Introduction to Kitting: Bundles, Multipacks, and Aggregates

This article will give you a basic introduction to kitting functionality and terminology.

We have separate articles for creating each type of kit. See the Related Articles section for the links.

 

What we'll cover:

1. Basic Kitting Functionality
2. Kit Product Characteristics
3. Kitting Set Up
4. Retrieving Kitting Information
5. The Four Types of Kits
6. Related Articles

 

 

Basic Kitting Functionality

Kits connect multiple products together, making them easier to list and manage. Creating kits automates inventory management.

As an example, let's assume you want to sell a guitar and an amplifier as a bundle on one listing.

When your kit is purchased, its quantity is reduced by one. The inventory of the Kit Parts is also automatically reduced by one.

 

Kit Product Characteristics

Kit Parent:

• The Parent SKU binds the kit together. It is a virtual SKU because it represents a relationship with other products.
• The Parent SKU holds all the details for the marketplace, such as the title, main image, description, and so on.

Kit Parts:

• The Kit Parts are the actual products that make up your kits. They are the products that are actually purchased even though the Kit Parent is the item that is added to your Market List and listed on the marketplace.

 

 

Kitting Set Up

A kit is a relationship between products. It is not an Inventory Level relationship. The quantities sync because the products are connected.

IMPORTANT! Because kits are Product Level relationships, you need to be careful when you implement an advanced PO Source option in your Market List (accessed by selecting a Market List and clicking the Edit button). EXAMPLE: You have the advanced PO Source option Match by product 'UPC' enabled. There are two items in your Warehouse with the same UPC, but different SKUs. Because we are matching by UPC, we may match your kitted item to the wrong product in the Warehouse. This would cause the inventory of your item and kit to be incorrect.

 

The same Kit Part can be used in multiple kits. For example, you can create several kits with different guitars. They can all share the same amp.

NOTE: You cannot put a kit inside another kit. If you want to sell a bundle with a guitar, amp, and case, you need to create a kit with the three individual products.

 

Retrieving Kitting Information Into Excel

Due to the complexity of kitting relationships, you cannot currently retrieve kitting information using our Excel Add-In Tool. We are working to add this capability.

To access kitting data in the future, we recommend saving the files you upload to Solid Commerce.

 

The Four Types of Kits

1) Bundles: A bundle is a group of products sold on one listing. This is the type of kit we've been using as an example in this article—one guitar with one amp.

2) Multipacks (Lot Listings): Multipacks allow you to sell multiple quantities of a single product. For example, you could sell guitar strings in single packs, 3-packs, and 6-packs.

3) Listing One Product Multiple Times: This type of kit is used to sell one base product on several slightly different listings. For example, you sell one set of shocks that fit both Chevy and GMC trucks. You want to list the brake pads on two listings, each with a different title and vehicle make.

4) Aggregates: Aggregates work well for liquids. Let's assume you buy orange juice by the gallon. You also buy empty 8 oz. and 16 oz. bottles. When you get orders for the 8 or 16 oz. sizes, you open a gallon bottle and pour it into your smaller bottles.

 

Related Articles

• Creating Kits: Bundles
• Creating Kits: Multipacks (Lot Listings)
• Creating Kits: Listing One Product Multiple Times
• Creating Kits: Aggregates
• Additional Kitting Option: Using Interchangeable Items in Bundles
• Removing Kit Parts and Deleting Kits