PIMvendors helped a multinational caravan and camping accessories retailer build a global product data strategy across 8 countries, with two clear PIM scenarios and an ROI case exceeding €5 million.
Client Introduction
The client is a leading European retailer and wholesaler of caravan and camping accessories, operating across 8 countries with over 300,000 SKUs. Each country managed its own product data independently, using local ERPs, spreadsheets, and supplier feeds. There was no shared data model, no common process, and no single version of the truth.
The Challenge
Product data was created and maintained differently in every market. Attribute definitions, category structures, and quality standards varied per country. The same product from the same supplier could exist under different names, with different specs, in different systems.
This caused real problems. Cross-border assortment decisions were based on gut feel rather than data. Suppliers had to deliver product information multiple times in different formats. E-commerce teams spent significant time manually reworking content per channel and per country. And there was no reliable way to measure product data quality across the group.
The central team knew a Product Information Management (PIM) system was needed. But they faced a fundamental strategic question first. Should each country implement its own PIM locally, or should there be one global PIM for the entire group?
The Solution
PIMvendors was brought in to answer that question with a structured, evidence-based approach.
Global Product Data Strategy. We started by mapping the current state across all 8 markets. We documented how product data was sourced, created, enriched, and published in each country. We identified overlaps, gaps, and bottlenecks. From there, we defined a target state product data model that could serve all markets while respecting local needs like language, regulation, and channel requirements.
Aligned Product Data Process. Together with stakeholders from each country, we designed a unified product data process. This covered onboarding, enrichment, validation, translation, and publication. The process balanced global consistency with enough local flexibility to keep country teams effective. Roles and responsibilities were mapped clearly so every team knew what was expected.
Two PIM Scenarios with ROI Calculations. We developed two detailed scenarios for the client.
Scenario A, Local PIM per country. Each market selects and implements its own PIM. This approach offers faster local deployment and full autonomy per country, but limits data reuse, increases total cost of ownership, and makes cross-border collaboration harder.
Scenario B, One Global PIM. A single PIM platform serves all 8 countries from a shared data model. This requires more upfront alignment and a phased rollout, but enables product data reuse across markets, reduces duplicate effort, and creates a foundation for group-wide analytics and AI readiness.
For both scenarios, we built bottom-up ROI models covering license costs, implementation effort, FTE savings, time-to-market improvements, and revenue impact from better product content. The models were validated with local finance and operations teams.
The Results
The analysis showed a clear outcome. The global PIM scenario delivered an estimated ROI of over €5 million within three years, driven primarily by reduced duplication of effort, faster product launches across markets, and improved content quality leading to higher online conversion.
The local PIM scenario showed positive returns too, but at roughly 40% of the global scenario’s value, with significantly higher combined license and maintenance costs over time.
The client’s leadership team used the strategy, process design, and ROI comparison to secure board-level approval for a global PIM implementation. PIMvendors continues to support the vendor selection and implementation planning phase.
