Product variants

Some marketplaces demand a structured approach to product data, adhering to the Grandparent/Parent/Child (GPC) model. This guide outlines how to configure your products within KatanaPIM to meet these requirements, ensuring a seamless integration with such marketplaces.

Understanding GPC structure

The GPC structure is required from marketplaces that necessitate detailed relationships between product variants. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Grandparent: represents the overarching product category or line.
• Parent: specifies the product type or model within the grandparent category.
• Child: details the individual variants, such as size, color, or material.

Zalando is known for its detailed product listing rules, which can really help you get your product information organized. Mastering Zalando's requirements can set you up for success across various other marketplaces as well. For detailed guidelines, Zalando offers comprehensive documentation available at: Zalando Developer Documentation.

Variants configuration in KatanaPIM

Setting up your product variants in KatanaPIM is easy.

This example file illustrates the optimal organization of product data, crucial for a smooth and efficient configuration process.

http://marketing.katanapim.com/variant-relationships.xlsx

Here's how the template lays out the product structure:

• ExternalKey: This column is unique for each child variant, providing an identifier that's exclusive to your system.
• SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): Each child variant, being a sellable product, has its own SKU.
• Name: The child product name.
• ParentName and ParentExternalKey: These columns are related to parent variants of the same product (name and external key), like different colors of running shoes.
• GrandParentName and GrandParentExternalKey: These columns are related to grandparent products (name and external key).

View of your product variants within KatanaPIM

KatanaPIM provides an intuitive layout that displays how your product variants are categorized. In the example of running shoes, the interface shows a top-level category 'Running shoes' (grandparent) followed by color variations (parents) as 'Running shoes - Red', 'Running shoes - Blue', and so on. Under each color variation, size-specific variants (child products) like 'Running shoes - Red - 42' are listed, making it simple to view and manage your complete inventory at a glance.

To upload your product data into KatanaPIM, you first need to create a Variant Relationships feed mapping. To do so, you can refer to the documentation: Creating a Feed Mapping - variant relationships.