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Easier product import for vendors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Multi-Vendor<\/a> allows your vendors to import products in CSV and XML files. A so-called import preset tells Multi-Vendor what columns or elements of the file contain what information about a product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously, each vendor had to set up their own presets. Even if your vendors used similar files, each vendor was on their own. You could help them with setting up a preset, but you\u2019d have to do it again for any other vendor who has a similar file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting with version 4.12.1, you can set up common import presets that will be available to all vendors. If you teach Multi-Vendor how to interpret a file once, then any vendor will be able to import a similar file without issue. If vendors need to adjust a preset, they can make their own copy a common preset. That way, the import is friendlier to both newcomers and experienced vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our documentation has a short article about common presets<\/a>. We also demonstrated this functionality<\/a> in a video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cAsk seller a question\u201d add-on previously allowed customers to contact your vendors about a product. But in version 4.12.1 the add-on had to be renamed to \u201cMessage center\u201d. That\u2019s because it offers new functionality now: communication between vendors and marketplace administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A vendor can contact marketplace administrators from various pages of the admin panel via the gear button. Administrators will see what page the vendor has contacted them from. The same works the other way around. So, it\u2019s easier for vendors and marketplace admins to discuss specific issues. A vendor management checklist<\/a> can help ensure these conversations follow a consistent process, especially when resolving recurring vendor concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We demonstrated this improvement<\/a> in an earlier video report on Multi-Vendor development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In version 4.12.1, the \u201cVendor debt payout\u201d has been reworked almost from scratch. There are many improvements that we explained in the documentation<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also covered all these improvements<\/a> in an earlier video report. Note that some things have changed since then. For example, the maximum debt and the time to pay that debt are set in the add-on settings by default. But you can make them configurable for each plan with a couple of clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you can allow vendors to create their own features. To do that, go to Settings \u2192 Vendors<\/strong> and tick the Allow vendors to manage product features<\/em> checkbox. Check out our documentation to learn more about product feature creation by vendors<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why the \u201cVendor privileges\u201d add-on now allows you to decide whether or not vendors have access to return requests. In addition, you can allow vendors to create orders and\/or edit more than just some of its minor details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a new add-on in Multi-Vendor Plus and Multi-Vendor Ultimate<\/a> called \u201cVendor rating\u201d<\/a>. It allows you to automatically split vendors into tiers: bronze, silver, and gold. There are many criteria, and you can specify your own formula based on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that, if you enable sorting of vendors by rating and make it the default sorting, customers will see products of vendors with the highest rating first. This helps you encourage certain behavior from vendors. For example, if customer reviews affect rating by a large margin, it\u2019s in the vendor\u2019s best interest to leave the marketplace customers impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about the new add-on and how to configure it<\/a> in Multi-Vendor documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Design \u2192 Themes <\/strong>page now allows you to set various logos in your marketplace in one place. Among other logos, it includes the new Default logo for new vendors<\/strong>. Previously, a new vendor who didn\u2019t specify a logo got the logo of the theme (before version 4.11.4) or the logo of the marketplace (in 4.11.4 and 4.11.5). But now you can specify a separate logo that vendors will be getting during registration if they don\u2019t provide their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously, the bottom toolbar was available at our demos of Multi-Vendor. It\u2019s a good way to get acquainted with the product, find the admin panel and vendor panel, etc. The screenshot below shows what that toolbar looks like at our demo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We figured that live marketplaces could benefit from it too. If one of your customers becomes a vendor, he or she might not even know how to reach the vendor\u2019s admin panel. Now, when a vendor\u2019s administrator signs into the account on the storefront, he or she will immediately see the difference and know where to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before 4.12.1, newly-registered vendors received the \u201cNew\u201d status. Marketplace administrators could make them visible on the storefront right away (change status to \u201cActive\u201d) or give them some time to fill the catalog (change status to \u201cPending\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In version 4.12.1 it\u2019s much easier to distinguish vendors that require approval. Vendors that you need to take a look have the \u201cThumbs up\u201d and \u201cThumbs down\u201d buttons instead of status next to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By default, clicking \u201cThumbs up\u201d changes the vendor\u2019s status to \u201cActive\u201d (or to the status that vendor used to have, if you use the \u201cVendor data premoderation\u201d add-on). This approval flow is easier and doesn\u2019t require extra steps. But if you\u2019d like new vendors to get the Pending <\/em>status after approval, go to Settings \u2192 Vendors<\/strong> and choose to \u201cApprove vendors in 2 steps\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A useful change if you like to set up different conditions for each vendor, and don\u2019t have an assortment of plans. Previously, you had to leave the vendor editing page, go to the list of plans, create the plan, configure it, and then return to the vendor editing page to assign it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting with version 4.12.1, you can create a vendor plan and specify the properties of the plan from the vendor editing page. We\u2019ll be introducing this principle in other places where it\u2019s appropriate as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n PayPal Commerce Platform<\/a> is a solution for marketplaces to accept payments and distribute them between the involved vendors automatically. It is a relatively new solution, so it is still being developed and improved. There was a change on the PayPal side, so we had to add a new field called \u201cPartner integration code\u201d in version 4.12.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Multi-Vendor Ultimate allows you to scale your marketplace: create multiple storefronts and tailor them to various countries and audiences. That\u2019s why it was important to make some settings depend on the storefront, and that\u2019s what we did in version 4.12.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many possible applications for this. For example, the screenshot below shows that you can now specify different weight measurement units for different countries. We covered how this functionality works in an earlier video report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCommunication between admins and vendors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Improved management of debtors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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More abilities for vendors: orders, returns, product features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A new add-on for vendor rating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Default logo for newly-registered vendors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bottom toolbar to help vendors find admin panel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
New vendor approval flow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Quick vendor plan creation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Update to PayPal Commerce Platform<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Different settings for different storefronts (Multi-Vendor Ultimate)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Collect taxes from vendors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n