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  2. Items (PIM)

Directory of data fields

This page serves purely as a reference. It explains the various tabs and data fields within an item data record. Links direct you to further information and step-by-step instructions for using the individual data fields in a larger context.

Settings differ for each item type

Depending on which type of item you’re working with, you might see some of the settings described on this page and not others. Don’t worry! plentymarkets automatically displays the settings that are relevant to your item type and hides the rest.
Why are there two rows of tabs?

An item is a complete data record that always includes one more more variations. An item is composed of general data that applies to all of the item variations (item data) as well as data that is managed separately for each variation (variation data).

In the item data record, you’ll find the item data displayed in the upper row of tabs and variation data displayed in the lower row of tabs.

upper lower tabs

1. Upper row of tabs

Item data is found in the upper row of tabs. In other words, the upper row of tabs includes general data that applies to all of the item’s variations.

1.1. Global

This tab includes a wide range of basic item options. Here you’ll also find a timestamp, which tells you when the item data record was created and when it was last modified.

Saving global item data:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Global tab in the upper row. This tab is divided into several areas.

  4. Carry out the settings.

  5. Save () the settings.

1.1.1. Basic settings

Setting Explanation

Condition

Select the item’s condition from the drop-down list. New is set by default.

Condition for API

Select the item’s API condition from the drop-down list. New is set by default.

Note: The API condition is used for the market Amazon.

Type

Select the appropriate stock type from the drop-down list.

  • Colli = Select if the item is to be shipped in several packages. For additional packages, individual items with the stock type Colli must be created in plentymarkets, but these items should not be activated for the plentyShop.

Manufacturer

Who makes this item? Select the appropriate manufacturer from the drop-down list.

Note: This list only includes the manufacturer data records that you’ve already saved in plentymarkets.

Manufacturing country

Which country was the item manufactured in? Select the appropriate country from the drop-down list.

Revenue account

Enter up to 11 digits for the revenue account.

Max. order quantity

Enter a value to limit how many copies of the item can be bought at once.

  • 0 = The maximum order quantity applies per variation. This quantity is saved in the variation’s tab Settings under the option Max. order quantity.

  • Value greater than 0 = Customers cannot order more than this total quantity. This limit applies to all of the item’s variations. Decimal values are possible, e.g. allowing customers to order products by weight or length. This value takes priority over the maximum order quantity saved within the individual variations.

Age rating

Select the appropriate age rating from the drop-down list.

Note: Items with an 18+ age rating must be linked to a shipping profile for which the PostIdent option was activated.

Promotional coupon/POS discount

Should it be possible to redeem promotional coupons for this item? Select the appropriate answer from the drop-down list.

  • Permitted = Customers can redeem promotional codes when they buy a variation of this item. Cashiers can grant discounts while selling the item with plentyPOS. Customer class discounts are applied automatically.

  • Not permitted = Customers cannot redeem promotional codes when they buy a variation of this item. Cashiers cannot grant discounts while selling the item with plentyPOS. Customer class discounts are not applied.

  • Purchasable with coupon only = The item variation can only be purchased if a promotional code was entered.

Subscription

Is a subscription available for the item? Select the appropriate answer from the drop-down list.

Note: Subscriptions are set up in the scheduler. The scheduler is an individual module in plentymarkets that allows an item to be shipped in regular intervals. The scheduler menu is only visible in plentymarkets if you’ve booked the module .

Shipping package

Do you want to use shipping packages for this item? Select the appropriate answer from the drop-down list.

Note: Shipping packages have specific dimensions. If you enter dimensions for your variations, then the appropriate shipping package will automatically be assigned.

Serial number

Should it be possible to scan this item’s serial number during a process? Select the appropriate answer from the drop-down list.

1.1.2. Item image

Click on the image to access the Images tab.

1.1.3. Shipping profiles

Select () at least one shipping profile per item. Otherwise the shipping costs may not be calculated correctly. No shipping profile is selected by default. If an order contains items without a shipping profile, then the items will be given the default shipping profile for the default online store. If no default shipping profile was specified, then the shipping profile with the highest priority will be used.

1.1.4. Online store

Setting Explanation

Store special

Should this item be highlighted with a store special? If so, then select the appropriate type of store special from the drop-down list. In other words, decide whether you want to call this item a special offer, a new item or a top item.

Item feedback

Enter an initial rating for the item.

Note: When using the item feedback function, the number entered here will be displayed as the item’s initial rating. Every time new feedback is submitted, an average value will be calculated automatically from these numbers. Go to Setup » Client » Settings » Feedback » Tab: Item if you want to change the Maximum rating.

1.2. Variations

Open this tab to:

1.3. Set

This tab is only visible for items of the type Set.

Open this tab to:

1.4. Multi-Channel

You’ll need to save settings in this tab if you’re preparing items to be sold on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay or Neckermann.at.

Saving settings for marketplaces:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Multi-Channel tab in the upper row. This tab is divided into several areas.

  4. Carry out the settings.

  5. Save () the settings.

1.4.1. Amazon

These settings are only relevant if you want to sell on Amazon.

Setting Explanation

Product type

Select the appropriate Amazon product type from the drop-down list. You can think of the product type as the Amazon category under which this item should appear. When you transmit your items to Amazon, you’ll transmit one product type at a time, i.e. one category at a time.

Note: You can download an overview of Amazon product types here . The table lists the product types and their corresponding IDs.

FBA Fulfillment

Should the item be sold via FBA? If so, then select the appropriate Amazon marketplace from the drop-down list.

  • AMAZON_EU = Europe

  • AMAZON_FE = Far East

  • AMAZON_NA = North America

Amazon FBA

Should the item be sold via FBA? If so, then select this option ().

Note: By doing so, the FBA stock of this item can be imported into plentymarkets and Amazon Multi-Channel orders that are shipped with FBA can be booked.

1.4.2. Listing default settings

These settings relate to listing templates. The basic idea is simple. Rather than individually configuring the settings for every single eBay, Hood or Ricardo offer, you create a template, which includes the typical offer settings.

