Rithum launches SupplyExplorer to speed supplier discovery

Rithum has launched SupplyExplorer, a supplier discovery tool for retailers aimed at merchandising teams looking for new suppliers.

The service draws on data from Rithum's existing commerce network to recommend suppliers and provide performance information before a retailer makes contact. It is designed to reduce manual research and shorten the time needed to assess potential partners.

SupplyExplorer includes Merchant Match, a module that recommends suppliers based on a retailer's categories, growth priorities and business needs. It also features Network Profiles, supplier-controlled profiles that include catalogue information, company details and performance across Rithum's network.

Retailers can use these profiles to compare suppliers, assess their relevance to a category and review historical performance data. The tool is intended to help merchants judge fit before starting discussions with a supplier.

The launch comes as retailers face pressure to widen product ranges while managing fragmented supplier information across multiple systems and channels. Merchandising teams often rely on manual searches and direct outreach to find new partners, a process that can slow category expansion and delay decisions.

SupplyExplorer is intended to bring more structure to that process by combining supplier discovery with data-backed recommendations. Rithum positions the tool as part of a broader effort to help retailers identify partners that match their assortment strategy and fill gaps in their offer.

The business, previously known as CommerceHub and ChannelAdvisor, provides software and services covering product listing, order fulfilment and performance management across eCommerce channels. It works with retailers and brands including ASOS, M&S, Aldi, Shein, Adidas, Best Buy, B&Q, Draper Tools, The Home Depot and Zalando.

Rithum says its network gives it visibility into supplier performance, assortment breadth and commercial relationships across the retail sector. That data underpins the new product's recommendation system and supplier profiles.

Supplier search

At the centre of the launch is the challenge of supplier discovery in eCommerce, where buyers often have incomplete or inconsistent information when reviewing new vendors. Retailers expanding into new categories can struggle to identify suitable suppliers quickly enough to respond to shifts in customer demand.

The problem has become more acute as online retailers seek broader assortments without taking on excessive inventory risk. In marketplace and dropship models, the speed at which a retailer can find and assess external suppliers can determine how quickly it enters a category or strengthens an existing one.

"Supplier discovery has remained one of the most manual and fragmented parts of eCommerce, forcing merchandising teams to rely on disconnected data, time-consuming research, and guesswork to find the right partners," said Blaine Nielsen, President of Retailers, Rithum.

"That slows down assortment expansion, creates missed revenue opportunities, and makes it harder for retailers to keep pace with changing customer demand. With SupplyExplorer, we're helping retailers act more quickly and confidently by bringing structure, visibility, and intelligence to how they identify and connect with the partners that will drive their next phase of growth."

Market pressure

The introduction of supplier-matching tools reflects a wider push among retail technology providers to use network data and automation in sourcing and marketplace operations. For retailers, the appeal lies in reducing the time buyers spend on searching, screening and initial outreach while improving the chances that shortlisted suppliers are relevant to the business.

According to Rithum, SupplyExplorer gives retailers a way to discover suppliers aligned with category and growth goals, make decisions using supplier data and build assortments without relying on cold outreach alone. The announcement did not include pricing or customer deployment details.

With teams in the UK, US, Ireland, Spain and Australia, Rithum has built its business around software that connects brands, retailers and marketplaces. SupplyExplorer adds supplier identification to a product set already focused on the path from product listing and discovery to fulfilment and performance management.

Network Profiles are controlled by suppliers themselves, allowing them to present catalogue and company information directly within the platform. Retailers can use that information alongside network performance signals to decide whether to pursue a connection.

The aim is to help retailers expand assortments with less reliance on disconnected data and manual prospecting, while giving merchandising teams more confidence in early-stage supplier evaluation.