If your business sells apparel, furniture, or any product that comes in various sizes, colors, or materials, creating a unique Item for every single combination quickly becomes unmanageable.
The Item Variant feature solves this elegantly — you create one “Parent Item” and the system generates “Child Variants” based on the attributes you define. This matrix keeps your catalog organized and your reporting razor-sharp.
Understanding Attributes and Options
Before creating variants, you need to define the characteristics that make them different.
- Attribute: The overarching category (e.g., “Color”, “Size”, “Material”).
- Option: The specific choices within that attribute (e.g., “Red”, “Blue”, “Small”, “Large”, “Leather”).
The Matrix: If you create a “T-Shirt” with the Attribute “Color” (Options: Red, Blue) and the Attribute “Size” (Options: S, M, L), the system automatically generates a matrix of 6 unique Child Variants (Red-S, Red-M, Red-L, Blue-S, etc.). No manual work required.
Creating a Variant Item
The process starts similarly to creating a standard item but branches when you define attributes.
Create a Parent Item
Navigate to Inventory > Items and click New Item. Name the parent product (e.g., “Classic Denim Jacket”). Don’t include the size or color in this name — the variants handle that.
Enable Variants
In the item creation form, check the box labeled This item has variants (or navigate to the Variants tab if editing an existing non-variant item).
Define Attributes
Click Add Attribute.
- Type the Attribute Name (e.g., “Size”).
- Type the Options separated by commas or the Enter key (e.g., “S, M, L, XL”).
- Add another Attribute if needed (e.g., “Color”).
Generate Products
Click Generate Products. The system builds a table displaying every possible combination based on your attributes. SKUs are auto-generated (e.g., JACKET-RED-S) and are read-only.
Configure Individual Variants
While variants inherit properties from the Parent Item, you can fine-tune each specific combination in the generated table:
- Barcodes: Make sure every size/color combination has its own unique barcode for smooth POS checkout.
- Pricing Overrides: If the XXL size costs $5 more than the standard sizes, adjust its specific Sales Price right here.
Save
Click Save. The parent item acts as a clean folder holding all its child variants.
Managing Variants in Daily Operations
Once created, variants behave as distinct, fully-functioning inventory items in your daily workflows.
Purchasing and Selling
When creating a Purchase Order or Sales Order, you won’t select the “Parent Item” (the Classic Denim Jacket). Instead, the system prompts you to pick the specific Child Variant (Classic Denim Jacket - Blue / Large) so stock is deducted from the correct SKU. No guesswork.
Reporting and Stock Adjustments
- Stock Views: Your inventory list shows stock levels for each specific size and color individually.
- Reporting: Reports handle variants intelligently. You can see total revenue for the entire “Classic Denim Jacket” family, or drill down to discover that the “Small/Red” variant is your worst seller.