Inventory how-to

How to set up SKUs for a new store

Give every variant a unique, structured SKU before you launch forecasting or reordering tools.

Short answer: Give every variant a unique, structured SKU before you launch forecasting or reordering tools. A clean SKU scheme saves you hours later when you are matching supplier invoices and building purchase orders.

Why SKU structure matters early

If you set up SKUs randomly now, you will spend time fixing them later once sales history starts building against those codes. Forecasting and reorder tools match sales and purchase orders to SKUs, so inconsistent or missing codes break that chain.

Build a simple, readable code

Use a short code that encodes the product and variant without being cryptic. A common pattern is category-product-variant, for example TSH-BLK-MED for a black medium t-shirt. Keep it under 20 characters, use letters and numbers only, and avoid spaces or special characters that can cause problems in spreadsheets or CSV imports.

Keep one SKU per sellable variant

Every size, color, or material combination needs its own SKU, even if the price is the same across variants. This is what lets you track stock and sales separately for each one. If you plan to add new variants later, leave gaps in your numbering or use a scheme that does not depend on sequential numbers.

Match SKUs to supplier references where possible

If your supplier already uses their own item codes, consider keeping a cross-reference between your SKU and their code in a spreadsheet. This makes it faster to check incoming shipments and resolve any mismatches, since suppliers will not always use your internal SKU format.

Step by step

  1. List every product and variant you plan to sell in a spreadsheet first, before entering anything into your store.
  2. Decide on a short, consistent SKU pattern, such as category-product-variant.
  3. Assign one unique SKU to each variant, never shared across colors or sizes.
  4. Add supplier item numbers as a separate reference column, not as the SKU itself.
  5. Enter the SKUs into your store admin for each variant.
  6. Double check for duplicate or blank SKUs before you go live.
  7. Keep a backup copy of your SKU list outside your store in case you need to rebuild or re-import later.

Worked example

A new homeware store sells a ceramic mug in three colors. They set SKUs MUG-CER-WHT, MUG-CER-BLU, and MUG-CER-GRN. Their supplier's own codes are C-101, C-102, and C-103, which they keep in a separate notes column. When the first shipment arrives, they check the packing slip against their notes column to confirm C-101 matches MUG-CER-WHT before receiving stock.

How SteadyShelf helps

SteadyShelf reads the SKUs already set up in your store to forecast sales and build purchase orders, but it does not help you design or assign the SKU scheme itself. You need to set up clean, unique SKUs per variant in your store admin before SteadyShelf's forecasts and reorder suggestions will be accurate.

$29/month flat, unlimited products and suppliers, 30-day free trial. Run the numbers now with the free reorder point calculator.

SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.

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FAQ

Should I include the supplier's name in my SKU?

You can, but it is better kept as a separate reference field. Suppliers change over time, and if you switch suppliers for the same product you would otherwise need to rename the SKU and lose continuity in your sales history.

What if I already have messy SKUs in an existing store?

Clean them up in a spreadsheet first, mapping old SKUs to new ones, then update them in your store admin in one pass. Doing it gradually, product by product, makes it easy to miss variants and end up with a mix of old and new formats.

Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU

Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.

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