voelkner: marketplace guide

About this guide

This is a ChannelEngine guide on the Nürnberg-based marketplace voelkner. Here you can find information on how to request a voelkner account, how to configure this marketplace on ChannelEngine, what the specific requirements are, and more.

Table of contents

Commercial information

How to request an account

Associated costs

Marketplace features

Settings and configuration

Marketplace-specific requirements and exceptions

• Setup
• Categorization
• Mappings
• Pricing
• Listed products

Additional information

FAQs

Commercial information

Founded	2008
Founder	Carsten Bormann
Headquarters	Nuremberg, Germany
Area served (orders)	Germany
Revenue	circa USD 160 million (2022)
Number of monthly visits	circa 1.7 million
Website	voelkner
Setup cost	none
Commission	7-12%
Other costs	none
Payment	monthly
Product categories	books, cameras, auto/motorcycle parts, DIY/gardening, electronics, games/toys, healthcare, musical instruments, office supplies/professional equipment, telecommunications equipment, video games, refurbished products
Input language	German
Input currency	EUR
Content creation	yes
Minimum number of SKUs	no
Advertisement options	no
Profile on ChannelEngine	voelkner

 

How to request an account

To start selling on voelkner, fill out their form to register your interest. A number of requirements apply before you can be considered for a merchant account. E.g.: 

• You must have a German VAT/sales tax identification number (USt-IDNr).
• You must be currently registered with the tax office (§22f UStG or OSS). 
• Sellers must have the ability to provide customer service in German, and have good availability by phone or email. 
• You should have an attractive product range in line with market requirements. 
• Company headquarters and shipping warehouses are located within the EU.

Associated costs

voelkner does not charge a setup fee nor a monthly cost, however, you are charged a commission on products you sell at a rate between 7-12% based on the product category. For a full overview of voelkner's commission rates, consult the overview Commission grid (in German).

Marketplace features

Supported	Not supported
Product content	Automatic relationships
Product offers	Repricing
Product variations (manual)*	EAN matching
Shipments	Refurbished products
Returns (merchant)	Pick-up point delivery
Carrier mapping	Returns (marketplace)
Shipments	Marketplace fulfillment service
HTML formatting	Sales channels**
Multiple stock locations	Cancelations (channel)
Orders	Custom refund reasons
Cancelations (merchant)
From-for pricing
Bundles

* Although voelkner does not support parent-child relationships, you can create variations via the attribute Variantengruppe. Note that these are not displayed like variations on other marketplaces, as there is no direct size/color dropdown on the voelkner.

** A marketplace that supports sales channels allows merchants to list and sell products across multiple markets (e.g.: countries, regions, and states), all from the same connection.

Settings and configuration

Setting up each marketplace on ChannelEngine follows the same flow, though not every marketplace includes the steps listed below.

1. Go through the Setup.
2. Create a Product selection.
3. Complete the Categorization.
4. Set up the Mappings: content, offers, and carriers.
5. Configure the Pricing: rules and currency conversion.
6. Finish the Activation.
7. Check the Listed products overview.

Marketplace-specific requirements and exceptions

Setup

On ChannelEngine

voelkner is a Mirakl-based marketplace, so you can connect it with ChannelEngine using a Mirakl Connect SSO account. Once you register as a seller with voelkner, you receive a link to register with their Mirakl instance. This link provides you with the API key necessary for integrating with ChannelEngine. For more information on this, check out the Mirakl-based channels: SSO authorization article.

Invoice uploads

To configure your invoice settings, click Advanced settings. You can then click the dropdown menu Enable invoice uploading, which contains the following options:

• ChannelEngine invoices - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, it automatically generates an invoice and attaches it to the shipment before exporting it.
• Merchant invoices (optional) - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, it exports it – even if there is no invoice attached to it.
• Merchant invoices (required) - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, it only exports it if an invoice is attached to it. If not, you receive a notification.
• None - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, it takes no action other than notifying you that no invoice is present.

