The Company
This case study shows how a custom product listing automation system transformed the speed and consistency of creating new SKUs for a fast-growing Dutch e-commerce retailer in the lighting category. Before automation, each listing required 15 minutes of manual work and slowed down SKU expansion.
Industry
E-commerce, Consumer Lighting
Size
700+ SKUs, multichannel (Bol.com and own webshop)
The Challenge
Listing new products on Bol.com was slow, repetitive, and prone to errors.
Each lamp required manual gathering of specifications, image selection, title writing, description writing, pricing, and discount setup.
Average time per listing: 15 minutes.
This limited SKU expansion and slowed down margin optimization.
What they were doing before
• Manually searching for wattage, lumen, fitting type, and other specs
• Manually writing titles and descriptions
• Manually selecting or editing product photos
• Manually calculating pricing and volume discounts
• Manually creating bundles
• Creating each listing in Bol.com, then recreating it again in ChannelDock (WMS)
The result was friction, delays, and inconsistent quality.
This is where product listing automation became the obvious solution. By removing repetitive manual steps and linking all tools together, the entire listing workflow could be compressed into a single action.
How Product Listing Automation Solved the Bottleneck
What I built
A custom listing automation system that generates full Bol.com listings in 15 to 45 seconds, complete with:
1. Structured spec intake
A clean interface where the user can:
• Manually input product specs
• Or pull them directly from the supplier database
2. Spec-based media automation
Pre-built image library for all common lamp attributes:
• E27, E14, GU10, fitting icons
• Wattage, lumen output, voltage
• Base model photos auto-selected by product type
The system links correct images automatically based on the chosen specs.
3. AI-generated titles and descriptions
ChatGPT crafts optimized product titles and rich descriptions tailored to Bol.com format.
Zero writing needed.
Consistent quality.
4. Automated pricing engine
• Pulls purchase price from supplier database via API
• Applies adjustable ROI target
• Calculates final retail price
• Generates volume discounts for Bol.com automatically
No spreadsheet needed.
5. Instant bundle creation
From a single EAN, the system can generate:
• 2-pack
• 4-pack
• 10-pack
• Or any custom bundle
Each with its own listing, price, discount structure, media set, and content.
6. Full WMS sync
Every listing and bundle is created automatically in ChannelDock via API and linked correctly. No manual re-entry.
7. One-button deployment
Press “Create listing”
Wait 15–45 seconds
Listing goes live on Bol.com
WMS receives the product
Bundles are linked
Only manual step: add the SKU to fulfilment in ChannelDock
The result
- 98% faster listings: From 15 minutes → 15–45 seconds
- Consistent, accurate product data: Specs, prices and images always match.
- Rapid SKU scaling: Hundreds of SKUs published with predictable effort.
- 95% less manual work: The operator’s role reduced to:
• Insert / confirm specs
• Visual check
• Approve - Bundles became a profit multiplier: From a single EAN, four high-ROI listings are created instantly. This increased visibility and conversion.
- End-to-end automation: Bol.com + WMS fully updated with one action.
Impact on the business
• Enabled SKU expansion from tens to hundreds without hiring
• Higher margins through better pricing consistency
• Increased revenue from bundle listings
• Reduced human error in content and pricing
• Freed operator time for higher-value tasks
• Improved conversion with consistent media and AI-generated descriptions
Tooling used
Python, REST APIs, OpenAI – ChatGPT 5.1, Bol.com Retailer API, ChannelDock API, Google Apps Script, Google Sheets, supplier product database, templated media library.
Delivery time
The entire system was designed, built, tested and deployed in under two weeks. This mattered because the client wanted rapid SKU expansion before peak season.
The short turnaround showed that high-impact automation does not need heavy projects or long timelines.
What this shows
This project shows how structured inputs and product listing automation can eliminate hours of repetitive manual work. It proves that a repeatable process, once automated, can collapse a full task into a single action, making SKU growth predictable, accurate, and low-cost.
Want this level of automation in your webshop?
If you’re still creating listings by hand or managing bundles in spreadsheets, you’re wasting hours and leaving margin on the table.
I can review your setup, map out where automation fits, and build a system that handles the grunt work for you.
Book a free call and I’ll show you exactly what can be automated in your stack.