What is a marketplace integrator and what should it do?

Integrator, feed tool, plug-in and connector: the difference

The difference lies in direction and in the number of channels. An integrator works both ways and across several marketplaces at once. The others usually do only part of that.

The cells describe the usual split between these kinds of tools, not a judgement on a specific product. Always check what a tool really does.

Why do so many retail marketplaces run on Mirakl?

Mirakl is software that lets retailers, distributors and manufacturers set up their own marketplace and onboard third-party sellers ¹. Each retailer gets its own seller back office, but the way of working is the same. That means an integrator that knows Mirakl can serve many marketplaces in one go. Which ones that covers at StoreLinkr is on the Mirakl marketplaces page, including MediaMarkt, Decathlon, Douglas, Conrad and Leroy Merlin.

What an integrator handles, item by item

• Offers by EAN. On an existing marketplace catalog you offer a product based on its EAN. Products without an EAN cannot take part. On StoreLinkr's Mirakl marketplaces that is the case: products without an EAN are skipped and there are no categories or attributes to map.
• Category mapping. Where a marketplace asks for categories, you convert yours to the marketplace's. A good integrator flags what is not mapped yet.
• Stock. One stock that goes to every channel, so a sale on one channel is reflected on the others straight away. Read more on preventing overselling.
• Prices. Its own price or price rule per marketplace, for example a surcharge for the commission, and possibly a promotional price.
• Orders. Orders move from the marketplace into your webshop or ERP. On some marketplaces you must accept an order quickly or it expires.
• Tracking. Carrier and tracking code go back to the marketplace. See automate marketplace orders for the whole flow.
• Returns. Marketplaces have their own return rules and processes. Ask each tool what happens automatically and what you handle yourself in the seller back office.

A checklist for choosing and what StoreLinkr does

Ask an integrator these questions before you choose:

1. Which marketplaces are supported, and are yours among them?
2. Does it work both ways: offers and stock out, orders and tracking back?
3. How does a product get onto the marketplace: by EAN, by categories or both, and what happens to products that do not qualify?
4. Can I set my own product selection and price per marketplace?
5. How fast does stock reach the channels, and does one stock remain for all channels?
6. Are orders accepted in time and does the tracking code go back?
7. How do I see what goes wrong, for example rejected offers or unmapped categories?
8. What does it cost, and can I try first?
9. What does it not do, for example with returns? Have that stated explicitly.

What StoreLinkr does. StoreLinkr is a marketplace integrator for bol, Kaufland, eBay, Allegro and the Mirakl marketplaces. Each marketplace is its own sales channel whose connection you test before saving. You map categories (a main category also covers its subcategories), use selections and export filters to decide which products go where, and follow the status of each offer. Orders come in automatically, stock is updated and the tracking code goes back to the marketplace. You can start free without a credit card. Returns are not listed as a feature on the integrator page, so ask about them in a demo if they matter to you.

To publish the same products at different prices in several shops, read webshops and marketplaces. To connect your webshop itself to suppliers, POS and ERP, read connect your webshop.

Frequently asked questions