Setting Explanation

Listing template

Choose a previously created listing template to link it with this item.

Category 1;
Category 2

Enter the eBay category IDs for this item.

Use case: in the first step, you’ll create listing templates that apply to all categories. Then in the second step, you’ll specify the category ID for each individual item.

Store category 1;
Store category 2

Enter the eBay store category for this item.

Use case: in the first step, you’ll create listing templates that apply to all store categories. Then in the second step, you’ll specify the store category for each individual item.

1.4.3. eBay title

Enter the eBay listing’s title here. This links the listing title to the item.

Background info: Listings are retrieved on an hourly basis. While being retrieved, the listing is assigned to an item. Listings and items are matched smoothly if the listing was created with plentymarkets or if the item has the same name as the listing title.

If the item name differs, you can enter the listing title. This improves the matching accuracy. This link also makes it possible to import listings that were set up with other tools into plentymarkets and have them automatically assigned to the correct item.

1.4.4. Category link

This setting is only relevant if you sell on Rakuten. Here you’ll link the item with a Rakuten category.

Either enter the category ID directly into the text field. Or choose a main category from the drop-down list and then use the pop-up window to figure out the category ID.

1.4.5. Neckermann.at Enterprise

These settings are only relevant if you want to sell on Neckermann.at.

1.5. Texts

In this tab, you’ll save item texts like a preview text, technical data and keywords.

Would you rather save variation-specific texts?

The texts in this tab apply to the entire item. In other words, the texts apply to all of the variations. It’s also possible to save variation-specific texts.

  1. First, you’ll create properties of the type Text or HTML.

  2. Then you’ll link these properties with the appropriate variations.

Saving item texts:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Texts tab in the upper row.

  4. Choose the appropriate language from the left drop-down list.

  5. Enter the item texts in this language.

  6. Save () the settings.

Table 1. Entering item texts
Setting Explanation

Language

Select a language from the drop-down list Open language. This allows you to see and edit the item texts for this language. The same language is automatically selected under Save as.

Alternative workflow: While translating, you may find it helpful to initially see the source text and then overwrite it with your translation. To do so, proceed as follows.

  1. Select the source language from the drop-down list Open language.

  2. Overwrite the source text with your translation.

  3. Select the target language from the drop-down list Save as.

  4. Save () the changes.

Delete language texts

Deletes all of the text fields for whichever language was selected under Open language. You will be asked to confirm your decision.

Name 1

Enter a name for the item. This is the item’s default name, which is used in the plentyShop and on marketplaces.

Note: The maximum length of the item name is 240 characters. The item name is used to create the item URL. Open the Ceres assistant and navigate to the step SEO if you want to decide whether name 1, 2 or 3 should be used for the meta title and the item URL.

Name 2

Enter a name for the item. This is an alternative item name that can be used for example for markets.

Note: The maximum length of the item name is 240 characters. The item name is used to create the item URL. Open the Ceres assistant and navigate to the step SEO if you want to decide whether name 1, 2 or 3 should be used for the meta title and the item URL.

Name 3

Enter a name for the item. This is an alternative item name that can be used for example for markets.

Note: The maximum length of the item name is 240 characters. The item name is used to create the item URL. Open the Ceres assistant and navigate to the step SEO if you want to decide whether name 1, 2 or 3 should be used for the meta title and the item URL.

Preview text

Enter a preview text for the item. The preview text can be entered in HTML format or as plain text.

Note: The preview text is a short text which can be displayed in item lists.

Item text

Enter an item text. The item text is a detailed description, which is displayed in the item layout in the plentyShop.

Note: Click on the drop-down list in the upper right corner and select your preferred editor for entering text or HTML.

Technical data

Enter technical data for the item.

Note: Click on the drop-down list in the upper right corner and select your preferred editor for entering text or HTML.

URL path

The item’s URL path in the plentyShop. By default, the URL path consists of the categories and the item name. plentymarkets automatically assigns the path when the item is created. The path is displayed as part of the URL when the item is viewed in the plentyShop.

Meta description

Enter a meta description for the item (max. 350 characters).

Note: The meta description makes it easier for search engines to find the item.

Meta keywords

Enter keywords for the item.

Note: The meta keywords make it easier for search engines to find the item.

Item template

Not recommended. It’s technically possible to select a template to alter the design of the detail view of an item. However, we don’t recommend doing so for two reasons:

  • Item templates overwrite your “normal” product pages and are therefore not particularly useful in real life situations.

  • This procedure is more complicated than designing product pages with ShopBuilder (see German video starting from minute 12:17).

1.6. Fields

Add free text fields to the detailed view of an item. Customers can then enter values into the free text fields, such as an additional request or dimensions.

Once you’ve defined free text fields, you’ll activate them here for the appropriate items.

Activating free text fields:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Fields tab in the upper row.

  4. Enter the values into the required free text fields.

  5. Save () the settings.

1.7. Characteristics

Have you finished creating your characteristics and sorting them into groups? Then you’re ready to link your characteristics to items.

For example, if you created a characteristic called “Bluetooth”, then next you would specify which of your products are equipped with Bluetooth.

Linking a characteristic with an item:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Characteristics tab. The screen is divided into two areas:

    • Characteristics that have already been linked to the item are displayed in the upper area called Characteristics,

    • Characteristics that have not yet been linked are displayed in the lower area called Activate further characteristics. Here, the characteristics are sorted into their groups.

  4. Expand the characteristic group in the lower area if needed () and select the characteristic ().

  5. Save () the settings.
    → The characteristic is now linked to the item and displayed in the upper area.

Linking a characteristic with multiple items

Use the item group function if you want to link several items at once.

Saving additional information

Depending on the scenario, it might be necessary to save additional information. For example, if the characteristic is something like a weight or a length, then it will be necessary to enter a numeric value.

