Product Variants

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When To Use Variants

• Use variants: the same product family has option choices and each choice needs its own SKU, stock, price, weight, or component recipe.
• Use a physical product: there is only one sellable item and no option matrix is needed.
• Use a kit: the customer buys one bundle and Arcus consumes component products.
• Use a variant kit: each variant choice has its own component recipe.
• Use a service: the item is labor, fees, or non-stock work with no inventory or shipping behavior.

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Review The Variants Tab

Open the variant parent product and select Variants. The tab shows active variant count, image, option label, SKU, price, cost, on-hand quantity, status, and the actions to open or edit each variant. Matrix view is available when the option shape fits a matrix; list view is better for direct row review.

• Open: use the full variant editor for detailed setup.
• Edit: make quick SKU, price, or cost changes from the row when available.
• Status: inactive variants are hidden from new order entry but kept for history.
• Kit badge: the variant has its own component recipe.
• Selection: select rows when you need bulk price, cost, or active-state changes.

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Generate Variants From Options

1. Open the variant parent product.
2. Go to Variants.
3. Click Generate from Options or Add Variants.
4. Enter each option name, such as Size, Color, Lid, or Model.
5. Add values for each option.
6. Review the generated count.
7. Click Generate Variants.

Generating variants creates the missing child products for the option combinations. Existing combinations are skipped, so the workflow can fill gaps without replacing valid child records. If the generated SKU would collide with another active SKU, fix the SKU pattern or edit the duplicate before saving.

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Bulk Edit Variant Rows

Select variants when the same operating cleanup applies to several child SKUs. Bulk edit is best for controlled changes such as list price, cost, image URL, or active state. Review the selected count before saving because Arcus applies the update to every selected child variant.

• Price cleanup: update a group of variants after merchandising approves the new sell price.
• Cost cleanup: update a group only when the cost source is correct for each selected variant.
• Deactivate old choices: hide discontinued variants from new order entry while preserving order history.
• Image cleanup: apply the right image URL when several variants should share the same media.

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Use The Variant Editor

Click Open on a variant row to use the full editor. The editor is where variant-level setup lives when the child choice needs behavior that differs from the parent or from another variant.

• General: variant title, SKU, barcode, active state, and option values.
• Media: variant-specific image behavior when the child needs its own image.
• Variants: switch between sibling variants without returning to the parent first.
• Pricing: variant baseline list price and cost when the child should differ from the parent. Customer, account, level, and quantity-break pricing policies are managed from the parent product Pricing tab in the current UI.
• Purchasing: read-only guidance that vendors, lead time, and purchase policies are managed from the parent product. The child inherits that buying setup when buyers receive or purchase the exact variant.
• Inventory: read-only stock summary for the variant, including on-hand, allocated, available, and buildable-from-components context when the variant is a kit.
• Shipping: weight and optional dimension overrides for the exact child variant. Blank dimensions inherit from the parent product.
• Components: visible when the variant is configured as a kit. The variant editor saves the child record, not the parent. That means a baseline price, cost, package size, component recipe, or active-state change affects only the selected child variant unless you use a bulk edit across selected variants.

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Know What The Variant Inherits

Some setup stays on the parent so buying, pricing, and catalog maintenance do not fork unexpectedly across every child SKU.

• Purchasing: approved vendors, vendor part rows, minimum order quantities, lead times, and purchase policies are parent-level setup in the current product UI.
• Customer pricing policies: maintain account, pricing level, default, and quantity-break policies from the parent product Pricing tab. The variant editor handles the child baseline list price and cost.
• Shipping dimensions: a variant can override weight and dimensions. Blank variant dimensions fall back to the parent product’s shipping dimensions.
• Inventory changes: the variant Inventory tab is a review surface. Use receiving, purchase order receiving, transfers, counts, adjustments, fulfillment, or returns to change stock.

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Variant Settings

Use Variant settings for high-impact toggles. The current settings drawer includes active state and kit configuration. If a variant is a kit, selling that variant consumes the components defined on the variant Components tab.

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Use Variant Kits When The Recipe Changes By Choice

A variant kit is the right structure when each option choice has its own component recipe. For example, a small kit and a large kit can share the same parent, but each variant can require different components or different quantities.

1. Open the exact variant.
2. Open Variant settings.
3. Turn on This variant is a kit.
4. Use the variant Components tab to add the recipe for that child.
5. Review the variant in order entry, fulfillment, and marketplace mapping before using it broadly.

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How Variants Affect Other Workflows

• Order entry: operators select the exact variant, not just the parent, before adding the line.
• Inventory: on-hand, allocated, available, transfers, counts, and receiving are tied to the child SKU.
• Pricing: the child baseline list price and cost can differ from the parent. Customer-specific and quantity-break policies are maintained from the parent product Pricing tab in the current UI.
• Fulfillment: stock, serials, bins, package data, and component requirements come from the selected variant.
• Purchasing: parent vendor setup and purchase policies apply, while the purchase order line still identifies the exact variant being bought.
• Marketplace listings: external listings should map to the exact product or variant being sold on the channel.

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Common Blocks

• Variant does not appear in order entry: confirm the variant and parent are active, and that the order search is using the right SKU or title.
• Generated count looks wrong: review option names and values before generating. The count is the combination of valid values.
• SKU will not save: active variants must keep unique SKUs inside the entity.
• Matrix view is unavailable or too large: use List view when the option set is too large or does not fit a clean matrix.
• Bulk edit changed more rows than expected: review the selected variants, then correct each affected child record or run a smaller bulk update.
• Variant kit will not fulfill: review variant components, component stock, serial requirements, and order holds.
• Purchasing fields look read-only on the variant: open the parent product Purchasing tab to maintain approved vendors, lead time, and purchase policies.
• Variant dimensions did not change shipping: confirm the variant has its own dimension values. Blank fields inherit from the parent.
• Customer-specific variant price is missing: update the parent Product Pricing policies, then test the exact variant on a draft order.
• Wrong listing receives updates: review marketplace mapping and make sure the external listing is tied to the exact child item.

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