If you select one of the Merchant invoices options, make sure to upload the invoice to ChannelEngine via the Merchant API or via the web interface. To learn more, check out the article ChannelEngine: merchant invoices.

Categorization

Categorization on voelkner is straightforward, and all category names are provided in German. 

Mappings

Content

All products (required)

• Die eindeutige Nummer (ID) des Artikels im System des Sellers (Seller product ID) - your unique identifier for the product in your system, such as the SKU. Used as the unique product identifier on voelkner in addition to the Seller ShopID. E.g.: 12346gh-96759. 

• Inhalt einheit (Content unit) - the unit of measurement for the product contents, selected from a list of fixed values. E.g.: g, lb, kg, etc. 

• Inhalt pro Verkaufseinheit (Content per sales unit) - the measurement of content for the sold item. This can be for an individual unit, two units, or a pack of multiple units. Specified in l or ml for liquid products. E.g.: 100.

• Marke (Brand) - the brand of the product. Select the brand from a set of fixed values. If the name of your product's brand does not appear, contact voelkner with the brand name, its logo (300 dpi), and a link to the manufacturer's website to have it verified and added to the list. E.g.: Diotec.

• Produktbezeichnung (Product name) - the product title, which should be unique for each individual product. The title should be structured as follows: purpose/item title, brand, and manufacturer part number/type – followed by product features sorted by importance. It is recommended to be as descriptive as possible when naming products, as this improves findability and improves customer engagement. voelkner encourages new merchants to compare their product names with existing products from other sellers in the same category and replicate the same style. Avoid the following: duplicate content, all capital letters, and titles containing more than 70 characters. E.g.: Schottky-Diode - Gleichrichter Diotec SBX3040 P600 40 V Einzel.

• Produktbild 1 URL (Product image 1 URL) - the main product image. Image requirements:

  • File format - PNG, JPG, TIF, or GIF.

  • Minimum length and width -  400 px. 

  • Maximum file size - 15 MB.

• Teilenummer des Herstellers (Manufacturer part number) - the unique identifier given to the product by the manufacturer. Used for improving findability across the marketplace and on comparison websites. E.g.: 13720010.

• Umsatzsteuerklasse (Product tax indicator) - indicate the VAT rate that applies to the product. E.g.: reduced VAT, standard VAT, reverse charge, etc. 

• Verkaufsmengeneinheit (Sales unit) - the number of units to be sold, either individually or in packs. Select from a list of fixed values. E.g.: a piece, a pair (two pieces that are sold together), one pack (multiple units of the same item in a single pack), one set (multiple items in a pack), one meter (if the product is sold by the meter and buyable in various lengths), etc. 

• Werbetext (Advertising text) - the long description of the product that can contain key selling points, a list of product features, instructions for use, and a list of benefits for the buyer. Simple HTML tags are allowed to make text bold, and italic and to create line breaks via br.

• Variante (Variant) - used to create variations on voelkner by defining the attribute or value that differentiates the child product from the parent product.

• Variantengruppe (Variant group) - your internal ID assigned to a group of product variants. Used to create variations on voelkner in addition to the Variant attribute. All child products within the same product range should have the same value.

The following required attribute is common to all Mirakl-based marketplaces:

• Export strategy - choose a strategy for exporting the product data. You can select from the following export strategies:
  • Yes - export all of the product content to the marketplace, including its EAN (GTIN), category, and other mapped attributes. This option is ideal if you manage both product content and offers through ChannelEngine for the marketplace. Before you set this option, ensure that you map all required attributes.
  • No - do not export product content to the marketplace. Choose this option to keep the product content excluded from exports and only export the offers. This option is ideal if you do not want to export the product content yet, or you want to export only the product offers because the product content already exists on the marketplace.
     
    NB: the default export strategy is Yes, even if the Export strategy attribute is left unmapped.

All products (optional, but recommended)

voelkner has over 50 optional attributes, some of which are specific to certain product types. They recommend mapping the following attributes to improve the findability of your products.

