SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit, and it refers to the unique product identification number of a particular product or service used by businesses. This helps keep track of stock in warehouses or on shelves, especially if somebody is not using barcodes or other such systems. If you own a business and are trying to figure out what SKU is and how to get it, here’s what you need to know about the subject as well as how to go about getting one for yourself.
What is SKU?
A Full Form SKU, otherwise known as a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), refers to a product or service identifier. It typically comes in the form of a barcode with alphanumeric identifiers for tracking purposes. A Full Form SKU’s numeric representation typically consists of 8, 12, or 15 characters. The first six digits are reserved for data such as an item’s price, weight, and measurements, while suffixes represent supplementary information such as size, color, and quantity levels.
How Do You Use SKU?
An example of a good way to use your SKU would be to create different advertisements for each product you carry. This makes it easier for shoppers looking specifically for a product instead of having to sift through every single ad you have on an online store or every item in your brick-and-mortar location.
How Do I Choose My Own SKU?
The stock-keeping unit (SKU) identifies a particular product or service your business sells to customers. The most common example of an SKU code is a UPC symbol printed on virtually every packaged product sold in stores. However, you can also use the following types of stock-keeping units on many other types of products:
• Unit-based: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13; Package size: 2D symbols designed for cases of common package sizes.
• EAN-128 – a set of extensions to EAN-13, adding a higher-level structure. It can be used on goods or as a substitute for GS1-128 as an extended UCC/EAN/GTIN.
• ISSN – International Standard Serial Number: worldwide unique identifier for periodicals (separate numbering systems exist for books, CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.)
• Bookland EAN – a barcode symbology designed for books in conjunction with bookseller-specific labels.
• FNC1 – a barcode symbology for documents, replacing UPC/EAN-13 in many cases. Barcode uses only two digits. You can use it on any size package.
• GS1-128 – an international barcode symbology used to label cases, pallets, containers, etc. It is part of the GS1-DataBar family.
Before implementing your own system, make sure you understand what information SKUs should include. Check with Lightspeed HQ suppliers to determine whether they require any specific details for each item.
When a business wants to sell its products or services, they first have to get an inventory number for each product or service. A stock-keeping unit (SKU) identifies all those numbers; that’s why it’s called a stock-keeping unit.
