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Wherehouse can automate latching your offers to existing product listings on marketplaces like Takealot. While latching can save significant time, it carries inherent risks related to barcode accuracy.
This guide explains what latching is, how it works, and the risks you should be aware of before enabling it.
Key Marketplace Terms
Product – The item being sold. On a marketplace, each product has a product listing, which includes the title, description, barcode, images, specifications, and reviews. Multiple sellers can sell the same product under a single listing.
Offer – The conditions under which a seller sells a product, including price, shipping, and availability. A seller adds their offer (stock and price) to a product listing, which makes that product buyable from that seller on the marketplace.
What is Latching?
Latching is when you add your offer to an existing product listing on a marketplace instead of creating a new listing.
Example: On Takealot, if you were to do this manually, you would go to “Add to Takealot’s Catalogue”, search for an existing product listing using the supplier barcode, and then add your offer to that listing. The existing listing already has the barcode assigned to it, and you would simply add your SKU, stock, and pricing to complete the offer.
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Typical use case for Latching:
Resellers who source from supplier feeds. Because multiple sellers sell the same supplier products, sharing an existing marketplace listing is standard practice.
Wherehouse automates this process by using the supplier barcode from your System of Record (SOR) to find and match the product listing in the marketplace catalogue with the same barcode.
How Auto-Latching Works
- Wherehouse reads the barcode from your SOR.
- The system searches for an exact match in the marketplace catalogue.
- If a match is found, your offer is automatically added to that existing product listing.
Note: This automation is only available to active syncing clients with barcodes existing in their SOR.
Risks and Limitations
Latching depends entirely on data accuracy, both in your SOR and in the marketplace catalogue. If the barcode data is incorrect anywhere in this process, your product may be linked to the wrong listing.
Example
- Assume the correct supplier barcodes for two products are:
- 🎒 Backpack → 9876543210987
- 👜 Handbag → 9876543210986
- Scenario:
- The first seller created the backpack listing on a marketplace but mistakenly assigned the handbag’s barcode (9876543210986).
- Your SOR has the correct barcodes for both products.
- When Wherehouse auto-latches your offer, it will match your backpack to the marketplace listing with the wrong barcode. As a result, your backpack is now linked to a listing for a handbag.
Important:
Even when your SOR data is correct, auto-latching can still result in incorrect matches if other sellers originally created marketplace listings with incorrect barcodes.
Recommendations when Latching
To minimise risks when using auto-latching:
- Verify Barcodes in Your SOR – Ensure every product has the correct supplier barcode.
- Use Latching Only When Confident – Latching saves time but should only be used if your SOR data is accurate.
- Regularly Review Latch Listings – Check that your offers are linked to the correct marketplace listings.
- Disable Incorrect Listings Immediately – If a product is latched incorrectly, disable the offer to avoid selling the wrong item.
Important Notes
- Immediate Activation: When latching onto a listing, it goes live immediately on the marketplace, meaning there is no “draft“ option.
- Accuracy Risks: Errors in your SOR or the original marketplace listing can result in your offer being attached to the wrong product.
- SKU Assignment: Ensure your SOR SKUs are correct, as Wherehouse assigns them when adding offers during latching.
Opting to enable latching is done at your own risk
Because latching automatically attaches your offers to existing marketplace listings created by other sellers, it carries inherent risks.
Wherehouse provides the automation for latch listings, but the following limitations apply:
- Immediate Activation (No Drafts or Undos)
Listings become active immediately and cannot be created as drafts. Once triggered, the latching action cannot be reversed automatically.
- Incorrect Marketplace Barcodes
If another seller originally created a marketplace listing with an incorrect barcode, your correct supplier barcode may latch onto that incorrect listing, resulting in your offer being attached to the wrong product.