Key Benefits of Data Separation

Flexibility

Separating data into different components allows for greater flexibility in managing each aspect of the product. For example, you can update prices, media, or promotions independently without affecting the core product data.

This allows merchandisers to run time-sensitive promotions or updates without needing to reconfigure the entire catalog or risk data errors. Imagine a scenario where a new bundle promotion needs to be added for a holiday sale.
Separating the pricing from the product allows for this without duplicating or altering the product itself.

Scalability

As your product catalog grows, having data separated into manageable components makes it easier to scale. Each component can be updated or expanded independently. You can add new products, update attributes, or introduce variations without affecting existing catalogs or pricing. This separation ensures that the catalog remains flexible and can handle an ever-expanding range of products without requiring duplicative work.

Consistency

Standardizing data through templates and centralized management ensures consistency across your product catalog. This reduces errors and improves the quality of product information.

Adaptability

Separating data makes it easier to adapt to changing business needs so you can quickly adapt to new strategies or market conditions. Whether it's launching a new pricing strategy, entering a new geographic market, or running a short-term promotion, the ability to change pricing or hierarchy associations without touching the core product data allows for rapid, agile responses to business needs. This means a retailer could easily switch between seasonal collections or offer different pricing models (like subscription or member discounts) without needing to duplicate products.

	The decoupling of product data allows for incredible flexibility when managing your product catalog, as products can be associated with multiple hierarchies, price books and catalogs, while product data remains intact as a singles source. This separation is particularly advantageous for businesses that need to manage complex catalogs, sell in multiple regions, or run diverse pricing strategies.

Applied Example

Consider LuxeSkincare’s HydraGlow Moisturizer that is sold worldwide but comes in three sizes: 50ml, 100ml, and 200ml. The core product data—attributes like ingredient lists, product descriptions, and high-resolution images—is stored centrally and is consistent across all markets. However, the pricing and catalog placement for this product varies based on market conditions and legal regulations.

What happens if data is not separated?

If LuxeSkincare did not separate its product data from pricing, hierarchies, and catalog structures, it would need to duplicate the HydraGlow Moisturizer product for every market and size variation. This would lead to the following problems:

• Duplication Errors: If products are duplicated, updates like ingredient changes or packaging adjustments must be made individually, risking inconsistencies and outdated information across versions.
• Inefficient Management: Maintaining separate product versions for different prices, discounts, or promotions creates a bloated catalog, increasing the workload for merchandisers and complicating management.
• Slow Market Adaptation: Adapting pricing or product placements becomes slow and labor-intensive, as changes must be applied manually to each product version, leading to missed sales opportunities in fast-moving markets.