> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.lobyco.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Retail Master Data

> Get product and article master data into Lobyco.

Master data is the first integration to get right. A long list of Lobyco services will not function until it is in place, because they all reference your articles, products, stores and transactions.

There are four areas.

| Area | Enables | Detail |
| - | - | - |
| **Article data** | Scan\&Pay, self-checkout, local bonus | Below |
| **Product data** | Category-based challenges and offers, 1:1 personal offers, shopping list | Below |
| **Purchase data** | Digital receipts, bonus, challenges | [Transaction Data](/integration/pos-point-of-sale-integrations/transaction-data) |
| **Store data** | Store finder, preferred store, chain- and store-level coupons | [Importing store and chain data](/integration/retail-master-data/import-chains-and-stores) |

## Article data

The Product Catalog service manages articles — creating, updating and retrieving them. Article information is **store-specific as well as general**, so the store identifier matters: sale prices differ between stores and chains.

For retrieval you can look up a single article by store and article identifier, or run a configurable search across a set of articles, narrowing by store, by an optional set of article identifiers, and by whether you want only articles sold via displayed barcodes or those available through a catalogue such as pastry.

### Import scenarios

| Scenario | What you send | Use when |
| - | - | - |
| **Full** | The complete dataset | You want a comprehensive refresh |
| **Partial** | Modified articles together with new ones | Ongoing maintenance |
| **Incremental (prices)** | Only what changed | Price movements — small enough to run during business hours |

All three upsert the records they carry.

## Product data

The same service stores **core product properties that apply across all stores**. If store-level pricing is not part of your integration, product data alone may be enough.

A product record holds its unique identifier and name, EAN numbers, images, brand, suppliers, and any additional attributes you need.

Products are stored in a **hierarchical tree**, grouping related products under common parent categories — broad classifications down to specific items. That structure is what makes category-based promotions possible.

## Purchase data

Send checkout transactions to Lobyco to allocate benefits and generate digital receipts. The rules, validation and integration options are covered in [Transaction Data](/integration/pos-point-of-sale-integrations/transaction-data).

## Store data

The Store service handles retail chains and individual stores: identifiers, names, contact details, physical location, operational status and opening hours. Chain data carries the branding that unifies stores under one identity — logos, colours and identifiers.

Chains must exist before the stores that reference them. Both can be imported in bulk or maintained individually.

<Info>
  Fields, import modes, validation rules and the order to run imports in are covered in [Importing store and chain data](/integration/retail-master-data/import-chains-and-stores).
</Info>

## Detailed import guides

* [Run an import job](/integration/retail-master-data/run-an-import-job)
* [Import product and article information](/integration/retail-master-data/import-products-and-articles)
* [Integrations based on Product Catalog data](/integration/retail-master-data/product-data-each-service-needs)
* [Importing store and chain data](/integration/retail-master-data/import-chains-and-stores)

## API reference

Endpoint documentation: [Retail Master Data](/api-reference/retail-master-data) and [Data Import](/api-reference/data-import).


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