Apparel, footwear and accessories
Apparel and Footwear EDI and API Integration
Every style, color and size on the right order, label and ship notice
An apparel or footwear line multiplies quickly. One style in eight colors and twelve sizes is ninety-six UPCs, each of which a retailer orders, receives and sells separately. ECOM connects item catalogs, seasonal and replenishment orders, ship notices with carton labels, invoices and returns to your ERP or PLM and warehouse, in each retailer's format.
At a glance
Key documents
- 832 Price and Sales Catalogs
- 850 Purchase Orders
- 860 Order Changes
- 856 Ship Notices (ASN)
- 810 Invoices
- 852 Sales and Stock Reports
- 180 Return Authorizations
Systems we integrate
- PLM and item master
- ERP
- Warehouse
- Marketplaces and storefronts
PRISM products
- PRISM-EDI
- PRISM SmartPim
- PRISM UniChannel
- PRISM-SCV
- Who we help
- Apparel, footwear and accessory brands selling to department and specialty stores, and brands selling through marketplaces and drop-ship programs.
- What we connect
- Item catalogs, seasonal and replenishment orders, ship notices, labels, invoices and returns between your ERP and each retailer or marketplace.
- Problems we solve
- Style, color and size multiply into many UPCs, retailer labels and prepacks must be exact, and returns and chargebacks are costly.
- Even without EDI
- Marketplaces and smaller retailers use portals, APIs, spreadsheets and PDFs rather than EDI. ECOM works with those routes as well.
What is apparel EDI?
Apparel EDI is the exchange of item, order, shipment and sales data between apparel, footwear and accessory brands and the retailers and marketplaces that sell them. Item data is shared at the style, color and size level, usually as a UPC or GTIN for each variant, through the 832 price and sales catalog. Orders (850), changes (860), ship notices (856) with GS1-128 carton labels, invoices (810), sales reports (852) and returns authorizations (180) follow each retailer's guide.
Who you connect with
Who an apparel brand exchanges data with
Wholesale and marketplace selling use different partners and different rules.
-
Department and specialty retailers
Orders, ASNs, labels, invoices
Retailer EDI programs -
Off-price and mass retailers
Replenishment and compliance programs
EDI and portals -
Marketplaces
Orders, tracking, returns
APIs and feeds -
Drop-ship partners
Order routing, shipment confirmations
APIs, files -
Carriers and 3PLs
Shipments, returns, routing
EDI and APIs
Selling models
Wholesale retail, marketplace and drop-ship programs run differently
Wholesale shipments are packed and labeled to a retailer's rules. Marketplace and drop-ship orders are single-item shipments tracked back to the channel.
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Wholesale to department and specialty stores
Brands shipping seasonal and replenishment orders to retailer distribution centers.
- How it runs
- The retailer sends orders by season and store group. The brand acknowledges, ships in prepacks or solid packs with labels, sends ship notices and invoices.
- Systems
- ERP, warehouse management, retailer portals.
- Typical problem
- Variant, prepack and label errors lead to chargebacks and delayed receiving.
-
Replenishment and sales reporting
Brands feeding in-season replenishment for core styles.
- How it runs
- Retailers send sales and stock reports and replenishment orders. Item and price changes are exchanged as catalog updates.
- Documents
- Systems
- ERP, planning tools.
- Typical problem
- Style and size mapping gaps break replenishment.
-
Marketplace selling
Brands listing and fulfilling through online marketplaces.
- How it runs
- Orders and inventory feeds move through marketplace APIs. Shipment tracking is posted back and returns are processed.
- Systems
- Order management, warehouse, marketplace seller accounts.
- Typical problem
- Inventory feeds and order status must stay in step across several marketplaces.
-
Drop-ship programs
Brands shipping single orders directly to a retailer's customer.
- How it runs
- The retailer sends the order. The brand ships direct to the consumer and sends tracking and invoice, and returns are authorized.
- Systems
- ERP, warehouse, carrier systems.
- Typical problem
- Packing slips, labels and return rules differ by retailer.
How to read this page: a standard or system named here shows where a requirement is published or what ECOM can connect. It does not mean ECOM has a verified partnership with any named company, and your own contracts and partners define the final requirements.
Who it's for
Different roles, different workflows
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Brands selling to department and specialty stores
Retailers place seasonal bulk orders months ahead and replenishment orders in season, by size and store, and check every carton against the ship notice.
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Footwear and accessory makers
Size runs, widths and pack configurations multiply item data, and prepacks must be described consistently in orders, labels and ship notices.