• EAN/GTIN zur verkauften Einheit (EAN/GTIN product code) - the product's 14-digit EAN or other GTIN, as applied to the sold unit or package. E.g.: 190198067098.
• Highlights (Product features/highlights) - a bulleted list of important product features, used to highlight certain functions or usability aspects. The HTML tag br sets a line break after each bullet point. 
• Produktbild 2-5 URLs (Product images) - additional product image URLs. For the requirements, see Produktbild 1 URL.
• Produkt-Art (Product sub-category) - the subcategory of the product. 
• Altgeräte-Rücknahme am Ort der Abgabe ElektroG DE (Product disposal pick-up) - indicate the type of product disposal agreement that applies to the product under the ElektroG environmental act in Germany. This act obligates merchants to pick up and return the old device from the customer when delivering a new product if applicable. Enter the value X if the product falls under one of the following ElektroG categories: heat exchangers, screens, monitors, and devices containing screens with a surface area of more than 100 square cm, as well as large devices where at least one of the external dimensions is more than 50 cm. 

All products (optional)

As always, it is recommended that you map as many relevant attributes as possible to improve the discoverability of your product listings. 

• Typenbezeichnung des Herstellers (Manufacturer type designation) - the name type/series/version of the product, but omitting the brand. This should only be mapped if the manufacturer type name acts as a unique product identifier that clearly distinguishes the item from products by other manufacturers (similar to the manufacturer part number). E.g.: Fairphone 5.
• RoHS-konform (RoHS compliance) - indicate via yes or no if the product complies with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) directive. 
• Überschrift (Advertising heading) - can be used to add an advertising subheading to listings. Avoid repeating the product title. 
• Sicherheitsdatenblatt URL (Safety data sheet URL) - the product safety sheet in PDF, which is mandatory if the product requires special disposal or contains hazardous substances. 
• Ausstattung (Product facts) - a bulleted list of additional product characteristics. The HTML tag br sets a line break after each bullet point. 
• Weitere technische Daten (Product specifications) - all the technical specifications that cannot be mapped into category-specific attributes, and that are not required for filtering. 
• Systemvoraussetzungen (Special requirements) - special requirements that must be met to run or use the product. E.g.: memory, operating system, licenses, etc. 
• Zusatz-/Hinweis text (Additional notes) - text components to inform customers of special features or requirements/warnings. This text is shown in bold in the listing. 
• Synonyme 2/für spezifischen Artikel (Synonyms/keywords) - additional keywords to improve the product's findability. Avoid duplicating content such as the product title, category name, brand, and manufacturer part number – as this information is already included in the search function. 
• Illustration 1-2 URLs (Technical illustration URL) - add up to two technical illustrations. The URL must point to a file in TIF or PNG, with a minimum height and length of 1,000 px. 
• Symbol 1-5 URLs (Icon URL) - add up to five icons to be displayed on the product detail page. The URL must point to a file in TIF or PNG, with a minimum height and length of 400 px. E.g.: scale, processor series, and operating system icons. 
• Energieeffizienzlabel URL (Energy efficiency label URL) - the energy efficiency label according to the Energy efficiency directive. The URL must point to a file in TIF or PNG, with a minimum height of 600 px. Note that it may be considered a violation of competition law if a product relevant to the directive is not marked with this label.
• Award 1-2 URL  - any awards associated with the product, such as a design award. The URL must point to a file in TIF or PNG, with a minimum height and length of 400 px.
• Datenblatt URL (Data sheet URL) - the product data sheet in PDF. This should be the global product data sheet that includes all languages. 
• Bedienungsanleitung URL (Instruction manual URL) - the instruction manual for the product in any language in PDF. 
• Zertifikat 1-3 URLs (Certificate URLs) - any additional special certificates associated with the product in PDF. E.g.: policy for radio transmission. 
• Video 1-2 URL - product videos (in MP4 or MOV) in any language. 
• Invalidation flag - products flagged with this attribute are recognized as invalid or due to be deleted. 
• Internes Produkt (Internal product) - flag to mark a product as being for internal or admin use only. 
• Energieeffizienz 2021 Dokument (Energy efficiency document) - attach an energy efficiency document from 2021 in PDF. 
• ElektroG (DE) Geräteart (ElektroG type of device) - enter the appropriate product category in line with the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. Select the value '999 -  ElektroG marking not required' to confirm that the product is not subject to registration in Germany, and therefore no WEEE number can be provided.
• ElektroG (DE) Marke wie EAR-Registrierung [ElektroG (DE) brand EAR registration] - enter the exact trademark of the product as it is registered with the EAR Foundation, up to a maximum of 120 characters. Pay careful attention to the spelling, as it must exactly match the key as registered in the EAR database. 

