Product classes for simple, variation parent and variation products
Key Takeaway
Buyers can't purchase a Variation Parent, only its variations. Each variation has its own SKU. You create variations only from a Variation Parent, on its Variations tab.
In B2B Commerce, every product has a product class. The class tells the store whether the product is sold on its own or comes in variations, such as different sizes and colors. The class decides what a buyer can actually purchase and how SKUs, attributes, categories, entitlements and prices are handled.
The four product classes
There are four product classes: Simple, Variation Parent, Variation Product and Product Set.
| Product class | What it is | Can a buyer purchase it? |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | A product that isn't associated with variations | Yes. Customers buy it individually, using its one SKU. |
| Variation Parent | The parent record that holds variation products | No. Only its variations can be purchased. |
| Variation Product | A child record of a variation parent, with a unique set of attribute values and its own SKU for tracking | Yes |
| Product Set | A collection of related products | Its products are priced and purchased separately. |
Your store sells a cordless drill that comes in one model. You set its product class to Simple, and buyers purchase it with its one SKU. Your store also sells work gloves in several sizes and materials. You create a "Work Gloves" product with the Variation Parent class. Under it, each combination, such as size M in Leather, is a variation with its own SKU, such as GLV-M-LEA. A buyer can't purchase Work Gloves itself. The buyer purchases a variation, and you track that variation by its SKU.
A Product Set groups products in a different way. Unlike a Variation Parent, which holds variations built from attribute values, a Product Set collects related products. For example, a "Camping Basics" Product Set could collect a tent, a sleeping bag and a lantern.
To track product class values from the Product Workspace, add the "Product Class" and "Product SKU" fields to the Product page layout.