# Matched SKU

A matched SKU is a competitor's listing confirmed to be the same product as one of yours, so the two prices can be compared fairly.

Also called: product matching

- **Is:** A competitor listing confirmed to be the same product as one of yours.
- **Uses:** Barcode, brand and part number, pack size and variant together.
- **Watch for:** The biggest price gaps. They are the most likely to be mismatches.

## What it means for retail and category teams

Matching is the hardest part of competitor price monitoring. Barcodes (GTINs) are missing, reused or wrong on many listings; pack sizes and variants differ; titles are inconsistent; and a number in a title can be a model code, a size or a multipack count. Good matching uses several signals together (barcode, brand and manufacturer part number, pack size, variant) and treats a doubtful match as unmatched.

Matches also age. Listings are relisted, competitors change pack sizes and marketplace sellers come and go, so matches need re-checking on a schedule.

## Why it matters

Every downstream number, from a single price gap to a category index, inherits the quality of the match. A wrong match produces a comparison that looks clean and is wrong. The most dramatic gaps, the ones most likely to trigger a price move, are often the mismatches.

## How Twelfth handles this

In twelfth, the customer SKU is the key for each tracked product, and a barcode (GTIN) or brand plus manufacturer part number are optional matching signals; pack, model, variant and fitment attributes help prevent false matches. The Tracked set marks each competitor as in stock, out of stock or not matched, and a newly added line can stay unmatched until collection has observed and paired it.

## Illustrative example

The business and figures are illustrative. None of it is customer data.

A retailer sells a 24-pack of 600 ml sparkling water at $12.00. A competitor listing with a similar title shows $7.20, 40% lower. On inspection it is a 12-pack of the same product. Once pack size is used as a matching signal, that listing is rejected and the competitor's own 24-pack is matched at $11.40. The real gap is 5%.

**Sparkling water 24 × 600 ml: your price $12.00**

| | Competitor price | Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Similar title, 12-pack (wrong pack size) | $7.2 | −40% · rejected |
| Same product, 24-pack (matched) | $11.4 | −5% · matched |

Reference line: Your price: $12.00.

The dramatic 40% gap was a different product. The real gap is 5%.

[Download the matched-price log CSV](https://twelfth.ai/resources/retail-csv/price-match-log.csv).

## Related concepts

- [Price index](https://twelfth.ai/glossary/price-index)
- [Price intelligence](https://twelfth.ai/glossary/price-intelligence)
- [Tracked set](https://twelfth.ai/glossary/tracked-set)
- [Price position](https://twelfth.ai/glossary/price-position)

## Next step

### Look at the price gaps that matter

Bring a few products and competitors. We can walk through matching, observation dates and which gaps deserve a closer look.

- [Book a demo](https://twelfth.ai/book-a-demo)

Source: https://twelfth.ai/glossary/matched-sku