Catalog and products

Catalog Manager begins with the market where the customer will shop. A catalog carries its currency, locale and region, so a product belongs to a definite storefront context. Product categories organize browsing; products carry the listing text, imagery and publication state. A variant supplies the SKU, price, weight and stock-tracking choice for the item actually purchased. A meal seller might publish a family-sized pasta tray and a smaller serving as separate variants under one product, with distinct prices and stock records.

The distinction matters when a customer checks out. The cart item points to the buyable variant, while an order line snapshots its SKU, menu item, portions and unit price. Catalog Manager should confirm that what appears on a product page is the same sellable choice Warehouse Operator can locate and fulfill.

• Market. Catalogs carry currency, locale, tax behavior and storefront state for each selling context.
• Offer. product categories, Products, product variants and Collections organize listings and buyable choices.
• Availability. Inventory ties stock to a variant at a warehouse, while the product and variant remain the selling definitions.

Merchant Owner and Catalog Manager agree which catalog serves each region, who can change a live listing, and how the team treats a product that is temporarily unavailable. They set the category tree, product handles and variant SK us before imports. A clear SKU convention avoids two similar meals being confused at picking time. They also decide how product descriptions and images will be maintained, and who checks that listed prices and shipping requirements match the actual item.

Catalog Manager maintains collection names and merchandising rules for the storefront. A manual collection needs a curator; an automated collection needs an agreed rule. Marketing Manager should know when a promotional collection is ready for a storefront campaign. Catalog Manager should inspect what shoppers actually see before directing traffic to it.

Take a new chilled entree offered in two portion sizes. Catalog Manager enters the product once and creates each saleable variant with its own SKU and price. Warehouse Operator confirms the stock position for each variant. Merchant Owner reviews the catalog currency and the shipping choice before the listing is made active. Place a test cart for each size and inspect the variant selected in the cart item. The order line should preserve the purchased SKU and portion count even if the catalog listing is later revised.

If a product belongs to a different market, check its catalog before publishing. The choice of storefront currency travels into carts and orders. A misplaced listing is easier to correct before customers create payment and fulfillment records against it.

• Products to publish — Listings awaiting a catalog manager’s review of title, market and category.
• Live storefront catalogs — Markets currently available for order activity.
• Low stock variants — Warehouse positions to check before promoting an item.

Continue to storefront preparation and order intake. The data model shows how a product, variant and order line connect.