SKU examples for eight kinds of store
The fastest way to design a SKU system is to copy one that already works for a business like yours. Below are patterns for eight common store types, each with the reasoning behind the choice — take the closest one and adjust.
General → specific → number. Start with the widest grouping you'd sort by, end with a padded counter that guarantees uniqueness. Keep the whole thing 8–16 characters.
Clothing & apparel
Colour and size drive everything, and one style becomes dozens of variants.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| STYLE-COLOR-SIZE-SEQ | TEE-BLK-M-0042 | T-shirt, black, medium, item 42 |
| BRAND-STYLE-COLOR-SIZE | NRD-HOOD-NV-L | Nordic hoodie, navy, large |
Watch out for: numeric sizes. Pad EU 36–46 as 36, 38 so they sort correctly, and keep one master colour list for the whole brand.
Jewelry
Material and stone matter more than size, and price tiers often track the metal.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| TYPE-METAL-STONE-SEQ | RNG-AU-DIA-0107 | Ring, gold, diamond, item 107 |
| TYPE-METAL-SIZE | RNG-AG-07 | Ring, silver, size 7 |
Watch out for: using chemical symbols (AU, AG, PT) keeps metals to two characters and reads unambiguously.
Electronics
Model and capacity are the identity; colour is secondary.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| TYPE-BRAND-MODEL-SPEC | HDP-SNY-WH1-BK | Headphones, Sony, WH1, black |
| TYPE-CAPACITY-COLOR-SEQ | SSD-1TB-BK-0031 | SSD, 1TB, black, item 31 |
Watch out for: don't encode firmware or revision numbers — they change, and your SKU shouldn't.
Food & beverage
Weight or volume is the variant axis, and shelf life means batches matter.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| CATEGORY-FLAVOR-SIZE | COF-ETH-250G | Coffee, Ethiopian, 250g |
| TYPE-VARIANT-VOLUME-SEQ | TEA-MINT-50-0012 | Tea, mint, 50 bags, item 12 |
Watch out for: keep batch and expiry out of the SKU — those belong in lot tracking, not the product code.
Furniture & home
Finish and dimensions define the variant; catalogs are smaller but codes live longer.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| BRAND-TYPE-FINISH-SEQ | ALB-CHR-WN-0044 | Alba chair, walnut, item 44 |
| TYPE-MATERIAL-SIZE | TBL-OAK-180 | Table, oak, 180cm |
Beauty & cosmetics
Shade ranges get large fast, so shade codes need to be systematic from day one.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| LINE-PRODUCT-SHADE | LUM-FND-N03 | Lumen foundation, neutral 03 |
| TYPE-SHADE-SIZE-SEQ | LIP-R12-5ML-0088 | Lipstick, red 12, 5ml, item 88 |
Watch out for: number shades rather than naming them in the code — "Rosewood" and "Rose Gold" both shorten to ROS.
Print on demand
The same artwork across many blanks, so the design ID leads.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| DESIGN-PRODUCT-COLOR-SIZE | D104-TEE-WHT-L | Design 104, tee, white, large |
Wholesale & distribution
You resell other people's goods, so supplier identity matters — but keep your own code.
| Pattern | Example | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| SUPPLIER-CATEGORY-SEQ | ACM-VLV-0231 | Acme, valves, item 231 |
Watch out for: never adopt the supplier's SKU as your own. Store it in a separate field, so switching suppliers doesn't force you to renumber your catalog.
Whichever you copy: write the codes down in one place before you create the first product. Nearly every broken SKU system started with two people inventing codes independently.
Build your pattern in a minute
Pick your segments, set your codes once, and every product gets a consistent SKU automatically — then export a clean CSV for Shopify, WooCommerce, or a spreadsheet.
Open the free SKU builderNo signup. Apparel, jewelry and electronics templates included.