Marketplace
The ideal data structure for Zalando
Centralise, normalise, automate: the feed structure and master-file attributes that get a catalog approved without a back-and-forth.
Read the article →Service · Marketplace
Zalando is the most demanding marketplace on data. I treat it that way.
A good product isn't enough on Zalando: you need an impeccable data structure. The main reason most merchants fail their first upload isn't the product. It's the data structure. That's what I handle: centralizing, normalizing and automating the feed before it becomes a problem.
Why catalogs get blocked
The technical traps that cost merchants weeks are almost always the same ones:
- Wrong size mapping between the manufacturer's scale and Zalando's scale, which differs by market.
- Image quality control: non-compliant backgrounds, wrong order (model, detail, back, outfit).
- Duplicate or missing EAN/GTIN: the unique code without which the product isn't accepted.
- Missing mandatory attributes: color and pattern, material composition, merchant SKU.
The attributes I handle
GTIN / EAN
Merchant SKU
Color & Pattern
Size mapping by market
Material composition (e.g. 95% Cotton, 5% Elastane)
Image order (model, detail, back, outfit)
The three upload channels
zDirect
Zalando's native portal, useful for monitoring performance independently on smaller catalogs.
Third-party integrators
Channable, Lengow, Tradebyte, ConnectWise: the right choice for catalogs with thousands of SKUs, with dynamic field mapping, exclusion rules (e.g. below minimum stock) and real-time automatic price and availability updates.
Direct API
For companies with a structured IT department that want maximum control over the integration.
The method
Centralize, normalize, automate. First I bring your inventory data (often scattered across your ERP, Shopify and spreadsheets) into a single structured source; then I map it to Zalando's required standards; finally I build the automatic update rules (price, stock, promotions) so the catalog stays correct without ongoing manual work.
The concrete goal is cutting catalog blocking time from weeks or months down to a few days.