  1. Carry out additional settings in the Characteristics tab. Note Table 2.

  2. Save () the settings.

Modifying the additional information for multiple items

Use the group function in the menu Setup » Item » Characteristics » Tab: Group function if you want to edit this information for several items at once.

  1. Select the characteristic’s language.

  2. Property selection: Choose the characteristic that you want to edit.

  3. Value to be changed: Enter the old value for the characteristic.

  4. New value: Enter the new value for the characteristic.

  5. When you save the settings, the characteristic value will be changed for all of the items that have this value.

1.8. Images

First, you’ll upload images of the item and its variations here. For example, you could upload images of a t-shirt in red, blue and green. Then you’ll assign the images to the appropriate variations. This causes customers e.g. to automatically see an image of the green t-shirt when selecting this variation in the plentyShop.

100 images can be uploaded per item

You can upload up to 100 images per item, i.e. per item ID. This is a hard limit in the user interface. If you were to upload e.g. 150 images, then only the first 100 would appear in the user interface. Note that the limit applies to the entire item, i.e. to all of the variations together.

Uploading images

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Images tab in the upper row.

  4. Drag & drop images into the appropriate area or click on Select files and upload the images.

  5. Carry out the additional settings. Note Table 3.

  6. Save () the settings.

Do you want to upload lots of images?

Use an FTP server to upload large quantities of images.
Table 3. Uploading an item image
Setting Explanation

0

The first image automatically receives the position number 0. Additional images are then given the position numbers 1, 2, 3 etc. Enter different position numbers if you want to sort the images in your plentyShop. Alternatively, click on the symbols Down or Up to change the order of the images.

Availability

Which sales channels should this image appear on? Select () the appropriate clients and/or markets.

Market attribute link

Select an attribute value to link the item image for marketplaces with this attribute value. The image will only be transferred to marketplaces where item variations have this attribute value.

Note: This option is only shown if the image is linked with at least one variation.

Alternative text

Enter an alternative text for the image. If an image can not be displayed (e.g. due to the browser settings, firewall, etc.), then the customer will see the alternative text instead. The alternative text is not relevant for SEO. It is simply displayed as an alternative to the image.

Note: The alternative text is limited to 256 characters.

Name

Enter a name for the image. The name is relevant for SEO, i.e. it helps search engines index the item. Use appropriate keywords in the image names to make the images more relevant to search engines. This also increases traffic on the page, for example if the image is found with the Google image search.

Note: The image name is limited to 256 characters.

Size

Displays the image size in pixels and kilo bytes.
Technical specifications

File formats

The file formats supported for images are: PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG

File names

Image file names may contain the following characters:

  • Letters (a-z, A-Z) excluding umlauts

  • Numbers (0-9)

  • Underscores (_)

  • Hyphens (-)

Spaces and special characters such as umlauts are not permitted. When you upload images, spaces and special characters are replaced by hyphens (-).

Image sizes

Every time an item image is uploaded, plentymarkets creates the following versions:

  • High-resolution item image

  • Medium-sized item image

  • Item attribute image

  • Two preview images

Since plentymarkets does not scale up images, the source image must have at least the size and quality specified in the Sizes area. Larger images will be scaled down to the specified size.

Linking images with variations

Once you’ve uploaded the images, you’ll match them with the appropriate variations. This causes customers e.g. to automatically see an image of a green t-shirt when selecting the green variation in the plentyShop.

Linking images with variations:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Images tab in the upper row.
    → You’ll see a list of all the images saved for the item.

  4. Select the images () that you want to link.

  5. Click on Variation link.
    → A pop-up window will open.

  6. If needed, use the filters on the left to find specific variations.

  7. Choose which variations () should be linked to these images.

  8. Click on Link.

Removing the link again

Underneath an image, click on Variation link to see which variations were linked to the image. Select the variations () that should no longer be linked and click on Unlink.
Alternative: upload images in the lower row of tabs

Search for and open a variation. Then click on Images in the lower row of tabs. Here you can upload an image for the currently opened variation. In other words, the image is simultaneously uploaded and linked to the variation.

1.9. Stock

In this tab:

1.10. Cross-selling

In the Cross-Selling tab, you can link items to any number of similar items from your assortment.

1.11. Media

Tab is outdated

This tab is no longer supported. Files that you upload in this tab can not be used for the plentyShop. Instead of uploading files in this tab, create a property of the type "File".

This tab is only relevant for the outdated Callisto webshop. Here you can upload files such as product information or brochures. Your customers can then download these files from the product page or from the "my account" area. The files that you upload in this tab must meet the following requirements:

  • The file must be intended for the old Callisto webshop

  • Permitted file formats: PDF, EXCEL, X_EXCEL, DOC, DOCX, MSWORD, RTF, TEXT, RICHTEXT, ZIP, HTML, SWF

  • Maximum file size: 10 MB per file

  • Maximum number of files: 10 files per item (of which a maximum of 1 file in SWF format)

Uploading files

Proceed as described below to upload files in the Media tab. Then decide where the files should be available.

Uploading a file:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the item.

  3. Click on the Media tab in the upper row.

  4. Drag & drop files into the appropriate area or click on Select files and upload the files.

  5. Carry out the additional settings. Note Table 4.

  6. Save () the settings.

Table 4. Uploading a file
Setting Explanation

Title

Edit the title, if needed.

Size

The file size is displayed here.

Email

This setting does not serve any function.

My account

Activate to make the file available for download in the My Account area.

CMS

Activate to make the file available in the old online store Callisto.

Inserting a download link into the online shop

Use the template function GetDocumentLinks() of the Callisto design to add download links to the files saved in the Media tab to the old online store Callisto. This template function can be used in all templates in the ItemView folder. The function returns a list of links that customers can use to download the saved documents.

Inserting the template function:

  1. Go to CMS » Web design.

  2. Open a template in the Layout » ItemView folder.

  3. Insert the code example into the template.

  4. Save () the settings.
    → A list of download links is displayed at the respective position in the online store.

{%
    for ($_link in GetDocumentLinks())
    {
        print($_link."<br/>");
    }
%}
Limiting the list of download links to specific data types

Limit the list of download links to specific data types by specifying a file ending. The template function GetDocumentLinks(".pdf"), for example, displays only the download links to saved PDF files.

