A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is the internal identification code for a specific product. Where a product name might be ambiguous (two suppliers may sell a product by slightly different names), the SKU is always unique and machine-readable. It is the primary reference in purchase orders, sales orders, warehouse pick lists, and stock reports.
A SKU is your internal code — you define it to match your own naming conventions. A barcode (UPC, EAN) is a globally standardised code assigned by the manufacturer or a registry. In Zoho Inventory, you can store both: the SKU as your internal reference and the barcode for scanning at the warehouse.
When a product has multiple variants (e.g., a T-shirt in sizes S, M, L and colours Red, Blue), each variant gets its own unique SKU. This allows you to track stock, set prices, and manage reorder points independently for each variant.
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