Mandatory pack shot visual with every product sheet from 01/01/2021
From 01/01/2021, every product sheet must be linked to a conformant pack shot visual.
This obligation applies to both product sheets that are created directly in My Product Manager Share and those product sheets that are registered in an GS1 GDSN data pool and published to the Belgian and Luxembourg target markets. The obligation on 01/01/2021 only applies to products that are sold in the FMCG and Foodservice sectors.
Transitional measures apply for visuals that are already in the system before that date.
A pack shot is a front elevation of the product with an angle of view of 0 degrees, as it would be displayed on the shop shelf. For packaged products, this means a photo of the packaging.
GS1 Belgium & Luxembourg and GS1 Netherlands have a common manual that describes which specifications a product visual must meet.
The manual is based on the latest version of the international GS1 standard for product visuals. That standard stipulates, among other things, the file format, the size (pixels), the aspect ratio (ratio width/height) and also the nomenclature.
The manual is valid for the FMCG & Foodservice and DIY, Garden & Pet retail sectors throughout the Benelux.
The corona pandemic has given an extra boost to online sales, including for consumable items that are sold in the traditional supermarket. Products without visuals are ordered less often by consumers. That is why a pack shot is necessary.
Currently, product visuals are exchanged between trading partners within the chain via various channels. The specifications that the product visuals must meet are often set unilaterally.
The aim of this obligation is to allow pack shots for all products to be exchanged via one channel and to meet the same specifications. Various retailers in Belgium and in Luxembourg who receive their product sheets via My Product Manager and/or a GS1 GDSN data pool, have committed themselves to processing these.
From 01/01/2021, it is mandatory for each product sheet to have a pack shot. Other types of product visuals may also be added voluntarily.
Both pack shots and other types of product visuals that are registered from 01/01/2021 must be conformant with the standard.
Transitional measures apply for pack shots or other types of product visuals that were registered before 01/01/2021.
The compulsory pack shot image only applies to the product sheet of the smallest packaging unit registered in My Product Manager Share or a GS1 GDSN data pool. This is also referred to as the "base unit". This applies both to products sold in the FMCG sector in supermarkets to consumers (B2C) and in the food service sector by providers to operators (B2B).
Example: product hotdog
- FMCG: base unit is box with 5 hotdogs *
- Food service: base unit is box with 5 hotdogs * or box with 100 hotdogs
(* outer packaging containing 20 boxes with 5 hotdogs does not need to receive a packshot).
An exception are products of which several consumer units are sold in supermarkets. In this case, a pack shot image must be attached to the product sheet of each B2C packaging unit that can be sold individually.
Example: product beer
The product sheets of the single beer bottle, as well as the cardboard 4-pack, and the case with 24 bottles must each be accompanied by their own pack shot image.
Transitional measures apply for product visuals that were registered before 01/01/2021 These visuals must be replaced by conformant pack shots before 01/01/2023. Thus, you have slightly longer to get things in orders for those product visuals.
If you are planning to remove certain products from the range before 01/09/2023, you do not need to make conformant product visuals.
No. Retailers operating in the Belgian and/or Luxembourgish targets market who also receive product sheets of private label articles via the GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) remain responsible for the creation of pack shots or other product images of the products for which they are the brand owner.
No. Although both sectors use the same standard, the implementation is laid down per sector. At the moment, the obligation to register conformant pack shots only applies in the FMCG & Foodservice sector.
The decision to make conformant pack shots mandatory has been taken nationally for the target markets of Belgium and Luxembourg. The manual with the specifications is, however, a conversion of the international GSI standard, which means that the same image can in principle be used in several countries. In addition, when choosing the specifications, a decision was taken to use a format that would be most easily convertible to other formats.
There are photo studios on the market that are specialised in taking product photographs.
You can give the manual with the specifications for visuals to such a studio and request it to produce conformant pack shots.
- Do you make use of the web interface of My Product Manager Share (https://myproducts.gs1belu.org/)? Then consult this manual
- Do you use another GS1 GDSN data pool or you don't use a web interface but instead publish from your back-end system (PIM, ERP, etc.)? Then you should contact your solution provider for help.