1.12. Statistics

In the tab Statistics, you can analyse statistical data about the item. For example, there are statistics that let you analyse the item’s revenue according to various criteria.

2. Lower row of tabs

Variation data is found in the lower row of tabs. In other words, the lower row of tabs contains data that applies to a specific variation. Namely, the variation whose ID is currently displayed in the upper tab row.

Keep in mind that the main variation can pass data onto its sub-variations, i.e. they can inherit its data. You can deactivate the inheritance function if you would prefer to modify the variations individually.

2.1. Settings

This tab includes a wide range of basic options for the variation. Here you’ll also find a timestamp, which tells you when the variation was created and when it was last modified.

Saving settings for the variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Settings tab in the lower row. This tab is divided into several areas.

  4. Carry out the settings.

  5. Save () the settings.

2.1.1. Basic settings

Setting Explanation

Variation name

Enter a name for the variation.

Variation No.

Enter a number for the variation.

Recommendation: If you leave this field blank, then plentymarkets will automatically assign the next available variation number. The number will be assigned according to the pattern saved in the menu Setup » Item » Settings.

External variation ID

Enter an external variation ID.

Use case: The external variation number facilitates importing items and variations from an external system.

Model

Enter a model name for the variation.

Position

Enter a position number for the variation.

Variations can be sorted by their position number in the back end and front end.

Back end: Search for items in the menu Item » Edit items. Move your mouse cursor over the column header Position. Click on the small triangle () to display the items in ascending or descending order by their position number.

Front end: Select the appropriate sorting option in the Ceres assistant.

Note: Open the Ceres assistant and navigate to Pagination and sorting » Additional sorting options. If the option Calculate the variation position based on monthly sales is set to Yes, then manually entered position numbers will be overwritten.

2.1.2. Availability

This area relates to the item availability. In other words, when the variation is visible or purchasable.

Note that there is also the Tab: Availability, which you’ll use to specify where the variation is available.

Setting Explanation

Active

Activate the variation () when you’re ready for it to go live.

Background info: Variations only become visible in the plentyShop or on marketplaces once they have been activated. In other words, you can work on inactive variations without your customers noticing.

Back end search: inactive variations are not found with the default search settings. Set the search filter Active to No if you want inactive items to be included in the search results.

Availability

Symbols 1-10

How long is the variation’s delivery time? Select () the appropriate availability level (1-10).

Note: The availability levels are configured in the menu Setup » Item » Availability. There you can find the availability IDs, texts, symbols and average delivery times in days.

Note: The availability is a static setting. In other words, the selected availability level does not change, regardless of the actual stock levels. The setting is relevant only if stock availability is not set automatically.

Show in online store:

  • Available automatically if net stock is positive

  • Not available automatically if net stock is 0 or negative

Should customers be able to buy the product in the online shop if it is in stock?

Note: Both functions complement each other and are only applied if the Limitation option is set to To net stock.

Available automatically if net stock is positive

Select this option () if the variation should automatically be available and purchasable in the plentyShop when it is in stock.

Not available automatically if net stock is 0 or negative

Select this option () if the variation should automatically be unavailable when it is out of stock.

Visibility

Client:

  • Visible automatically if net stock is positive

  • Invisible automatically if net stock is 0 or negative

Should customers be able to see the product in the online shop if it is in stock?

Note: Both functions complement each other and are only applied if the Limitation option is set to To net stock.

Visible automatically if net stock is positive

Select this option () if the variation should automatically be visible in the plentyShop when it is in stock.

Invisible automatically if net stock is 0 or negative

Select this option () if the variation should automatically be invisible when it is out of stock. When this happens, customers will not be able to access the variation with a direct URL either.

Relationship to other settings: These options take priority over the item list options further below. We recommend that you either control the visibility with the “client” option or the “item list” option. They should not be combined.

Item list

Should customers only be able to access the product via the direct URL? Or should customers be able to see the product in your shop’s categories, search results and item lists if it is in stock?

Always invisible

Select this option () if the variation should only be accessible via the direct URL. If the option is activated, then the variation will always be invisible in your plentyShop item lists. This means, the variation will not appear in the categories, search results, store specials, cross-selling lists and lists of last seen items.

Visible automatically if net stock is positive

Select this option () if the variation should be visible in plentyShop item lists when it is in stock. This means, the variation will appear in the categories, search results, store specials, cross-selling lists and lists of last seen items.

Note: The functions Visible automatically if net stock is positive and Invisible automatically if net stock is 0 or negative complement each other and are only applied if the Limitation option is set to To net stock.

Invisible automatically if net stock is 0 or negative

Select this option () if the variation should be invisible in plentyShop item lists when it is out of stock. When this happens, the variation can only be accessed using the direct URL. The variation will not appear in the categories, search results, store specials, cross-selling lists and lists of last seen items.

Note: The functions Visible automatically if net stock is positive and Invisible automatically if net stock is 0 or negative complement each other and are only applied if the Limitation option is set to To net stock.

Relationship to other settings: Both of the client visibility options take priority over the "item list" options. We recommend that you either control the visibility with the “client” option or the “item list” option. They should not be combined.

Availability in supply

Shows the expected delivery date for variations that were reordered.

Limitation

Should plentymarkets monitor this product’s stock levels?

None

The stock is not limited. The variation’s availability is not automatically monitored.

To net stock

The stock is limited to the net stock. The variation’s availability is automatically monitored.

Do not administer stock for this variation

If this setting is selected, then the variation’s Stock tab will not include the sub-tabs Correction, Stock, Supply and Item movement.

Max. order quantity

Enter a number. This is the maximum quantity that is permitted per order.

Note: Decimal values are possible, e.g. allowing customers to order products by weight or length.

Note: You can use the maximum order quantity in combination with pre-orders, for example to prevent competitors from completely buying out the variation at a reduced price.

