GPSR: What retailers and manufacturers need to know now
The Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a central component of European consumer protection and sets out clear requirements for the safety of products. For retailers and manufacturers in e-commerce, it is crucial to know and implement the requirements of the GPSR in order to avoid both legal and financial risks. But what exactly is behind the regulation and how does it affect online retail?
What is the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)?
The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is an EU regulation that replaces the Product Safety Directive. It defines clear minimum requirements for the safety of products placed on the market in the EU. The aim of the GPSR is to ensure that only safe products are placed on the market in order to protect consumers from unsafe goods. This has a direct impact on product data management, as all relevant information on a product must be maintained and monitored centrally.
Who is affected by the GPSR?
In principle, the GPSR affects all players in the supply chain: manufacturers, importers and retailers. They are obliged to ensure that the products they offer comply with the safety standards. For online retailers, this means that they must carry out particularly careful checks on the products they offer. Retailers who import goods from third countries have a special responsibility in this regard.
What requirements does the GPSR place on products?
The GPSR stipulates that products may only be sold in the EU if they are safe. This includes requirements such as
- Warnings and instructions for use: Products must contain clear and understandable warnings describing potential risks.
- Technical documentation: Manufacturers must be able to provide complete technical documentation for their products that proves that all safety requirements have been met.
- Product labeling: All relevant information, such as the origin of the product and the name of the manufacturer, must be clearly visible on the product itself or on the packaging. It is therefore essential for product managers and those responsible for Product Information Management (PIM) to store this information correctly and completely in the product data.
What are the consequences of non-compliance?
Violations of the GPSR can have serious consequences. These include fines, sales bans and product recalls. In e-commerce in particular, infringements can also result in reputational damage and loss of customers. It is therefore essential for product managers and retailers to ensure compliance with EU product safety directives in their processes.
Requirements for product data by the GPSR
The GPSR brings with it clear requirements for those responsible for product data management. All relevant safety information, such as instructions for use, warnings, technical specifications and certifications, must be stored completely and correctly in the product data. A key challenge is not only to record this data comprehensively, but also to update it continuously to ensure that it complies with current legal requirements at all times. A PIM system can provide valuable support here by enabling consistent and structured management of product data. In addition, product data should be prepared in a clear and easy-to-understand form to ensure compliance with safety requirements for the end consumer.
Artificial intelligence in product data management
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in product data management in the context of GPSR. AI-supported systems automatically check, validate and update large volumes of product information. This allows errors in the data to be detected at an early stage and necessary adjustments to be made automatically. In addition, AI can help predict when certain products may no longer meet safety requirements through pattern recognition and thus proactively intervene before violations occur. By automating these processes, compliance with the GPSR is made more efficient and the risk of human error is minimized. At the same time, the use of AI relieves product managers and those responsible for product data, who can focus more on strategic tasks.
Find out more about the benefits of AI in data management
Conclusion: What needs to be done now
The Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is an important step towards strengthening consumer protection in the EU. For online retailers and manufacturers, however, this means increased responsibility and the need to deal intensively with the new requirements. Product managers and those responsible for product data should act now to ensure that all relevant product information is correctly recorded and updated at all times. The use of modern technologies, such as product information management (PIM) systems and artificial intelligence (AI), can help to maintain an overview of complex data structures and implement security requirements efficiently.
In concrete terms, this now means
- Bringing product data up to date: Check whether your product information contains all the necessary safety data and complies with GPSR requirements.
- Use PIM systems: Implement a powerful PIM system to ensure centralized and consistent management of product data.
- Consider AI solutions: Use AI-powered tools to detect errors in data early, set up automated processes and proactively manage future risks.
- Continuous data maintenance: Ensure that your product data is regularly updated to reflect regulatory changes or new safety requirements in a timely manner.
Through the targeted use of technology and careful management of product information, compliance with the GPSR can be ensured efficiently and sustainably.
For further information on the Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) and the associated requirements, the following sources may be useful: