Tools and providers
Part of Before you sign a shopping feed contract, check these tools and providers
Why a shopping feeds supplier comparison needs a written brief
How to run a shopping feeds supplier comparison properly: define the workflow, price the full contract term and test data handling before you shortlist.
What to take away
- Google's Issue Details page groups feed problems by severity and links each one to a fix. Ask suppliers how their tooling handles that workflow (Google Merchant Centre Help, accessed September 2026).
- Compare suppliers on the work they remove, not the feature count. Feed mapping, error triage and order routing consume the most retailer time.
- Price the whole contract term, including migration, data storage and the cost of leaving. A cheap monthly fee with a two-year lock-in is not cheap.
- Data handling is a procurement question, not a legal afterthought. Ask where catalogue and customer data sit, and who can access it.
Start with the workflow
A supplier comparison only works once you have written down what the feed operation does each week. List the inputs (product data, stock levels, pricing) and the outputs (merchant centre submissions, marketplace listings).
Feed operation workflow
- Inputs: product data, stock levels, pricing
- Outputs: merchant centre submissions, marketplace listings
- Mark manual steps today
- Manual list becomes scoring sheet
Then mark which steps are manual today. That list becomes your scoring sheet. Two suppliers can look identical on a features page while differing sharply on how much of that manual work they absorb.
Our shopping feeds tools and supplier guide for 2027 sets out the wider category if you need market context before shortlisting.
Four comparison axes
Most buying decisions come down to four things.
Four comparison axes
- Feed managementattribute mapping, category changes
- Error handlingmatch Google Issue Details severity
- Channel coveragenative, connector, custom work
- Commercialsfee, setup, per-SKU, term, exit
Feed management: how are product attributes mapped, and what happens when a category changes? Ask for a demonstration using your own file, not a sample catalogue.
Error handling: Google's Issue Details page sorts problems by severity and points to the affected items. That is the standard your supplier's alerting should meet or beat.
Channel coverage: which destinations are native, which need a connector, and which need custom work billed separately?
Commercials: monthly fee, setup fee, per-SKU charges, contract length and exit terms. Get all five in writing.
Where the Content API fits
If you run a large or fast-changing catalogue, ask whether the supplier uses the Content API for Shopping rather than manual uploads. The Content API for Shopping quickstart covers the accounts, data sources and product inputs the API expects, which shows how much preparation sits with you rather than the vendor.
A supplier that cannot explain its API approach will bill you for every change.
Data protection questions
Feed tools touch product data, and often customer data through order routing. Under UK GDPR you need a lawful basis before processing personal data for direct marketing. The ICO's guidance on choosing a lawful basis explains how consent and legitimate interests differ in practice.
Put that question to suppliers directly. Ask where data is stored, how long it is kept, what happens on termination, and whether they act as processor or controller. Vague answers are a scoring penalty.
Before and after the shortlist
Weak approach
- Brief
- Feature wishlist
- Demo
- Vendor's sample data
- Pricing
- Monthly fee only
- Data
- Ignored until contracting
- Decision
- Single quote accepted
Strong approach
- Brief
- Written workflow and scoring sheet
- Demo
- Your catalogue, your errors
- Pricing
- Full term cost including exit
- Data
- Storage, retention and role agreed
- Decision
- Two or three scored against the same brief
Running the scoring
Score each supplier against the same brief on the same day. Weight the criteria before you see the demos, or the most polished presentation wins by default.
Keep a written record of what each supplier promised, including anything said verbally. That record is what you check against at renewal.
If your team is still deciding what the tool must do, work through shopping feeds software selection in England first, then return to the shortlist.
Common questions
How many suppliers should we compare?
Three is usually enough to expose differences in approach without turning procurement into a full-time job. Two makes it hard to judge whether a price is typical.
Should we pay for setup separately?
Treat setup as part of the total cost, not a one-off annoyance. A high setup fee with low monthly charges can still be cheaper over three years, so model both.
What kills a supplier comparison fastest?
Letting each vendor define the demo. Insist on the same brief, the same data and the same questions for every supplier, or the scores mean nothing.
Do we need a legal review before signing?
Yes, particularly on data processing, liability and exit terms. Ask your supplier to complete a security questionnaire before contracts are drafted, not after.
