P2C (product-to-consumer)

P2C means product-to-consumer, which is a framework used by commerce businesses to streamline how their product data reaches buyers.

In-depth P2C definition

If you’re in the commerce world, you’ve likely heard of D2C and B2C already. But what is P2C?

P2C stands for product-to-consumer. Product-to-consumer management is an approach that businesses use to manage how product data moves between suppliers and buyers. The key element that defines P2C is that it condenses commerce systems into a single management view. This provides businesses with full control over all of their product data as it’s routed through endless channels across the commerce ecosystem, such as online stores, marketplaces, and social media networks.

Note: The path that product data takes as it moves across the commerce ecosystem is called the product information value chain.

An example of what P2C management means in context

Consider you’re a shoe manufacturer who needs to bring a new sneaker to market. Somehow you have to get all of the sneaker’s data – size, price, color, texture, weight, images, etc. – listed across thousands of consumer touchpoints, such as online retail stores, marketplaces, social media channels, price comparison sites, and more. But the catch is that each channel has different requirements for how the data is presented. For instance, data standards on Google Shopping are different from Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, and so on. Then consider the different markets and audiences you need to tailor the data to – product information needs to look different for a 35-year-old woman shopping in Germany compared to an 18-year-old in the US.

P2C management enables the shoe manufacturer to manage all of that data within one holistic system – sourcing the data from various locations, cleaning and sorting it, syndicating it out to endless channels, and then frequently making updates as information changes. And that goes for the manufacturer’s other products too. It has a view of its entire product catalog in a central location, so it can also compare how certain shoes are performing in certain markets.

What is P2C management’s value in today’s commerce landscape?

We’ve entered a new era of commerce that requires new ways of thinking. We now have advanced technologies that enable features like same-day shipping and digital shelves. We have social media networks that also function as marketplaces. This evolution of commerce tech has completely changed consumer behavior and expectations. People want to receive tailored information, but to keep their data private. They want to shop online, but they want to pick up their orders in-store.

It’s a whole new industry for commerce businesses, and companies that are still relying on the same processes and systems they’ve been using for years are struggling to keep up. Adopting a P2C mindset allows companies to turn all of this complexity, also known as commerce anarchy, into a competitive advantage. P2C management allows businesses to maintain control over their data, providing them with the agility to adapt with where the market is headed.