Min. order quantity

Enter a number. This is the minimum quantity that is permitted per order.

Note: Decimal values are possible, e.g. allowing customers to order products by weight or length.

Interval order quantity

Enter a number. This specifies which quantity intervals the variation can be ordered in.

Note: Decimal values are possible, e.g. allowing customers to order products by weight or length.

Release date

When should the variation become available? Select the date from the calendar.

If you would rather directly enter the date into the field, then use the following format: DD.MM.YYYY

Note: The variation can be visible in the plentyShop before this date, e.g. for preorders.

Available until

When is the last day that the variation should be available? Select the date from the calendar.

If you would rather directly enter the date into the field, then use the following format: DD.MM.YYYY

2.1.3. Sales prices

Here you can link existing sales prices to the variation and enter monetary prices. The monetary prices can be:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item » [Open variation] » Tab: Settings » Area: Sales prices.

  2. Select the previously created sales price from the left drop-down list.

  3. Click on Add ().
    → The sales price is added and displayed in the list.

  4. Enter the monetary price into the Price field.

  5. Save () the settings.

  1. Go to Item » Edit item » [Open variation] » Tab: Settings » Area: Sales prices.

  2. Choose a previously created price calculation from the right drop-down list.

  3. Save () the settings.

  4. Reload the item data record if needed. To do so, right-click on the item tab and then click on Reload.
    → The sales price and the automatically calculated monetary price will be displayed in the list.

plentymarkets works with gross prices

Behind the scenes, plentymarkets works with gross prices. Technically, you can use the middle drop-down list to decide whether you want gross prices or net prices to be displayed in the item data record. But this only affects how the prices are displayed. Only gross prices are saved internally in the database.
Deleting the link again

Open the variation and click on Delete () in the line of a sales price. This deletes the link between the sales price and the variation. The sales price itself is not deleted. The sales price is simply removed from the variation. Afterwards, the sales price will be available in the left drop-down list again.
Inheritance behaviour

If inheritance is active, then combinations of sales price and monetary price will be passed down from the main variation to the sub-variations. If you want to maintain individual prices for the sub-variations, deactivate the inheritance and then add the sales price.

2.1.4. Barcode

Barcodes such as GTIN, ISBN, UPC and QR are used to identify items in plentymarkets. Link barcodes with your item variations.

Manually linking barcodes with variations:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Settings tab in the lower row.

  4. In the Barcode area, select the previously saved barcode configuration from the drop-down list.

  5. Click on Add ().
    → The barcode type is added and displayed in the list.

  6. Enter the code into the Code field.

  7. Save () the settings.

Automatically assigning barcodes from the number range

If you bought a range of GTIN 13 barcodes, then plentymarkets can automatically assign the next available barcode to your item.

To do so, proceed as described above. Rather than manually entering the barcode into the Code field, click on Generate GTIN ().

2.1.5. ASIN/ePID/MOIN

ID Explanation

ASIN

The "Amazon Standard Identification Number" is a 10-digit, alphanumeric product identification that is provided by Amazon. The ASIN and ISBN are identical for books. The ASIN can be found on Amazon’s product page.

ePID

The "eBay Product ID" is a product identification that is provided by eBay.

MOIN

The "My OTTO Identification Number" is an alphanumeric product identification that is provided by OTTO Market. Starting August 11th, 2021, every product on OTTO Market must have a MOIN.

Note: The MOIN is assigned by OTTO Market. You do not create it yourself. If you sell a product on OTTO Market and it’s also available through other sellers, then all of the offers will have the same MOIN.

Manually linking the ASIN, ePID or MOIN with a variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item » [Open variation] » Tab: Settings » Area: ASIN/ePID/MOIN.

  2. Click on Add ().
    → A new entry is added to the list.

  3. Select ASIN, ePID or MOIN from the right drop-down list.

  4. If needed, select the country platform from the left drop-down list.

  5. Enter the ASIN, ePID or MOIN into the field.

  6. Save () the settings.

2.1.6. Bundle

This area is only visible for item bundles.

Choose settings in this area to have the weight and purchase price automatically calculated for item bundles.

2.1.7. Item image

Click on the image to access the Images tab.

2.1.8. Tags

Here you can link the variation to any number of tags.

  1. Click in the text field.

  2. Select the tag from the drop-down list or enter the first few letters of the tag’s name and then use the auto-complete function.

  3. The tag will be linked to the variation when you save your changes.
    → Use the tag filter to search for all of the variations that have this tag.

Note: Here you can only link the tags that were made available for the Variation area.

Inheritance behaviour

Tags that you link to the main variation are passed on to the item’s other variations. To save other tags for a variation, deactivate inheritance and save different tags.

If you remove all tags from a variation, inheritance is not activated. This behaviour differs from other inheritance settings in the system. Instead, the variation is saved without any tags.

2.1.9. Dimensions

Setting Explanation

Content

Quantity

Enter a number into the field on the left.

Unit

Select a unit from the drop-down list on the right.

Length/Width/Height

Enter the variation’s dimensions. Make sure you enter the dimensions in millimetres.

Gross weight

Enter the variation’s gross weight in grams or kilograms.

Background info: For individually packaged variations, the gross weight is the weight of the variation including packaging. The value is used to calculate shipping packages and weight-based shipping costs.

Item bundles: The gross weight can automatically be calculated based on the bundle components.

Net weight

Enter the variation’s net weight in grams or kilograms.

Background info: The net weight is the weight of the variation without packaging.

Item bundles: The net weight can automatically be calculated based on the bundle components.

Units contained

Units contained describes several sales units combined in one package. Default setting: 1.

Note: This value does not influence how the unit price is calculated.

Show unit price

Select this option () if you want the unit price to be displayed in the plentyShop.

Background info: The unit price tells you how much the item costs per pound, litre or other unit of measure. It’s calculated based on the item’s unit, content and price. The unit price allows consumers to compare prices. In some countries, the unit price must be specified for products that are sold by weight, volume, length or surface area.

