product disapprovals. Google provides product-data optimisation guidance here.

Preparing these fields as part of the master product record is more efficient than attempting to repair the advertising feed later.

Know When a PIM System Is Required

Shopify, an ERP system and a well-structured spreadsheet may be sufficient for some retailers.

A dedicated Product Information Management system becomes worth considering when:

• Products are sold through several channels

• Multiple suppliers provide data in different formats

• Several team members edit product information

• The retailer operates across multiple languages or markets

• Products have complex technical specifications

• Images and documents require approval

• Information changes frequently

• The same data must feed websites, marketplaces, catalogues and trade portals

A PIM system centralises and harmonises product information, but it does not automatically repair poor data. The retailer still needs clear naming rules, categories, attributes and ownership.

The technology becomes valuable when it supports an agreed catalogue process.

Integrate Systems to Remove Repetitive Work

For high-turnover retailers, the biggest operational saving often comes from connecting Shopify to the systems already controlling stock, pricing and orders.

Useful integrations may include:

• ERP to Shopify product transfer

• EPOS stock updates

• Shopify orders returning to the accounts or stock system

• Supplier-feed processing

• Automated price updates

• Product staging for approval

• Image and document management

• Marketplace and Google Shopping feeds

The goal is not to automate every decision. The goal is to remove repetitive re-entry while maintaining checks around information that affects customers.

Stock and pricing may be automated. Product descriptions, product grouping and uncertain supplier data may still require review.

Maintain the Catalogue After the Initial Cleanup

Catalogue management is an ongoing retail function rather than a one-time project.

A monthly catalogue review should cover:

• Newly added products awaiting completion

• Products missing required fields

• Duplicate SKUs and barcodes

• Broken or missing images

• Products without category assignments

• Merchant Center warnings and disapprovals

• Long-term out-of-stock products

• Discontinued products requiring redirects

• Incorrect collection assignments

• Stock-system products missing from Shopify

• High-traffic products with weak content

When products are discontinued, avoid deleting URLs without considering their search value, backlinks and replacement products.

Where a suitable alternative exists, the old page can be redirected. In other situations, retaining a useful discontinued-product page may serve customers better than immediately removing it.

When Should a Retailer Bring in Specialist Catalogue Support?

External catalogue support is particularly valuable when:

• Hundreds of active products are missing online

• The internal ecommerce team cannot keep up with new ranges

• A platform migration is planned

• The ERP and Shopify structure do not match

• Product information is spread across several supplier files

• Google Merchant Center contains extensive product errors

• The website requires new filters and metafields

• A large backlog must be cleared

• A new marketplace or B2B channel is being launched

• The retailer needs a repeatable process but does not need another full-time employee

A specialist company can provide the temporary capacity needed for a cleanup or migration. It can also provide ongoing support for research, enrichment, bulk preparation and quality control.

The retailer retains commercial control while the specialist handles the time-consuming product work that prevents the ecommerce manager from focusing on revenue.

Large Catalogue Management Is a Business Function

Successful catalogue management begins with clear decisions about ownership, structure and product standards.

Once those foundations are in place, bulk imports, integrations and AI can reduce repetitive work. Without them, each additional tool creates another place for product information to become inconsistent.

For a high-turnover ecommerce store, the catalogue directly affects sales, advertising, conversion, customer service and internal efficiency. It cannot remain an occasional administrative task completed whenever the ecommerce manager finds spare time.

The business needs a named catalogue owner, the right technical systems and sufficient specialist support.

If your stock system contains hundreds of products that are missing, incomplete or incorrectly structured online, Tivoli Media can help audit the catalogue, identify the highest-priority gaps and build a manageable process for preparing, checking and publishing products at scale. GET IN TOUCH TODAY