Product listing policy

We have just a few key requirements when it comes to listing products on the Yumbles marketplace.  

The majority of requirements are in place because they are essential factors for online success.

At our own discretion we may refuse to publish any listings not meeting these guidelines but we'll always let you know why and help you get a listing corrected.

 

1. What to List:

• Only list items that are food and drink related
• Only list items that are free of artificial ingredients. It must be possible to buy every item on Yumbles by default in an all-natural state.  Refer to this article for more information on this policy.
• We particularly look for items that are: high in quality, original, not widely available, produced by hand/ in small batches.

 

2. List low value/ high repeat items in quantity

For items under £10 in unit value and with reasonably high repeat usage (and decent shelf life) we ask that they are listed for sale in quantity.

Buyer behaviour in an online marketplace is different to offline (where shipping charges and delivery wait time doesn't apply and more spontaneous buying occurs) and also different to behaviour on your own website (where customers will be there to solely explore and discover your range).  

Each listing on Yumbles must make sense (including the economics) as a purchase.  One jar of mayonnaise as an order once shipping is factored in does not make sense and will lead to high basket abandonment.

For such items we ask that they are listed in quantity and/ or product bundles.

 

3. Product Size Variations:

List different size variations of a product (e.g. a 100ml and a 200ml bottles) all as an option to choose within one listing - don't create duplicate listings for a product, one for each size variation. 

 

4. Product titles:

• Do make sure it is clear from the title what the product is. 
• Do be specific about what the product is and include the most important keyword(s) - these are the search terms that customers would use to search for a product like yours. But do be succinct, try and keep the title to within 65 characters with spaces.
• Don't include your brand name in the title unless it is an inherent part of the product name e.g. The Doisy & Dam Chocolate Collection.  Remember your brand name is always shown alongside the product name already.
• Product titles should be unique so avoid naming your product the same as others
• Don't include promotional content in the title e.g. "20 % off" or "Free Shippinh" or "Free Gift Wrapping"
• Don't use all capital letters

 

5. Pricing:

• As the seller you set your prices however we do require that the prices you quote on Yumbles are not higher than the prices you set elsewhere online including your own website.

 

6. Categorisation:

• When categorising your products only choose the directly relevant category that best describes what your product is.
• Always choose the lowest level category in a particular category "tree" using the expand (+).  It will then be seen in all levels above that. For example, don't categorise a listing in Snacks, use the + expander to drill down to the type of snack.

 

7. Descriptions:

• Make sure that all information entered is accurate
• For shelf life information be sure that what is quoted is the minimum shelf life on dispatch.
• Keep descriptions succinct while letting customers know what they need to know about your product and ordering information.  As a rule of thumb stick to no more than 4 to 5 brief paragraphs. See our tips for effective product descriptions.

 

8. Ingredients & Dietary Information

• Ensure that you are fully compliant with EU directives that require full disclosure of ingredients using the fields provided.
• All food additives must be clearly labelled along with their E number and confirmation that they are natural additives.
• Indicate any allergens present in your product using the field for Allergy Advice provided.
• If your product makes any nutritional or health claims also complete the Nutritional Information field.

 

9. Values

Select all Values that apply to your produce accurately and correctly.  This is key data that will limit the exposure of your products if not completed. Refer to the Values Glossary for definitions.

 

10. Images - the style of the main image on your listings:

• The main focus of the image should be of the specific product you are selling.  If other items are included in the image as accessories it should be clear that these are not part of the sale price.
• The image should show the actual product not just it's packaging (exceptions may be made for gift items and drinks). 
• The main images should not be solely of the labels. 
• The product's packaging should not take up more than around 20% of the image (exceptions may be made for gift items and drinks). 
• The product should be shown in a lifestyle setting.  This means on a real world background with natural lighting.
• Images should not be on a plain white background or a plain black background. 
• Images should not be collages of product photos
• Images should not be cut-outs placed on any colour of background.
• Images should not have any special effects/ tinting that make them appear unnatural.
• No images containing your logo, contact details or any text (unless of course the text is on the actual product or is illustrating some customisation or similar)
• No images containing logos of awards
• The images should also generally be of a high, professional quality with attractive compositions showing off your produce to their best effect. See our Product Photography Guide for advice and tips on styling.

 

11. Images - technical requirements:

• Upload your product images in square dimensions - otherwise our system will automatically crop them to fit and it may not crop them in the best composition.
• The minimum resolution size needed for images is 350 x 350 pixels however we recommend 700 x 700 pixels.  To avoid any quality issues we recommend that you re-size down your highest available resolution images, rather than re-size up.
• Maximum image size is 2MB.