2.1.10. Costs

This data is used to calculate your sales prices.
Setting Explanation

Acquisition price

Click on this button to see the acquisition price in gross and net. The acquisition price results from the procurement calculation. It is calculated based on the price requested by the supplier minus discounts and bonuses. Plus procurement costs for transportation, insurance and packaging.

VAT

Select the variation’s VAT rate from the drop-down list.

Net purchase price

Enter the net purchase price.

Note: The purchase price is either calculated automatically or managed manually depending on how the settings were saved in the menu Setup » Stock » Stock » Incoming items.

Item bundles: the net purchase price can automatically be calculated based on the bundle components.

Moving average purchase price (net)

Enter the net moving average purchase price.

Note: It is recalculated every time stock is booked in. It is calculated from the purchase prices of all stocks that are available for the variation in the warehouse. Go to Setup » Stock » Stock » Incoming items and see which warehouses were activated with the setting Warehouse for moving average price. The moving average purchase price only takes items into account that were booked into one of these warehouses. If no warehouse is active, then no moving average purchase price is calculated.

Item bundles: the moving average purchase price can automatically be calculated based on the bundle components.

Net transportation costs

Enter the net transportation costs for the variation.

Note: This value is used for price calculations and for calculating the acquisition price.

Net storage costs

Enter the net storage costs for the variation.

Customs

Enter the customs value as a percentage.

Customs tariff number

Enter the customs tariff number.

Note: In plentymarkets, it’s possible to save a different customs tariff number for each variation.

Example: In some countries, children’s clothing is taxed differently depending on the size. In this case, it makes sense to save the customs tariff number separately for each variation.

Inheritance: The customs tariff number is automatically passed down from the main variation to the sub-variations. This means:

  • you don’t need to enter customs tariff numbers for your sub-variations if you want them to have the same customs tariff number as the main variation.

  • you’ll need to enter a different customs tariff number for all of the sub-variations that should differ from the main variation.

Operating costs

Enter the operating costs as a percentage.

2.1.11. Shipping

Setting Explanation

Order picking

Select the type of picking from the drop-down list. Or select the empty option if you do not want to specify the order picking type.

  • Single order picking possible = Currently not in use.

  • Single order picking not possible = Currently not in use.

  • Exclude from pick list = This option is well-suited, e.g. for variations that do not have barcodes and thus can not be processed with normal pick lists.
    Relationship to other settings: Do you use the plugin Filter for shippable items? Then take a look at the plugin’s filter descriptions. Some filters only apply to variations that are excluded/not excluded from the pick list.

Main warehouse

Select the variation’s main warehouse from the drop-down list.

Pallet type

Select the pallet type from the drop-down list.

Packing units

Quantity

Select the number of packing units from the drop-down list if the item consists of multiple packages.

Note: The value 0 means that an item should always be shipped in a single package, regardless of the quantity. This setting also applies to various items. This means that all items of an order that have the value 0 will be packed into one package.

Unit

Select the type of packaging from the drop-down list if the item consists of multiple packages.

Extra shipping charge 1;
Extra shipping charge 2

Enter a fee that should be charged in addition to the normal shipping costs. Such extra shipping charges are useful for large or bulky items that are particularly expensive to ship.

  • Extra shipping charge 1 applies to the first item.

  • Extra shipping charge 2 applies to each additional item.

Additional settings: In each of your shipping profiles, specify whether these extra charges should be added to the basic shipping costs.

Note: The manual also includes several example calculations for extra shipping charges.

2.2. Categories

While creating the variation, you already specified which category the variation should be sorted into. Here in this tab, you can link additional categories to the variation. The variation will be displayed in all of the selected categories in the plentyShop.

Linking additional categories:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Categories tab in the lower row.

  4. Click on Link category.
    → The Link category window opens.

  5. Select the appropriate category or sub-category.

  6. Click on Link category.
    → The category is linked and displayed in the Linked categories area.

Inheritance behaviour

By default, the main variation passes category links on to its sub-variations. However, you can deactivate the inheritance function if you want to configure differing settings for a sub-variation.

  1. Open the sub-variation and click on the tab Categories.

  2. Click on Deactivate inheritance ().

  3. Configure the category settings for the sub-variation.

  4. Save () the settings.

2.2.1. Linked categories

Setting Explanation

Link category

Click on this button if you want to link the variation to another category or sub-category.

ID

Here you can see the linked category’s ID. Click on the ID number to open the category settings.

Position

Currently not in use. This field neither controls the sorting in the back end nor the front end.

Category

Here you can see the linked category’s name. If it is a sub-category, then you can see the complete breadcrumb path. Click on the name to open the category settings.

Deletes the link between the category and the variation. Only the link will be deleted. This button neither deletes the category nor the variation.

Note: This button is deactivated if the variation is only linked to one category. This is because each variation must belong to at least one category.

2.2.2. Default categories

Setting Explanation

Client (store)

If you work with multiple clients, then you will see them displayed here. You can set the default category for each client individually.

Default category

Choose the default category for the variation. The default category is the breadcrumb path displayed in the plentyShop. If a variation appears in multiple categories, then the breadcrumb bar will always display the default category path.

2.3. Properties

In this tab, you can link previously created properties with the variation.

Why don’t I see the property?

Depending on their type, properties are either linked in the tab Properties or in the tab Texts.
Property type Where is the property linked?

Text
HTML

Tab: Texts

None
Whole number
Decimal number
Selection
Multi-selection
Date
File
Character string

Tab: Properties

Linking properties to a variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the tab Properties or Texts in the lower row. Which tab depends on the property type.

  4. Click on the Properties field.
    → A drop-down list of available variation properties opens.

  5. Select the appropriate properties ().

  6. Click on Add ().
    → The properties will be added.

  7. If necessary, add additional information about the property.

  8. Save () the settings.

Inheritance

By default, the main variation’s properties and values are passed down to the sub-variations. If you want to use other properties for the sub-variations, then deactivate the inheritance function and then link the property.