Offer

All products (required)

• Price - the product's price in EUR. 
• Reverse charge - indicate whether the article is subject to the legal provisions on reverse charge. I.e.: yes or no.

The following offer attributes are common to some Mirakl-based marketplaces:

• ECO #1-5 amount - the amount due for the eco-contribution related to the product. E.g.: 2.50.
• ECO #1-5 EPR category code - the extended producer responsibility (EPR) code that applies to the product. For a list of category codes, check out the article Providing data to comply with circular economy regulations in Mirakl's help center (note that you need to be logged in to Mirakl to access this page). E.g.: DE-WEEE, FR-DEA, etc. 
• ECO #1-5 producer ID - your producer ID, received upon registering with a packaging register, such as Germany's LUCID. The maximum number of characters is 255.

The following offer attributes are common to all Mirakl-based marketplaces:

• Discount end date - the date until when the product's sale price is valid, if applicable. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ZZ. E.g.: 2022-12-31 23:59:59 +00.
• Discount price - the product's sale price, if applicable. This attribute must have a lower value than the Price attribute.
• Discount quantity threshold - the minimum quantity required for the discount rate to be available.
• Discount start date - the date from when the product's sale price is valid, if applicable. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ZZ. E.g.: 2022-12-31 23:59:59 +00.
• Leadtime to shipment - the number of days before you ship the product. By default, this is set to two. You can create your own unique rules, if applicable. For more information on this, check out the article Lead time to ship in Mirakl's help center.
• Minimum quantity alert - map this attribute to receive a notification from Mirakl if your stock drops below the threshold defined.
• Offer state - the product's condition. Find your option from the dropdown menu by selecting the fixed value to apply to all.
• Product tax code - the taxation code applicable to the product.
• Logistic class - your optional shipping class. Make sure to map it using the marketplace’s codes, not the labels visible in the front-end. These codes vary per marketplace. If this marketplace makes use of logistic class codes, they can be found below.

Code	Label	Description
SM1	Small and medium 1	Lighter than 10 kg
SM2	Small and medium 2	From 10.1 kg to 15 kg
SM3	Small and medium 3	From 15.1 kg to 31.5 kg
bulk	Bulky goods	Bulky goods from 31.6 kg to 40 kg
pallet	Pallet	Pallet from 40.1 kg to 500 kg
extra 1	Further logistics class 1	Price for logistics class 1
extra2	Further logistics class 2	Price for logistics class 2
free	Free	Free shipping

 

Working with discounts

• To set up a discount, you must map the Discount price, Discount start date, and Discount end date attributes. If you want to set a permanent discount, map the Discount end date attribute with a date in the far future instead of leaving it unmapped. Otherwise, the offer is not exported, and errors are shown on the Validation and feedback tab.
• The discounted price is only exported if it is lower than the base price.
• If you do not want to set a bulk discount, leave the Discount quantity threshold attribute unmapped – otherwise, the export is broken.
• To set a bulk discount, the Discount quantity threshold must be set to a value higher than 1. E.g.: a value of 2 indicates that two or more of the product must be purchased at the same time for the buyer to benefit from the discount.

