SKU vs UPC Numbers What’s the Difference and When Should You Use Them
If you’re a retailer, you may have come across the terms SKU and UPC before, but have been confused about the differences between them and when to use each one. If this sounds like you, don’t worry—it’s pretty confusing to the uninitiated!
The important thing to remember about these two retail labels is that they both serve different purposes and should only be used in specific circumstances. The trick to choosing the right one is knowing what your options are and how they can benefit your business.
How UPC Codes Work
In order for a product to be sold in a store, it must have a barcode. The most common type of barcode is the Universal Product Code (UPC). A UPC is a 12-digit number that uniquely identifies a product. Each product has its own UPC, which is used to scan the item at the register. The scanners are able to read the numbers on the UPC code, send them to a computer system, and quickly provide information about what items were scanned.
A SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit, or an item code or serial number given by manufacturers to retailers or wholesalers so they can identify their products more easily. They are often assigned based on individual SKUs – this is when there may be different codes for different variations of one product – such as different colors or sizes – but can also be assigned randomly without any regard for differences between products.
Unlike UPCs which are issued by a third party company called GS1 (Global Standards One), SKUs are issued by individual manufacturers with no standardization process between them.
What is a Product Number
A product number is an identification code assigned to a product by a manufacturer or retailer. The most common types of product numbers are SKUs and UPCs. SKUs (stock keeping units) are used by retailers to track inventory, while UPCs (universal product codes) are used to identify products at the point of sale.
So, what’s the difference between these two types of product numbers Well, they both can be referred to as product numbers, but they’re actually not interchangeable. SKUs are assigned to a specific product by the manufacturer and cannot be duplicated across brands or retail stores. They’re used by retailers for tracking purposes.
On the other hand, UPCs are not bound to any one specific item; instead, they’re sold on their own as barcodes for multiple items in order to identify them when scanned at checkout registers.
Understanding Barcodes
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data relating to the item to which it is attached. Barcodes are used to track inventory levels, for product identification, and for point-of-sale systems. There are two main types of barcodes in use today Universal Product Code (UPC) and Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). A Universal Product Code (UPC) is a 12 digit number printed on packaging labels that uniquely identifies a particular product.
It can be scanned by a cashier at the point of sale and entered into inventory software at any time during the retail process. In other words, they allow retailers to automatically track how many units they have on hand in their stores at any given time.
A Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), also known as Item Number or Item ID, is a unique identifier for each variation of a particular product in a company’s portfolio that appears on receipts, shipping orders, invoices, etc., along with its respective pricevalue.
Where Do SKUs Come In
SKUs are necessary for businesses that sell products online because they help you keep track of your inventory. UPCs, on the other hand, are not required but can be helpful if you plan on selling your products in brick-and-mortar stores. SKUs are unique to each product, while UPCs are standard across all products of the same type.
This means that if you have two identical products, they will have the same UPC but different SKUs. When creating a SKU, you should take into account the product’s size, color, and any other distinguishing features. You’ll also want to make sure that your SKUs are easy to remember and quick to type so that they’re not a pain for your customers to input when they’re making a purchase.
How to Get the Most from Tracking Products with UPCEANGTIN Codes
If you’re selling products online or in brick-and-mortar stores, you need to use UPC, EAN, or GTIN codes to track your inventory. But what’s the difference between these codes, and when should you use each one SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) are an ID number used by a specific retailer to identify a product.
SKUs are assigned by the retailer they belong to, while UPCs (Universal Product Codes) are assigned by a third party organization called GS1 US – which is most likely how you came across them if you’ve ever done any retail shopping before.