Properties and values are inherited all together. In other words, you can either have all or none of the values be inherited.

Saving additional information

In some cases, it might be necessary to save additional information. For example:

  • If the property is something like a weight or a length, then it will be necessary to enter a numeric value.

Setting Explanation

Name

Here you’ll see the property name. This is purely informative and cannot be changed here.

Type

Here you’ll see the property type. This is purely informative and cannot be changed here.

Text on screen Meaning

empty

None

int

Int

float

Float

selection

Selection

multiSelection

Multi selection

date

Date

file

File

string

Character string

Note: How you will interact with the Value column depends on the property type.

Value

How you interact with this column depends on the property type.

Type Interaction

empty

No further action is necessary.

int

Enter the numerical value as a whole number, e.g. 350 centimetres.

Whole numbers between -2,147,483,648 and 2,147,483,647 are permitted.

float

Enter the numerical value as a decimal number, e.g. 3.5 metres.

8 places before and 4 places after the decimal point are permitted.

selection

Select the appropriate option from the drop-down list.

multiSelection

Check all of the appropriate options.

date

Click on the entry field and select the date from the calendar. Or manually enter the date in the following format: DD.MM.YY

file

Click on Upload files and upload the appropriate file.

string

Enter an alphanumeric character string.

Procedures

Click on Delete () to delete the property link. The property itself will not be deleted. It will simply be removed from the variation.

Inheritance logic: The following logic applies when you delete a property link:

  • Are you removing the property from a main variation? Then the property will also be removed from all of the sub-variations that had previously inherited this property.

  • Are you removing the property from a sub-variation, which has the inheritance function activated? Then the inheritance function will be deactivated. The remaining properties will no longer be inherited. Rather, they will be saved directly for the sub-variation.

2.4. Texts

In this tab, you can link previously created properties with the variation.

Why don’t I see the property?

Depending on their type, properties are either linked in the tab Properties or in the tab Texts.
Property type Where is the property linked?

Text
HTML

Tab: Texts

None
Whole number
Decimal number
Selection
Multi-selection
Date
File
Character string

Tab: Properties

Linking properties to a variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the tab Properties or Texts in the lower row. Which tab depends on the property type.

  4. Click on the Properties field.
    → A drop-down list of available variation properties opens.

  5. Select the appropriate properties ().

  6. Click on Add ().
    → The properties will be added.

  7. If necessary, add additional information about the property.

  8. Save () the settings.

Inheritance

By default, the main variation’s properties and values are passed down to the sub-variations. If you want to use other properties for the sub-variations, then deactivate the inheritance function and then link the property.

Properties and values are inherited all together. In other words, you can either have all or none of the values be inherited.

Saving additional information

In some cases, it might be necessary to save additional information. For example:

  • If the property is a product description for a specific variation, then the text will need to be entered.

Setting Explanation

Text

Enter up to 65,535 characters of plain text.

Note: Your plentymarkets system’s default language is pre-selected. If you want to save the text in a different language, then choose this language from the drop-down list up top.

HTML

Enter up to 65,535 characters of text. Format the text as needed. Choose your preferred editor from the drop-down list in the top right corner.

Note: Your plentymarkets system’s default language is pre-selected. If you want to save the text in a different language, then choose this language from the drop-down list up top.

Procedures

Click on Delete () to delete the property link. The property itself will not be deleted. It will simply be removed from the variation.

Inheritance logic: The following logic applies when you delete a property link:

  • Are you removing the property from a main variation? Then the property will also be removed from all of the sub-variations that had previously inherited this property.

  • Are you removing the property from a sub-variation, which has the inheritance function activated? Then the inheritance function will be deactivated. The remaining properties will no longer be inherited. Rather, they will be saved directly for the sub-variation.

2.5. Supplier

Who supplies you with this item? Assign one or more suppliers to your items. By saving this data in plentymarkets, you will be able to keep track of the goods you receive later. You will also be able to reorder items directly from the supplier when you start to run out of stock.

Have you saved the contact data?

In plentymarkets, suppliers are nothing more than contact details. So before you can link a supplier to an item, you’ll need to create the contact data record in plentymarkets.

The procedure is the same as when creating a normal contact data record. However, you’ll need to choose “supplier” as the type.

Adding a supplier to a variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Open the Default item.
    → The Settings tab of the main variation opens.

  3. Open the Supplier tab of the variation.

  4. Select a supplier from the drop-down list.

  5. Click on Add ().
    → The supplier is added and displayed in the list.

  6. Enter the supplier data. Note Table 5.

  7. Save () the settings.

Table 5. Specifying the supplier data for a variation
Setting Explanation

Supplier

This column automatically displays the supplier’s company name as it was saved in the contact data record.

Supplier name

This column automatically displays the supplier’s first and last name as they were saved in the contact data record.

Supplier item No.

Enter the item number under which your supplier manages the variation. You can use this number to search for incoming items in the menu Stock » New incoming items.

Supplier item name

Enter the item name under which your supplier manages the variation.

Purchase price system currency

Enter the purchase price in your own currency. Depending on how you configured the settings in the menu Setup » Stock » Stock » Incoming items, this price may be overwritten when goods are received.

Purchase price from account

Is your supplier located in a different country and uses a different currency? Enter the purchase price in your supplier’s currency. Which currency is displayed here depends on which currency was saved in the contact data record. This currency will be used for reorders if it’s available.

Minimum purchase

The minimum quantity that you have to order from the supplier. This value also serves as the minimum suggested reorder quantity.

Delivery time in days

Enter the number of days that your supplier usually needs to deliver reordered variations. The delivery time can affect the suggested reorder quantity and the delivery date for the reorder.

Last price query

Select the date from the calendar when you lasted requested the current price from your supplier. This date helps you plan price negotiations.

Discount

Enter the discount in percent if the supplier offers a discount on the variation. When reordering items, the discount will only be taken into consideration if you selected the option Discountable ().