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Brands selling through marketplaces and drop-ship
Online retailers and marketplaces send customer orders for direct shipment, expect tracking quickly and authorize returns by item.
How the workflow runs
From line release to replenishment and returns
The season starts with item data, not the first order. Retailers can only order and receive the sizes they have set up from your catalog.
- Brand→Retailer 832 Item catalog Style, color, size and UPC for each variant.
- Retailer→Brand 850 Seasonal order Bulk by size, often by store.
- Retailer→Brand 860 Order change Quantities, dates or cancellations.
- Brand→Retailer 856 Ship notice and labels Cartons by store with GS1-128 labels.
- Retailer DC or store→Retailer Carton scanned at receipt Labels checked against the 856.
- Retailer→Brand 852 Sales and inventory Drives in-season replenishment.
- Retailer→Brand 180 Return authorization Items and quantities being returned.
- 01
Publish the line
The 832 sends every style, color and size with UPCs, descriptions and prices, so the retailer can set the items up before ordering.
- 02
Take seasonal and replenishment orders
Bulk orders arrive months ahead, often allocated by store; replenishment orders follow sales during the season.
- 03
Pack and label to the retailer's rules
Pick-and-pack or prepack shipments are described in the 856 carton by carton, with GS1-128 labels that match.
- 04
Invoice and handle deductions
Invoices follow shipped quantities; compliance deductions are traced back to the order, label or ship notice that caused them.
- 05
Process returns
Return authorizations identify the items coming back, so credits and restocking can be planned.
Beyond EDI
Every way apparel orders and data arrive, matched to the UPC
An order for a style in eight colors and twelve sizes arrives as EDI, a portal order or an API call. ECOM maps each to the same item.
How it arrives
- EDI850 orders, 856 notices, 810 invoices
- APIMarketplace and drop-ship APIs
- PortalRetailer vendor portals
- SpreadsheetLine sheets and size breakdowns
- Flat fileCatalog and inventory feeds
- PDF or emailPurchase orders and routing guides
ECOM
- Validate every file or message
- Map to each partner's rules
- Deliver, acknowledge and monitor
Where it goes
- Retailer catalogs
- ERP orders
- Labeled cartons
- Replenishment
Challenges
Integration challenges in apparel, footwear and accessories
Item data that multiplies
Every new color or size is a new UPC that must reach each retailer before it can be ordered or received.
Prepacks and pack structures
Orders, labels and ship notices must describe the same prepack the same way, or receiving fails.
Chargebacks for small errors
A late ship notice, a wrong label or a missing size on a carton becomes a deduction weeks later.
Seasonal peaks
Line releases and holiday replenishment arrive at the same time as new retailer onboarding.
How we help
How ECOM supports apparel, footwear and accessories companies
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Catalog integration
832 catalogs built from your PLM or item master, with UPCs and attributes for every variant.
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Order and change handling
Bulk, store-allocated and replenishment orders and their changes loaded into your ERP.
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Labels and ship notices
GS1-128 carton labels and 856 ship notices built from the same pick-and-pack data.
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Sales and inventory data
852 sales and inventory reports loaded for replenishment and planning.
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Returns
180 return authorizations and return notifications connected to credits and warehouse receiving.
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Compliance monitoring
Late acknowledgments, ship notice timing and exceptions monitored before they become chargebacks.
PRISM products
Which PRISM products apply
Each partner connects in the way it can support. These products cover the connections and visibility this industry needs most.
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PRISM-EDI
Exchange of catalogs, orders, ship notices, invoices and sales data with each retailer, translated to and from your ERP.
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PRISM SmartPim
Product information, product photos and cloud inventory in one item record. Supports up to 200 product attributes and 20 photos per item.
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PRISM UniChannel
Omnichannel order and fulfillment integration for marketplace and drop-ship orders.
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PRISM-SCV
Monitoring of acknowledgments, ship notice timing and exceptions across retailers.
Systems integration
What apparel EDI connects to
Variant-level accuracy depends on the same item data reaching every system.
From
- PLM or item master
- Retailer orders
- Pick and pack data
- Sales reports
ECOM · Apparel exchange
- Expand style to SKU
- Map per retailer
- Build labels and ASN
To
- Retailer catalogs
- ERP orders
- Labeled cartons
- Replenishment
| System | What flows | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| PLM and item master | Styles, colors, sizes, UPCs and attributes. | Size scales and prepack definitions must be consistent across channels. |
| ERP | Orders, allocations, invoices and credits. | Store-level allocations need ship-to mapping per retailer. |
| Warehouse | Pick, pack and carton contents. | Labels and ship notices must come from the same packing data. |
| Marketplaces and storefronts | Customer orders, tracking and returns. | Marketplace and drop-ship rules differ from wholesale shipments. |
Retail compliance
Where apparel compliance problems start
-
Carton labels
GS1-128 labels with SSCCs that match the ship notice carton by carton.
