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Domain: Product

The Product domain manages all product-related information: categories, attributes, products, variants, wishlists and product comparisons.

User Stories

  • Product — User Stories

    Wishlist, compare, product availability and pricing user stories.

    Product User Stories

Features

  • Ergonode PIM

    The PIM system that masters all product data: categories, attributes, products, variants and images.

    Ergonode

  • Algolia Index Integration

    How catalog data is indexed into Algolia to power product search and faceted filtering.

    Algolia Index Integration

  • Stock Statuses & Orderability

    K3 and webshop article statuses, orderable flag, stock display logic, and the conditions under which ordering is blocked.

    Stock Statuses & Orderability

Responsibilities

  • Storing and exposing product and variant data (SKU, title, images, descriptions).
  • Managing product categorisation.
  • Managing attributes, attribute groups, attribute types and attribute values.
  • Providing wishlist functionality per customer.
  • Providing product comparison functionality.

Entities

Entity Description
Product A sellable item with a unique SKU, title, images and descriptions.
ProductVariant A specific variant of a product (e.g. size, colour). Has its own SKU and attribute values.
ProductImage An image associated with a product or variant.
Category A hierarchical grouping of products (tree structure).
AttributeGroup A logical grouping of attributes (e.g. "Dimensions", "Material").
Attribute A typed product property (e.g. "Colour", "Weight", "Material").
AttributeOption A fixed selectable value for a select-type attribute (e.g. "Red", "Blue").
AttributeValue The concrete value of an attribute on a product or variant.
Wishlist A named collection of product variants saved by a customer.
WishlistItem A single product variant entry within a wishlist.
Compare A temporary selection of products a customer wants to compare.
CompareItem A single product entry within a compare selection.

Target Category Structure

Work in progress

Zwerfkei is actively designing the new category and navigation structure for the platform. The structure is being developed and revised in a series of versioned spreadsheets maintained by the Zwerfkei team.

The spreadsheets define:

  • Which categories will have a dedicated landing page (category page with content, SEO, curated filters).
  • Which categories will only be available as filters/facets (no standalone page — accessible through parent category pages only).
  • The hierarchy and nesting of categories.

Always use the latest version of the spreadsheet as the reference — older versions are superseded.

Open Google Drive folder

Integrations

Ergonode PIM

Product catalog data is managed and mastered in Ergonode PIM (SaaS). The Zwerfkei Backend synchronises the following data from Ergonode:

  • Categories — hierarchical product categorisation.
  • Attributes — attribute groups, attribute types and attribute options.
  • Products & Variants
    • SKU and title
    • Product images or documents
    • Product attributes and their values
    • Product descriptions
    • Product categories

Data flows from Ergonode to the Zwerfkei Backend database via the Ergonode API.

Data Sources: Brands & Suppliers

Limited insight

Zwerfkei receives product information and availability data from approximately 17 different sources originating from brands and suppliers. Current insight into these sources is limited.

What still needs to be investigated:

  • Which brands and suppliers are linked to which source?
  • How frequently is each source queried or processed?
  • What information does each source contain exactly (product data, stock, prices, images, etc.)?
  • How are the sources delivered (API, FTP, e-mail, EDI, etc.)?
  • How does the data from these sources relate to the data in Ergonode PIM?

Purpose of these sources: entering or enriching product information and availability in the platform.

Current Catalogue (reference)

Current situation — context for the new platform

The data below is derived from the live zwerfkei.nl website and describes the current product catalogue. It serves as a reference for the scope and depth the new platform must support.

Categories & Scale

Category (NL) Category (EN) Products
Kamperen Camping 700+
Outdoorkleding Outdoor Clothing 2,669
Schoenen Footwear 906
Bergsport & Wintersport Mountain & Winter Sports 478
Rugzakken & Tassen Backpacks & Bags 791
Travel Travel —
Uitrusting Equipment & Tools —
Fiets Cycling 679
Boeken & Kaarten Books & Maps —

Total: 1,000+ products · 130+ brands · price range €2.50 – €1,185

Filter Depth per Category

The current platform supports highly granular filtering. The new platform must match or exceed this:

  • Material (50+ options): down, cotton, nylon, polyester, wool, leather, Gore-Tex, G-1000, Polartec, Merino, etc.
  • Technical specs: waterproofing level, wind resistance, hood, insect protection, UPF factor (30/40/50)
  • Weight range (numeric input)
  • Gender: men's, women's, children's, unisex; sizes XS–4XL with length variants
  • Activity (80+ subcategories): hiking, climbing, trail running, cycling, etc.
  • Brand (20+ major brands)
  • Price slider
  • Terrain class: A, B, C, D
  • Fit options: standard, wide forefoot, extra wide, extra narrow, Hallux Valgus
  • Size conversion: EU / UK / US (sizes 19–52 EU)
  • Material (40 types): leather, Gore-Tex, nylon, Merino wool, etc.
  • Water resistance level
  • Vegan toggle
  • Weight range
  • Brand
  • Price slider
  • Volume (litre ranges)
  • Weight
  • Material: nylon (recycled/standard), Cordura, polyester (recycled), G-1000, ripstop
  • Back panel type: ventilated (116 models), non-ventilated
  • Access type: top-loading, front-loading (131 models)
  • Activity: trekking, dayhiking, bikepacking, commuter
  • Brand
  • Price slider
  • 131 brands
  • 177 subcategories
  • Material: aluminium, carbon, Gore-Tex, steel
  • Safety ratings: kN strength specifications for climbing gear
  • Colour (18 options)
  • Gender
  • Shoe size / rope length
  • Price slider
  • Waterproofing level
  • Material: Ortlieb PU coatings, Gore-Tex, polyester, nylon
  • Sub-type: bikepacking, commuter, frame bags, clothing
  • Size (XS–XXL for clothing; 36–50 for shoes)
  • Brand (Ortlieb, Vaude, others)
  • Price slider

Special Collections

The current platform organises products into curated collections beyond the main categories:

Collection Description
Ultralight Products below a defined weight threshold
Survival & Prepping Emergency preparedness gear
Family Holidays Family-oriented camping and travel gear
Bikepacking Integrated cycling + camping equipment
Trail Running Running-specific outdoor gear
Commuter Cycling Urban cycling equipment
Sustainable Products Environmentally responsible product selection

Business Rules

  • A product must have at least one variant.
  • A WishlistItem references a specific ProductVariant, not just a Product.
  • A customer can have only one active Compare session; it holds a maximum of 4 products.
  • Attributes belong to an AttributeGroup and have a defined type (text, number, select, multi-select, boolean, etc.).
  • AttributeOption entries are only applicable to attributes of type select or multi-select.