How to set up SKU codes for a small online store
What a SKU is, why even a tiny store benefits from readable codes, and a simple scheme you can keep in a spreadsheet.
A SKU, short for stock keeping unit, is just a short code that names one exact thing you sell. Not "the kurta", but "the olive kurta in size M". Big warehouses depend on SKUs. A small seller does not strictly need them, but the moment you juggle several colours and sizes, a simple code scheme saves you from packing the wrong item.
What a SKU is for
Think of it as a label you can say aloud and write on a packing slip. When an order comes in, the code tells you precisely which piece to pick. When you count stock on a shelf, the code tells you what you are counting. It is a tool for you, your helpers and your records, not something a customer has to learn.
What a good code looks like
A readable code is built from parts, each standing for something you already know. For instance:
- A short category letter or word
- A short style or product name
- A colour code
- A size code
Put together with dashes, the code reads like a sentence once you know the pattern. Here are two illustrative codes, not tied to any real product: KUR-BLOCK-OLV-M for an olive medium block print kurta, and CND-LAV-180 for a lavender candle, 180 g.
Steps to set up your scheme
- List your categories and give each a two or three letter code.
- Give each style or product a short name, three to five letters.
- Choose colour codes once and use them everywhere: OLV, BLK, SND.
- Use your size labels as they are: S, M, L, XL.
- Join the parts in the same order every time.
Write the scheme down in a note or a spreadsheet so anyone helping you uses the same one. Exporting store orders to a spreadsheet is a handy way to match your sales against the sheet where you keep stock codes.
Keep it short
A code you cannot read at a glance on a packing slip is a bad code. Aim for something you could dictate over the phone without spelling it twice. For naming patterns across sizes and colours, see SKU naming convention examples for variants.
Where Varchas fits in
In the Varchas product editor, you add a product with a name, price, stock and, if needed, colourways with S, M, L and XL stock counts. The editor does not ask for a SKU code, so if you want codes, keep them in your own sheet alongside the product names. That is a perfectly good way to start. Stock for each colour and size is tracked on the store, as described in setting up product variants properly.
When you really need codes
Codes become useful when you:
- Store products on shelves or in boxes and need to find them fast.
- Have helpers packing orders.
- Work with a supplier who needs a reference.
- Reconcile stock between a sheet and your sales.
If you have five products in one colour each, you can skip codes and use names. Do not add complexity before you need it.
Make a change log
If you later rename or split a product, note the old and new codes together. Changing codes silently is how stock sheets stop matching reality. Keep the scheme boring, consistent and written down.