Discountable

Select this option () to activate the discount that was entered into the Discount column. The discount entered will not be used in reorders if this check mark is not saved.

Packaging unit

Do you and your supplier use different packaging units? Enter the supplier’s packaging unit if it differs from the number of “units contained” in the item settings.

2.6. Warehouse

In the Warehouse tab of a variation, you select warehouses for the product and enter warehouse information, i.e. reorder level and maximum stock.

2.7. Stock

In this tab:

2.8. Bundle

An item bundle consists of multiple products. The bundle price may be lower than the sum of the individual prices.

2.9. Images

Here you’ll upload images for a specific variation. For example, imagine you sell a t-shirt in red, green and blue. You would open each variation and save variation-specific images. This causes customers e.g. to automatically see an image of the green t-shirt when selecting this variation in the plentyShop.

100 images can be uploaded per item

You can upload up to 100 images per item, i.e. per item ID. This is a hard limit in the user interface. If you were to upload e.g. 150 images, then only the first 100 would appear in the user interface. Note that the limit applies to the entire item, i.e. to all of the variations together.

Uploading an image for a specific variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Images tab in the lower row.

  4. Drag & drop images into the appropriate area or click on Upload files and upload the images.
    → The green frame indicates that the image is linked to the variation. Images that are not linked with the variation are greyed out.

Move your mouse cursor over an image to see additional editing options.

  • Edit () = Opens the upper Images tab. Here you can edit the image further.

  • Delete () = Deletes the image.

  • Link () = Links the image to whichever variation is currently open. This symbol only appears for images that are not framed in green.

  • Unlink () = Deletes the link between the image and the variation that is currently open. This symbol only appears for images that are framed in green.

Technical specifications

File formats

The file formats supported for images are: PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG

File names

Image file names may contain the following characters:

  • Letters (a-z, A-Z) excluding umlauts

  • Numbers (0-9)

  • Underscores (_)

  • Hyphens (-)

Spaces and special characters such as umlauts are not permitted. When you upload images, spaces and special characters are replaced by hyphens (-).

Image sizes

Every time an item image is uploaded, plentymarkets creates the following versions:

  • High-resolution item image

  • Medium-sized item image

  • Item attribute image

  • Two preview images

Since plentymarkets does not scale up images, the source image must have at least the size and quality specified in the Sizes area. Larger images will be scaled down to the specified size.

2.10. Availability

Where do you want to sell this variation? Answer the question by selecting the corresponding marketplaces and plentyShops.

Choosing sales channels for the variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Availability tab in the lower row. This tab is divided into several areas.

  4. Carry out the settings.

  5. Save () the settings.

Additional availability settings

Note that there is also the Tab: Settings » Area: Availability, which you’ll use to specify when the variation should be visible or purchasable.

2.10.1. Markets

Which marketplaces do you want to sell the variation on?

  1. Click in the text field and select () the appropriate marketplaces from the drop-down list.

  2. Click on Add ().

Your market isn’t in the list?

The drop-down list only includes active referrers. So if you can’t find a specific market in the list, then open the menu Setup » Orders » Order referrer and make sure the market was activated ().
The markets do not affect the online store.

The markets control the visibility on the marketplaces themselves. They do not affect the visibility in the plentyShop Ceres. It’s true that there’s a marketplace called "Store". However, this was relevant for the old "Callisto" online store. Nowadays, it’s no longer used.

There are a few different settings that control the visibility of an item in the online store. You can learn more about these settings in our checklist for item visibility in the online store.

2.10.2. Client (store)

With plentymarkets, you can manage several online stores, i.e. several clients, with only one software. Consequently, it is possible to manage several different areas of business with one plentymarkets system. That’s a great advantage. But it also means that you’ll always need to tell plentymarkets which online store a variation should appear in.

Linking a client to the variation:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Availability tab.

  4. Choose whichever store () the variation should appear in.

  5. Save () the settings.

Setting is greyed out? Check the stock level!

plentymarkets can automatically remove items from the plentyShop if they are no longer in stock. This automatic process is controlled by the settings in Tab: Settings » Area: Availability. More specifically, it’s controlled by the settings Show in online store: Not available automatically if net stock is 0 or negativ and Client: Invisible automatically if net stock is 0 or negative.

If one of these options is activated and the variation is no longer in stock, then the client setting here will be greyed out. Reorder the variation to get it back in stock. Alternatively, click on the lock symbol () if you want to manually make the variation visible in the plentyShop despite the fact that it’s not in stock.

This setting remains valid until new stock is booked for the variation. Once net stock for the variation becomes positive, the availability and visibility settings if net stock is 0 or negative take effect again.

2.10.3. SKU

Here you’ll add market-specific SKUs as needed.

  1. Click on Add ().
    → The New SKU window opens.

  2. Select the referrer and the account if needed.
    Note: Not every marketplace has an account. In this case, the setting is greyed out.

  3. Enter the SKU.

  4. Click on Add.

2.11. Notes

In the Notes tab, you can save notes about a variation. Notes are only visible in your plentymarkets back end. In other words, notes are not displayed in the plentyShop.

Saving a note:

  1. Go to Item » Edit item.

  2. Search for and open the variation.

  3. Click on the Notes tab in the lower row.

  4. Enter the note and format the text.

  5. Save () the note.

Notes can be deleted

If you no longer need a note, then you can remove it by clicking on the delete icon ().
Notes are visible in the item overview

The symbols in the item overview help you quickly see whether a note was saved for the variation. The symbols are found in the Procedures column:

  • = The variation has a note. Click on this symbol to open a pop-up window where you can directly view and manage your notes.

  • = The variation does not have a note yet. Click on this symbol to open a pop-up window where you can directly save a new note.

Depending on how you configured the Table type filter, this symbol either refers to the main variation or to a specific sub-variation. In other words:

  • Table type Item = There is only one note symbol per item. This symbol manages notes for the main variation.

  • Table type Variations = There’s a separate note symbol for each variation.
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