Why? A database is an unwieldy beast that requires constant care and feeding. Few Web sites devote the necessary manpower. But the case of SKUfinder.com (www.skufinder. com) is different. Before I tell you why, let’s backtrack a bit and examine what the site is: a searchable database of more than 27ꯠ food, beverage, personal care, pet supplies and other consumer products. Each product, or stockkeeping unit (SKU), in the database contains up to 275 pieces of data, many of them packaging-related. For example, there may be not just one picture of the package, but a side, back or top view, too, and in multiple formats and resolutions. Further, each entry in the database contains all the package copy, including directions, nutrition facts, and anything else that’s on the label. Also included are case dimensions, case-specific UPC code, weight, count per case, count per inner tray or carton, tray dimensions, tray-specific UPC, etc. Its purpose is for retailers to learn about new products, download copy and images to print sale flyers (or display products for sale on e-commerce sites), create planograms, and much more. E-mail links to the manufacturers are also included for easy contact, along with UPC code and manufacturer’s SKU number. However, I think the site has a lot of value for consumer product manufacturers themselves. First, posting products (for a nominal charge) on the site is a good way to get new products in front of the eyes of retailers. Second, and perhaps more important, it’s a tremendous competitive research tool. Launching a new shampoo? Would you believe there are 538 shampoo SKUs whose packages and label copy you can see right now, right from your desktop? Which brings me back to why SKUfinder.com is different from most of the other searchable database sites on the Web, at least in packaging. The company behind SKUfinder.com is called 1-800-DATABASE, which has been building a centralized database of consumer products in a variety of categories since 1990. Most sites invest in technology first and collect the data second. To me, the priorities should be reversed. Although the site only launched in the last few weeks, it’s got 10 years’ worth of momentum behind it. And the company believes that most of the 27ꯠ SKUs on the site are current, not historical, products. That’s because the data is maintained by the companies themselves, who want to keep their products current so that retailers can view them. According to 1-800-DATABASE, Nabisco has designated two of its employees as SKU coordinators, updating information on the site almost daily; Nestlé USA has five, one for each of its divisions.
Searchable—and how The site permits searching by UPC number, manufacturer’s SKU number, brand name, category, description or keywords. Or you can browse by clicking on predefined categories and subcategories. When you click on an actual item, you are presented with a listing of which data items are present for that product, including images, product characteristics, planogram data, product selling copy, inventory data, nutritional data, ingredients and safety/usage/dosage/directions information. Searching the site is free. Downloading actual information or images costs money. The charge varies depending on how much data and the types of images you want to download. Subscriptions or site licenses (starting at $3귔/yr) are available for frequent users. As an example, I selected three products for downloading, and I chose every image (at a resolution of 300 dpi, though resolutions run as high as 600 dpi) and every piece of information available. The charge was $48.90. The images and text can be downloaded right onto your hard drive, or they can be put on a CD-ROM for an extra charge of $50. All major credit cards are accepted. Text content is available in three formats: plain text, Microsoft Excel or Access. Images are available in BMP, JPEG, TGA or TIFF formats. One interesting side note: Any manufacturer with products on the system may choose to “sponsor” its products on the site. Translation: The manufacturer picks up the download fees for its own products, making it free for users to download product information and images, presumably encouraging retailers to take a closer look. Overall, I found the site to be good in both concept and execution. And in the coming months, 1-800-DATABASE plans to migrate the rest of its internal database of 250ꯠ SKUs to the SKUfinder.com site, including such categories as housewares, hardware, lawn and garden and automotive products. Anyone in packaging working for a consumer products manufacturer should bookmark this site.
