With omni channel retailing & online shopping becoming the norm today, companies struggle to collect reliable, up-to-date information on thousands of consumer products that are being sold in the market. Accurate product information is essential for businesses like — merchandising ordering, supplier receipts, planograming, FIFO management, stock monitoring, new product introductions, promotions, etc.
Hence, there is a need to maintain detailed product information to successfully run retail operations.
GS1 India, a standards body set up by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, along with apex bodies had launched a platform called DataKart.
What is Datakart?
It is a product data repository, which has been created based on Industry and consumer requirements. It is the single source of reliable, up-to-date, complete & accurate information on the products sold through retailers and through online shopping portals.
Effects on Retail Sector
The Retail sector incredibly gets profit through better fill rates, on-rack item obtainability, lesser bad fits between purchase requests and supply receipts, quick product listings, new product introduction, better visual selling on retail shelves and resulting higher sales. These have been the real difficulties for this sector, which DataKart solves.
Functions — Brand & Consumer Benefit:
DataKart also enables brand owners to efficiently assign and manage barcode numbers (GTINs-EAN/UPC), besides generating barcode images following GS1 standards.
DataKart provides foundational data for several B2B, B2G, B2C requirements, which include faster product listing, optimised planogramming, efficient trucking and warehouse management, product recall alert, compliance with statutory labelling/marking guidelines, license/certificate validation, and need for additional product information to enable consumers (through Smart Consumer mobile app) make informed purchase decision.
Brand owners/manufacturers upload their product data directly into DataKart, which is accessed by multiple retailers/e-tailers for managing their product item masters.
Note- EAN (European Article Number) and UPC (Universal Product Codes)
