thread Re: Categories vs Variations in Online Store

Categories vs Variations

LuxeGifts-OR — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 03:30:56 GMT

I own a boutique gift and paper store in the PNW. I am looking for community support on recommendations for improving the way i setup items, use categories, item names, variations, etc to achieve more logical item tracking, and considering proper item setup/pdp layout for items we will sell through both B&M and online channels.

Example Scenario: I carry multiple cards (unique UPCs) for multiple season/occasion from a single card line/artist.

Example item: Occasion cards

Current Item Setup:

Item Category = Cards

Item Name = Card Line/Artist, Occasion

Variations = each unique card descriptor, UPC & Price

Considering tracking/reporting management and online UX, we need the ability to search/navigate to products or groups using the product type (eg.cards), the brand/artist name (card line), the occasion (eg. Anniversary), and tone (eg. funny).

Any learned experience or recommendations to improve considering my current setup, example scenario and the categories/identifiers above would be GREATLY appreciated!

Happy New Year!

Item Setup and categorization recommendations

LuxeGifts-OR — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 11:34:06 GMT

Example Scenario: I carry multiple cards (unique UPCs) for multiple season/occasion from a single card line/artist.

Example item: Occasion cards

Current Item Setup:

Item Category = Cards

Item Name = Card Line/Artist, Occasion

Variations = each unique card descriptor, UPC & Price

Any learned experience or recommendations to improve considering my current setup, example scenario and the categories/identifiers above would be GREATLY appreciated!

Happy New Year!

Re: Categories vs Variations

maxpete — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:00:41 GMT

Welcome to the Community! Tagging in some folks who might be able to add their insights with this! @JUYBoutique20 and @Candlestore

Re: Item Setup and categorization recommendations

Candlestore — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:20:10 GMT

@LuxeGifts-OR ;

Thanks @maxpete for tagging me.

I will try to help with how I would set these up.

Item Category = Cards

Item Name = Card Line/Artist, Occasion

Variations = each unique card descriptor, UPC & Price

With Square You can have Multiple Items and Categories and Multiple ways to set these up. I try to set my Categories up as General Categories so if a Vendor stops making said Items I do not have to re do everything.

So try This:

Category (parent) - Cards

Sub Category ( Child ) - Holiday , Valentines, Wedding, Birthday, Everyday etc

Item Name - Something a little more descriptive of the Card Wedding with Dogs Kisssing, Funny

Variations - are if you have more than one card with Dogs kissing --- Blue card.... Red Card etc Wood scene, city background etc Variations can have unique GTIN, SKU and Price points

Vendor - Now for the Artist, have them as the Vendor for the item where you can also put in the price you pay them for the Item.

Maybe all the cards for Holidays could be Variations of Holiday Cards.

For me I have -

Category Tappers-

Sub Categories Formal, Regular

Then I also have another sub category by Length under each of the Formal and Regular Sub Categories

Then the Item Name is the Size and Manufacturer of the Tapper

Variations are just the Color for that Size and Manufacturer of the Tapper.

My Reporting Category is Formal Or Regular depending on the Item itself.

This way I can pull reports for Formal Tappers and see the items that sell or pull a report by Vendor (Manufacturer).

This way I can have multiple Vendors in a Category of Tappers for example. Just be aware that what ever the Item is you must keep the same Vendor for the Item and its variations.

With Square you can have an unlimited number of Items and keep variations under 120 for Online sales (unless this changed)

Re: Categories vs Variations

JUYBoutique20 — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:59:40 GMT

I use the same system as @Candlestore in my online shop.

Category - Uniquely U Women

Subcategory - Dresses, Tops, Bottoms, Jewelry, etc.

Item Name - I try to come up with little unique names for my pieces like "Sexy and I Know It Dress", "Not So Basic Dress", etc.

Variations/Options - I love that we can create multiple here. My options are usually for certain colors and sizes.

Vendor - I would also put your artist as the vendor for the item and make sure to put the unit cost of what you pay the artist. The only thing that differs for my in-store is I use my subcategories I created in my online shop as my reporting categories.

Re: Categories vs Variations

Crafterra — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 06:19:51 GMT

Hey Jacqueline! Youvve been more helpful in a post from almost 7 months ago - than 1.5 hours with online "Square expert" was. Thank you! (and you have a great store!)