Carrier

Carrier mapping is not required on voelkner. However, you can map your carrier to a specific list of carriers maintained by voelkner. This allows for working tracking codes in the back-end, as well as for the buyer. If your default carrier is missing, please contact voelkner. 

Pricing

voelkner only supports gross prices in EUR. If you do not have pricing attributes in EUR, you need to set up a currency conversion. Decimal places in prices are not allowed. 

Listed products

If you have problems with products not appearing on Mirakl-based marketplaces – especially if you are trying to create products –, check the Listed products page for more information.

You can either use the Channel status filter (e.g.: products that ChannelEngine has failed to exported, such as those with an empty GTIN or that do not exist on the marketplace yet, are shown as Invalid) or the Validation and feedback tab to see all known errors for specific products.

Alternatively, you can access the marketplace's back-end and download the error report generated by Mirakl. To do so:

1. Log in to the Mirakl back-end and go to Catalog, Product imports.
2. Identify the latest report and click the See details button by it.
3. Download the CSV file Non-integrated products report.

Additional information

Order extra data items

When an order is imported to ChannelEngine, ChannelEngine also fetches extra data items related to the order itself – or to order lines. This extra data is specific to this marketplace. An explanation of each can be found below: 

Key	Conditional*	Description
wps-due-date	Yes	Fälligkeitsdatum (Due date)
wps-invoice-id	Yes	Rechnungsnummer (Invoice number)
wps-credit-notes-id	Yes	Gutschriftsnummer (Credit note number)
billing-address-company-[2-4]	Yes	Rechnungsadresse 2-4 (Company billing address 2-4)
wps-payment-reference-id	Yes	WPS Zahlungsreferenznummer (WPS payment reference number)
customer-order-reference	Yes	Kundenindividuelle Referenz am Kopf des Auftrages (Customer-specific reference for the order)
billing-address-taxnumber	Yes	Ust-IdNr. des Kunden (VAT of the customer)
invoice-email	Yes	An diese Adresse wird die Rechnung per E-Mail versandt (Email address for invoicing)
carrier-phone	Yes	Telefonnummer zur Abwicklung der Altgeräteabholung (The telephone number for handling the collection of old appliances)
payment-psp-name	Yes	Zahlung mit Payment Service Provider (Payment service provider)
payment-method	Yes	Zahlungsart (Payment method)

* Conditional fields are only displayed if the marketplace provides a value.

FAQs

Is there a maximum number of SKUs that can be sent per day?

A maximum of 1,000 SKUs can be sent per merchant per day for new product creation. There is no restriction on the number of SKUs that can be sent for offer creation. 

How often does each task run on Mirakl-based marketplaces?

By default, Mirakl-based marketplaces follow the schedule below:

Task	Frequency
Export product data to marketplace	every 60 minutes
Export product offers to marketplace	every 15 minutes
Import product offers from marketplace	every 15 minutes
Import orders from marketplace	every 15 minutes
Export order shipments to marketplace	every 15 minutes
Export returns to marketplace	every 30 minutes

Can I map attributes on ChannelEngine and in the Mirakl back-end?

No. Mapping attributes in the Mirakl marketplace back-end interferes with ChannelEngine's content export. Therefore, it is recommended to stick to categorizing and mapping content only on ChannelEngine.

Why am I not receiving feedback on my content and/or offer exports?

Chances are you are receiving the feedback. However, different types of error report can take a couple of hours or several days to be generated:

• Offer feedback
  • Error reports are mostly generated automatically, and are imported quickly.
• Content feedback
  • Transformation error report - this is automatically generated, and usually imported within a maximum of one day.
  • Conventional error report - this requires a manual review by the Mirakl-based marketplace, and not all do so. It can take several days for this report to be imported.

Note that the previous feedback report is not removed from ChannelEngine until both the latest transformation and conventional reports have been fully processed by ChannelEngine – or no new reports have been generated because there are no errors to report.