The verdict in three sentences
Once a B2B catalog passes a few thousand SKUs, Excel becomes a liability: duplicates, stale prices, incomplete listings that block sales. A PIM (Product Information Management) centralizes product data once, distributes it everywhere and cuts time-to-market by 50% and catalog errors by 35%. In London, a custom PIM costs GBP 20k-50k and pays back in 8 to 14 months through recovered hours and unblocked sales.
PIM SaaS vs custom: the 2026 comparison
Akeneo Cloud is the SaaS benchmark, but its annual license is heavy. Custom removes that rent and fits your specific channels.
| Criterion | Akeneo Cloud (SaaS) | Custom PIM (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | From GBP 22k/year | GBP 20k-50k |
| Year 2+ cost | ~GBP 22k/year | GBP 3k-9k/year |
| Deployment time | 2-4 months | 6-12 weeks |
| Channel adaptation | Standard | Full |
| Ownership | License | Code delivered |
| Languages / currencies | Multi | Configured to needs |
| 3-year cost | ~GBP 66k | GBP 26k-68k |
Over three years, custom roughly halves the bill while staying fully under your control.
PIM cost by number of SKUs
Budget depends mainly on listing volume, attribute richness and the number of channels to feed.
| Catalog volume | Complexity | 2026 range (GBP) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 2,000 SKUs | Simple | 20k-27k | 6 weeks |
| 2,000-10,000 SKUs | Medium | 27k-38k | 8 weeks |
| 10,000-25,000 SKUs | High | 38k-50k | 10-12 weeks |
| > 25,000 SKUs | Multi-channel | 50k+ | on quote |
For 15,000 SKUs like our distributor, a realistic budget sits around GBP 38k-44k.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
James, e-commerce manager at an electrical-supplies distributor in London, handles 15,000 SKUs across 4 Excel files and the ERP. His 3 catalog managers each spend 25 hrs/month fixing listings. A custom PIM at GBP 40k cuts that by 50%, recovering 37 hrs/month. Valued at GBP 22/hr, that is ~GBP 9,800/year, plus sales unblocked by complete listings: ROI is reached in 11 months.
FAQ
When does a PIM become worthwhile? From 2,000-3,000 active SKUs or more than two sales channels. Below that, a well-structured spreadsheet may do; above it, errors and lost time justify the investment.
Akeneo or custom in London? Akeneo is powerful but costs ~GBP 22k/year. Custom, at GBP 20k-50k, is roughly half the price over three years and fits your channels.
What concrete gains should I expect? On average -50% time-to-market and -35% catalog errors, plus sales recovered through complete listings and up-to-date prices.
How long to deploy? From 6 to 12 weeks depending on volume, including migrating existing data (Excel + ERP) and training catalog managers.
Does a PIM replace the ERP? No: the ERP handles stock, prices and orders; the PIM enriches and distributes product data. The two connect via a dedicated connector.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your SKU count, sales channels and indicative budget, and we'll price a PIM that fits. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
