Create a dependable product catalogue
A clear product record uses consistent names, categories, SKUs, cost prices, and selling prices. These records support billing, inventory, purchases, sales, and reports.
Keep product information current
Authorized users should update prices and product details through a defined process. Duplicate products and inconsistent units can make transaction and stock records harder to interpret.
Explore related SellingIt workflows
Check a product price before changing it
Cost and selling price describe different sides of the same item. Use the markup calculator to work from cost to a proposed price, then compare the result with the product record. A percentage calculation does not include every operating expense or guarantee a profitable sale.
Build product records staff can identify quickly
A useful product catalogue helps a staff member select the intended item without guessing. Use a consistent product name, a unique SKU or other supported identifier, an appropriate category and a clearly defined unit. Similar products should contain enough distinguishing information—such as model, size, pack or other relevant attribute—to prevent the wrong item being billed or received.
Use one dependable record for each sellable item
Search before creating a new product and decide when a variation needs its own record. Duplicate products split sales and stock history, while combining genuinely different items can make prices and quantities unreliable. The right level of detail depends on how the store buys, counts and sells the item.
Keep cost and selling price separate
Cost describes what the merchant records for acquiring an item on the chosen basis; selling price describes what the customer is charged before any relevant transaction-specific change. Confirm the basis used for tax, freight, discounts or other amounts before comparing them. A price calculator does not update the product record or establish an appropriate price by itself.
Define units consistently
If an item is purchased by a case but sold by a piece, the merchant needs a consistent supported process for those quantities. Do not alternate between packs and individual units without documenting the relationship. Specialist unit conversion, weighing or bundle functionality should be confirmed in the current product configuration.
Control catalogue changes
Decide who may create products, change prices, merge duplicates or make a record inactive. Review a proposed change against recent sales, open orders, received purchases and stock records. Removing or renaming an item without context can make earlier transactions harder to understand.
Use the retail product catalogue checklist before importing or entering products. Connect clean records with inventory management, POS and billing and the markup calculator for a separate pricing estimate.
Build a product catalogue that staff can use reliably
A useful retail product record gives one item a consistent identity across billing, stock checks, purchasing and reports. Begin with the products the store sells now. Use a clear name, the correct selling unit, an approved price and the identifiers the merchant has verified instead of importing a large unreviewed list.
What information should every retail product record contain?
At minimum, record a recognizable product name, the unit used at the counter, the approved selling price and any supported category or code needed by the business. Add tax-related, cost, supplier or barcode information only when it has been verified and the current workflow supports it.
How should variants and pack sizes be organized?
Treat a size, colour, flavour, model or pack as a separate sellable item when it has its own price, barcode or stock quantity. Make the difference visible in the product name. Do not use one record for a piece, pack and case unless the quantity conversion is defined and tested.
How can duplicate products be prevented?
Search by name, code and barcode before creating an item. Agree on a naming pattern and restrict catalogue changes to responsible staff. When a duplicate is found, compare its transactions and stock history before deciding which record should remain; deleting one without review can remove useful context.
When should an old product be made inactive?
Make a discontinued or no-longer-sold product unavailable for new activity only after outstanding stock, open purchasing and relevant corrections are reviewed. Retain the historical record needed to understand earlier transactions. Do not rename an old product to represent a different new item.
How often should retail prices be reviewed?
Review prices when verified supplier cost, tax treatment, pack size or the merchant’s pricing decision changes. Record who approved the change and test the item at the counter. A price review is different from an automatic price recommendation; SellingIt does not determine the commercially or legally correct price.
Use the retail product catalogue checklist, connect item records with Inventory Management, and verify purchasing context through Purchase and Supplier Management.