Clothing stock by colour and size: a SKU table that prevents mix-ups
Having twelve shirts does not establish that you have the blue size L a customer wants. Clothing inventory needs a reference for every physical model, colour and size combination, with present, reserved and available quantities. A simple table can support an interface that shows separate option lists. Naming an option…
Having twelve shirts does not establish that you have the blue size L a customer wants. Clothing inventory needs a reference for every physical model, colour and size combination, with present, reserved and available quantities. A simple table can support an interface that shows separate option lists. Naming an option does not prove that software automatically deducts inventory for every possible combination.
Distinguish a product, an option and a physical combination
The product is the model, colour and size are attributes, and the combination is the item you can pick from a shelf: that model, black, M. Three sizes and two colours create six theoretical combinations, but some may not exist in stock. Including those values in two lists does not make every pairing physically available.
Check actual sizing across suppliers too. The letter M is not a universal measurement. Keep dimensions or the relevant size chart with the model. Do not merge two models into one stock code just because their size labels match. Renaming a marketing description should not erase the identity of pieces on historical orders.
Create short references the team can understand
An internal code might be TS01-BLK-M: model, colour, size. This is a teaching format, not an official requirement for every business. Use consistent abbreviations and avoid easily confused references. Keep a code key so a new colleague can understand the system without guessing what the owner intended.
The Shopify SKU documentation explains internal references, while GS1 defines GTIN. A home-made code does not automatically become a standard trade identifier. If a selling channel requires a particular identifier, check its requirements instead of inventing numbers to fill a field.
A worked table for twelve physical pieces
A fictional shop has four black S, three black M, two black L, two blue S, one blue M and no blue L shirts. That totals twelve pieces. One black M is reserved for a confirmed order, leaving two available in that combination and eleven available overall.
| SKU | Present | Reserved | Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| TS01-BLK-S | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| TS01-BLK-M | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| TS01-BLK-L | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TS01-BLU-S | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TS01-BLU-M | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TS01-BLU-L | 0 | 0 | 0 |
At an illustrative purchase cost of 20 TND per piece, present stock is worth 12 × 20 = 240 TND. That financial total does not reveal the blue L shortage. Maintain combination-level records even when the aggregate value looks sufficient to support selling.
Move reservations and stock without double deduction
Agree on one team procedure. Confirmation reserves one black M without claiming it has left the shelf. At physical dispatch, present stock falls from three to two and the reservation falls from one to zero, leaving two available. Do not deduct another piece at successful delivery if its warehouse exit is already recorded.
- The order identifies the combination and quantity.
- Confirmation reserves according to your procedure.
- Packing checks the reference against the actual item.
- Dispatch creates one stock-out movement.
- Cancellation or return follows the appropriate real event.
Cancellation before dispatch releases a reservation. A parcel returning in transit does not add present stock. Once physically received and inspected as saleable, record one entry for the correct combination rather than a similar colour or a guessed size.
Understand the limits of storefront option fields
In Matjri option settings, “Pieces per selection” describes the quantity contained in a choice, not the physical inventory of a colour-and-size combination. A label such as M or an entered SKU is not a promise of independent automatic deduction for every pairing. This guide uses a reference stock table where needed and does not assume a complete automatic variant matrix.
Matjri product and order tools can organise the options customers select. Check your account’s actual behaviour with a small test. Reconcile any manual table with orders and assign an update owner so two competing quantities do not describe the same physical pieces.
Check bundles, gifts and renamed options
If an offer contains two items, define whether they share one choice or have independent choices. Record each physical piece and its combination, including a gift taken from the same stock. A single pack label does not explain every warehouse exit. Preserve the mapping to old codes and orders when colour names change.
Arrange storage so similar references have clear separation. Check a sample of orders after a new delivery, especially when supplier labels change. Do not hide a wrong-choice problem with an unexplained aggregate stock adjustment. Find the missing movement or the actual item that left the shelf.
Questions about combination-level inventory
Is a code needed for just one colour?
A stable reference remains helpful when sizes or models can be confused. Complexity is not the objective; reliable identification is. Start with short codes everyone understands.
Is a barcode the same as a SKU?
Not necessarily. Understand what each channel requires and retain accurate mappings if several identifiers are used. An internal name does not automatically become a standard trade number.
What should I do first?
Count one model by colour and size, recording present, reserved and available quantities. Simulate confirmation, dispatch and return on paper, then assign an update owner before expanding the table.