What are Variants?
Product variants allow you to sell the same item in different configurations. For example, a t-shirt in multiple colors and sizes, or shoes in different sizes.
Example: T-Shirt Product
- Base Product: Classic Cotton T-Shirt
- Color Options: Red, Blue, Black, White
- Size Options: Small, Medium, Large, XL
- Total Variants: 16 (4 colors × 4 sizes)
- Each variant has: Unique SKU, price, and stock level
Creating Variants
Step 1: Create Base Product
- Go to /inventory
- Click "Add Product"
- Enter product name, description, category
- Upload product image
- Check "This product has variants"
- Click "Save & Add Variants"
Step 2: Define Variant Options
Common variant option types:
- Color: Red, Blue, Green, Black, White, etc.
- Size: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, or numeric (8, 10, 12)
- Material: Cotton, Polyester, Leather, Wood
- Style: Slim Fit, Regular, Relaxed
- Flavor: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry
- Weight: 1lb, 5lb, 10lb
Step 3: Add Individual Variants
For each combination, enter:
- SKU: Unique identifier (e.g., TSHIRT-RED-M)
- Name: Display name (e.g., "Red / Medium")
- Price: Can vary by variant (premium colors cost more)
- Stock Level: Quantity in stock for this specific variant
- Image: Optional variant-specific image
- Status: Active or Inactive
Variant Pricing Strategies
Uniform Pricing
All variants cost the same. Simple for customers. Example: T-shirts all $19.99 regardless of color/size.
Size-Based Pricing
Larger sizes cost more. Example: Small $19.99, Medium $21.99, Large $23.99, XL $25.99.
Color/Material Premium
Premium options cost more. Example: Black/White $19.99, Specialty colors $24.99.
Stock Management
Each variant has its own stock level. When a customer buys "Red T-Shirt / Medium", only that specific variant's stock decreases.
⚠️ Low Stock Alerts: Set reorder points per variant. Get notified when "Blue / Large" is low, even if other variants are well-stocked.
POS Checkout
When selling variant products at the register:
- Scan barcode or search for product name
- Variant selector appears automatically
- Choose color, size, or other options from dropdowns
- Selected variant's price and stock display
- Add to cart
- Stock decrements for that specific variant only
Best Practices
- SKU Naming: Use consistent format like PRODUCT-COLOR-SIZE (TSHIRT-RED-M)
- Images: Upload variant-specific images showing actual color/style
- Limit Options: Too many variants confuse customers. 2-3 option types max
- Stock All Sizes: Running out of popular sizes loses sales
- Disable Sold Out: Mark unavailable variants as inactive instead of deleting
- Reorder Together: Order all variants at once to save on shipping