Today is a big day for clothing sellers on marketplaces, both eBay and Amazon clothing attribute mandates kick in today. This means for new and revised listings, if you’ve not updated your attributes then you won’t be able to list.
Amazon clothing attribute mandates
Amazon is standardising clothing sizes which they say will improve the overall customer shopping experience through ‘ingestion of consistent and accurate data’. Previously, merchants used free text to provide clothing sizing information. Going forward, this will be replaced with size attributes, such as body type and height type, which will only allow you to select values from a standardised list.
From today, the 22nd of February 2021, you will be required to use these standardised size attributes when creating new listings and updating existing listings.
“Previously, sellers used free-form text to provide apparel sizing information. Now, you must select values from a standardized list for size attributes like apparel size, body type, and height type for DRESS, SWEATER, BLAZER, SWEATSHIRT, COAT, VEST, ROBE, TIGHTS, KURTA, TUNIC, TRACK_SUIT, PAJAMAS, SOCKS, UNDERPANTS, SUIT, and SALWAR_SUIT_SET. These attributes will enhance the customer experience when browsing and viewing your products by displaying standardized and consistent size values.”
– Amazon
More information here.
eBay clothing attribute mandates
From today, the 22nd of February 2021, there are new eBay item specifics requirements in six categories for all new and revised listings. If you sell in the relevant categories then you can download the Excel files below to check exactly what will be needed.
As is always the case, there are two approaches, you can either start the work today and be prepared for when the 22nd of February comes around, or you can do nothing and deal with issues when the arrive after this date. Leaving until you’re forced to act will of course mean that you won’t be able to perform basic tasks such as updating inventory when new stock arrives until you also update item specifics.
On eBay, it’s not just clothing attributes that are impacted, there are five categories where you’ll need to update listings:
Fashion item specifics (Open xls)
Home and Garden item specifics (Open xls)
Business & Industrial item specifics (Open xls)
Sporting Goods item specifics (Open xls)
Musical Instruments item specifics (Open xls)
Health & Beauty item specifics (Open xls)
