PIM and product content
GS1, GDSN and ETIM: product data standards in Europe
Quick answer
GS1 standards identify products (GTIN) and locations (GLN) and synchronise product master data between brands and retailers through GDSN, a network of certified data pools. ETIM classifies technical products with standardised features for wholesale in electrical, HVAC, plumbing and construction. Most European manufacturers need both: GS1 for identity and retail exchange, ETIM or ECLASS for technical attributes.
Key takeaways
- GS1 identifiers (GTIN, GLN) are the identity layer for almost all retail and wholesale product exchange in Europe and are a leading candidate for Digital Product Passport identifiers.
- GDSN connects brands and retailers through certified data pools; the GS1 Global Registry listed 44.6 million items across 46 active data pools in April 2025.
- ETIM 10.0, released in December 2024, is the current international ETIM release, with major releases roughly every three years.
- GS1's 2027 ambition is for retail point-of-sale scanners worldwide to read GTINs from 2D barcodes such as QR codes carrying a GS1 Digital Link URI by the end of 2027.
European product data runs on three families of standards: GS1 for identification and retail data exchange, ETIM and ECLASS for technical classification, and catalogue formats such as BMEcat for B2B delivery. Each solves a different problem, so the right question for a product team is which combination its customers require. A PIM should hold the attributes once and map them to every standard, and a DAM should name and deliver images to the standards' rules.
GS1 standards: the identity layer for products
GS1, a global non-profit standards organisation headquartered in Brussels, issues the identifiers that almost every European retailer and wholesaler expects. The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) identifies a product at each packaging level, the Global Location Number (GLN) identifies companies and locations, and the Global Product Classification (GPC) assigns a retail category. Because these identifiers are unique and persistent, they are the natural key for PIM records, DAM asset naming and syndication feeds. Product teams that store GTINs inconsistently (missing check digits, reused numbers, variants without their own GTIN) create errors that propagate to every downstream channel.
GDSN: synchronising product master data with retailers
GDSN, the Global Data Synchronisation Network, is the GS1 service through which suppliers publish product master data to retailers via certified data pools. A supplier publishes once to its data pool, and the network routes the data to every subscribing retailer's pool. In April 2025 the GS1 Global Registry listed 44.6 million items across 46 active data pools. GDSN is strongest in food, FMCG, DIY and healthcare, where large European retailers make it a listing condition, which is why GDSN readiness is a common requirement in product content syndication projects.
ETIM and ECLASS: classifying technical products
ETIM is an open classification model that defines, for each product class, the technical features and units that describe it, so a cable or a pump is specified identically by every manufacturer and wholesaler. ETIM International maintains the model; ETIM 10.0, released in December 2024, is the current international release, with major releases roughly every three years and dynamic releases in between. ECLASS, maintained by the Cologne-based ECLASS association, covers a wider cross-industry scope and is common in industrial procurement. Manufacturers selling through European electrical, HVAC and installation wholesale typically deliver ETIM data, often in BMEcat or ETIM xChange format.
| Standard | Maintained by | What it solves | Typical requirement in Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTIN, GLN | GS1 | Unique product and location identity | All retail and most wholesale |
| GDSN | GS1 and certified data pools | Master data synchronisation | Food, FMCG, DIY, healthcare retailers |
| GS1 Digital Link | GS1 | Identifiers as web URIs in QR codes | 2D barcodes, Digital Product Passport |
| ETIM | ETIM International | Technical features per product class | Electrical, HVAC, plumbing wholesale |
| ECLASS | ECLASS association | Cross-industry classification | Industrial procurement |
| BMEcat | BME (German procurement association) | XML catalogue exchange | German-speaking B2B trade |
GS1 Digital Link, 2D barcodes and the Digital Product Passport
GS1 Digital Link connects the product identity layer to the web and to regulation. It expresses a GTIN, batch or serial number as a URI, so one QR code can serve checkout, consumer information and compliance data. GS1's implementation guideline sets the ambition that retail point-of-sale systems worldwide can read GTINs from both linear and 2D barcodes by the end of 2027, with dual marking until 90% of scanners are capable. GS1 in Europe positions the same approach for Digital Product Passport identifiers, because it supports model, batch and item granularity and conforms to ISO/IEC 15459.
What GS1 and ETIM mean for PIM and DAM
Standards compliance is a mapping and governance task, and the PIM is where that mapping belongs. A PIM should hold one internal attribute model and maintain mappings to GDSN attributes, ETIM features and retailer templates, so a change to one standard version does not require remodelling the catalogue. The DAM carries the image side: the GS1 Product Image Specification defines file naming based on the GTIN plus codes for facing and angle, and many retailers check images against it. When assessing platforms such as Pimcore or Contentserv, ask for native ETIM class import, GDSN data pool connectors and validation reports, since these determine your error rate measured in product data quality terms.
What to do next
- List every customer and channel that requires GS1, GDSN, ETIM, ECLASS or BMEcat, and the version each expects.
- Audit GTIN allocation for duplicates, missing variants and invalid check digits before any syndication project.
- Map your PIM attribute model to the current ETIM release and plan the upgrade path to the next one.
- Rename and tag product images to the GS1 Product Image Specification where retailers require it.
- Pilot a GS1 Digital Link QR code on one product line to prepare for 2D scanning and DPP requirements.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between GS1 and GDSN?
GS1 is the global, non-profit standards organisation, headquartered in Brussels, that issues identifiers such as the GTIN and defines data standards. GDSN (Global Data Synchronisation Network) is one GS1 service: a network of certified data pools through which suppliers publish product master data to retailers in a standard format.
Do I need ETIM if I already use GS1?
Usually yes, if you sell technical products through wholesale. GS1 identifies the product and supports logistics and retail data exchange, while ETIM defines which technical features (voltage, diameter, material, IP rating) describe each product class. Electrical, HVAC and installation wholesalers in Europe commonly require ETIM-classified data.
What is GS1 Digital Link?
GS1 Digital Link is a GS1 standard that expresses identifiers such as GTIN, batch and serial number as a web address. Encoded in a QR code, one symbol can serve checkout scanning, consumer information and regulatory data such as a Digital Product Passport.