Comparison
MerchMaker vs supplier portals
Supplier portals remain the source of the catalog, including the one inside MerchMaker. MerchMaker handles what happens after you close the tab.
- What a portal owns
- The product data, the stock and the minimum
- What it leaves you
- A tab, a part number and a photo of a blank
- What MerchMaker adds
- The decorated mockup, the shared collection and the cart
The relationship
MerchMaker reads the same data you do
Supplier listings are the authority on what exists: colorways, sizes, SKUs, imprint locations, decoration capabilities and minimum quantities. MerchMaker's catalog is built from listings like those, which is why a minimum shown to a buyer is the supplier's own number rather than one we invented.
- Colorways, sizes and SKUs come from the listing
- Imprint locations and capabilities come from the listing
- The minimum quantity is the supplier's, and the cart enforces it
What is missing
A portal shows the blank; the client is buying the decorated one
Every portal photo is an undecorated product. The thing a buyer says yes to is that product with their logo on it, in the right place and the right size for the imprint area. Bridging that gap by hand is the work MerchMaker is actually removing.
- Renders are made from the supplier's own photograph, per colorway
- Placement uses an imprint location the listing supports
- A person accepts the render before any buyer sees it
What is also missing
A portal has no idea your client exists
Copied links land in an inbox with no price, no assortment, no margin, and no way for the buyer to say which three of the seven they liked. A published collection is one page with your pricing on it, where reactions and comments come back attached to the item, and where the buyer can pay by card as a guest.
- Your margin and pricing policy, applied before you publish
- Reactions and comments per item, back in the app
- Guest checkout through Stripe, in US dollars, shipping in the US
Questions
Does MerchMaker still use supplier portals?
Yes. They remain the source of product data. MerchMaker handles the work that starts after you find the product.
Where does the minimum quantity come from?
From the supplier listing. MerchMaker shows the buyer that number and refuses an under-minimum line in the cart before payment.
Which suppliers are in the catalog?
That depends on what is set up for your tenant, which is part of what a demo covers. The general rule is that the catalog is real listing data, not a generic product library.
See the logo on the product first.
MerchMaker is invitation-only while we onboard distributors one at a time. Book a demo and we will set up your catalog with you.