How to Build a Solid Product Structure
As product catalogues grow, many ecommerce and B2B businesses face the same underlying issue:
their product structure was never designed to scale.
What starts as a simple list of products quickly turns into confusion around SKUs, barcodes, variants and attributes. Without a clear structure, product data becomes difficult to manage, error-prone and expensive to maintain.
Why Product Structure Matters More Than You Think
A solid product structure is the foundation of:
Accurate product data
Efficient catalogue management
Reliable integrations with channels and marketplaces
Scalable ecommerce and B2B operations
Poor structure does not only slow teams down — it directly affects customer experience and sales.
What Is an SKU?
An SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is an internal identifier used to uniquely track a sellable item.
Key characteristics:
Defined by the business
Human-readable (often meaningful)
Used for inventory, pricing and operations
Best practice:
Each sellable variant should have one unique SKU.
What Is a Barcode?
A barcode (EAN, UPC, GTIN) is a globally recognised product identifier, primarily used for:
Retail distribution
Scanning at point of sale
Marketplace and supplier requirements
Important distinction:
One SKU may have a barcode
Not all SKUs require barcodes
Barcodes are external identifiers, SKUs are internal
Mixing these concepts often leads to duplication and integration issues.
Understanding Product Variants
Variants represent different versions of the same base product.
Common variant dimensions include:
Size
Colour
Material
Pack size
Variants allow businesses to group related products while maintaining individual SKUs for each sellable option.
Example:
A t-shirt is one product.
Each size and colour combination is a variant with its own SKU.
Attributes: The Building Blocks of Product Data
Attributes describe product characteristics.
Examples include:
Colour
Weight
Dimensions
Material
Technical specifications
Attributes can be:
Variant-defining (e.g. size, colour)
Informational (e.g. description, warranty)
Clear separation between these two types is essential for a clean product model.
Common Structural Mistakes Businesses Make
Many catalogues break down because of early design shortcuts.
Typical mistakes include:
Using SKUs to represent attributes
Treating every variant as a separate product
Mixing barcodes and SKUs interchangeably
Creating inconsistent attribute names
Hardcoding variant logic into spreadsheets
These issues compound over time and make automation extremely difficult.
Designing a Scalable Product Data Model
A robust product structure usually follows this hierarchy:
Product (parent)
Variants (children)
Attributes (descriptive and variant-defining)
SKU per sellable variant
Barcode linked where required
This model keeps data flexible while supporting complex catalogues.
Why PIM Makes Product Structure Easier
A Product Information Management (PIM) system enforces structure by design.
With PIM:
Attributes are defined once and reused consistently
Variants follow clear rules
SKUs are validated and unique
Product data remains clean across channels
This removes reliance on manual discipline and reduces structural errors.
Product Structure as a Long-Term Investment
Getting product structure right is not a one-off task.
It is an investment that enables:
Faster product onboarding
Easier integrations
Better reporting and analytics
Confident catalogue growth
Businesses that treat product structure strategically avoid costly rework later.
Final Thoughts
SKU, barcode, variant and attribute management are not just technical details. They define how efficiently a business can operate and scale.
A well-designed product structure creates clarity internally and consistency externally — both of which are essential for modern ecommerce and B2B success.
In upcoming articles, we will explore:
EAV vs flat product models
Large catalogue performance strategies
Channel-specific product structures
