Setting Item (Product) Inventory Type

Items can be set with either basic or advanced (option-specific) inventory control.

The item’s inventory control type is set on the ‘General Info’ section of the item’s Product Manager. (Inventory level(s) are controlled in the Inventory Manager)

If the item is set with basic inventory control, there is only one inventory level for the item and one SKU for the item. The majority of online stores will use this default option control type.

If an item is set with Advanced (Option-Specific) inventory control, the item can have multiple inventory levels and SKUS.

The advanced inventory feature is used for items that require exact inventory management for each of the item’s set options. The following options can be used to track advanced inventory levels: size, color, material, custom option1, and custom option 2.

An example of a website that may require advanced inventory control is an online shoe store that needs to track the inventory levels of each size and color of a specific shoe items.

Note: Both basic and advanced (option-specific) inventory can be used at the same time. Therefore, some items can be set as basic and others as advanced, if required, for inventory tracking and management.

Below is a screen shot of the inventory control type selector on the ‘General Info’ screen of the Product Manager.