Carton labels in detail -
Ship notice accuracy
The 856 must describe every carton and size exactly as packed and arrive before the shipment.
Ship notice accuracy in detail -
Product identifiers
A unique GTIN or UPC for every color and size, set up before the first order.
Product identifiers in detail
Trading partners
Guides for apparel and footwear retailers
Integration guides for retailers that apparel, footwear and accessory brands commonly sell through.
All retailer guides-
Macy's
Department store retailer; the guide covers its supplier EDI documents and compliance points.
Macy's in detail -
Dillard's
Department store retailer; the guide covers its vendor EDI documents and compliance points.
Dillard's in detail -
Foot Locker
Athletic footwear and apparel retailer; the guide covers its vendor documents and standards.
Foot Locker in detail -
Burlington Stores
Off-price retailer; the guide covers its supplier EDI documents and compliance points.
Burlington Stores in detail -
Urban Outfitters Inc.
Specialty apparel retailer; the guide covers its EDI program for suppliers.
Urban Outfitters Inc. in detail -
Fanatics
Licensed sports merchandise retailer; the guide covers the documents commonly exchanged.
Fanatics in detail
Implementation
What to plan for in an apparel EDI project
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Fix item data first
Clean UPCs, size scales and prepack definitions before connecting the first retailer.
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Know each retailer's pack rules
Pick-and-pack and prepack shipments use different ship notice structures; confirm which each retailer expects.
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Plan around the season
Onboard new retailers before line release, not during peak replenishment.
Documents and standards
Common transactions
Common X12 documents in apparel and footwear. Each retailer's guide defines versions, pack structures and labels.
| Code | Document | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 832 | Price and Sales CatalogsX12 name: Price/Sales Catalog | Shares item data and prices. |
| 850 | Purchase Orders | Orders by style, color and size. |
| 860 | Order ChangesX12 name: Purchase Order Change Request - Buyer Initiated | Changes the order. |
| 856 | Ship Notices (ASN)X12 name: Ship Notice/Manifest | Describes cartons and contents. |
| 810 | Invoices | Bills shipped goods. |
| 852 | Sales and Stock ReportsX12 name: Product Activity Data | Reports sales and inventory. |
| 180 | Return AuthorizationsX12 name: Return Merchandise Authorization and Notification | Authorizes and reports returns. |
Scenarios
Typical integration scenarios
Brand adding a department store
Set up catalogs, orders, labels, ship notices and invoices to the store's guide.
Footwear brand with size runs
Keep size, width and prepack data consistent across retailers.
Brand selling direct and wholesale
Handle marketplace and drop-ship orders alongside wholesale shipments.
Frequently asked questions
Which EDI documents do apparel brands need?
Most retailers use the 832 catalog, 850 order, 860 change, 856 ship notice with GS1-128 labels and 810 invoice, plus 852 sales data and sometimes 180 return authorizations.
Why does every size need its own UPC?
Retailers order, receive and sell each color and size as a separate item, so each needs a unique identifier set up in their system before it can be ordered.
What is the difference between pick-and-pack and prepack shipments?
Pick-and-pack cartons contain whatever items were picked for an order; prepacks are fixed assortments, such as a size run, packed as one unit. The ship notice describes them differently.
Does ECOM provide PLM or design software?
No. ECOM integrates item, order and shipment data with the PLM, ERP and warehouse systems you already run.
How to get started
Tell us who you trade with and what you run
- Send the basics. Your trading partners, the documents they require, your ERP or other systems, and any deadline.
- We review the requirements. An ECOM specialist looks at the partner programs, document formats and connections involved.
- You decide how to proceed. We outline the options, including managed services or software, for you to compare.
Helpful to share, but not required
You do not need an implementation guide or a finished requirements list to contact us. If you have these, they speed things up:
- Whether you sell wholesale to retailers, through marketplaces or drop-ship programs, or both.
- Your retailers and their routing or vendor guides, if you have them; if not, we can help identify what applies.
- Your ERP and how style, color and size items are set up.
- Chargebacks, label or ASN problems you want fixed first, and your go-live date.
See how ECOM works with customers: case studies ERP integrations compare delivery options (software, managed or team-based)
Get your next retailer set up before the season
Share the retailer's EDI guide and how your item data is managed. An ECOM specialist will outline catalogs, labels and testing.