Creating a completely new ASIN – If you’re listing a completely new product, you’ll need to add a new ASIN to the Amazon product catalog. Usually, this is a job for brands and manufacturers. But if you find that you’ve sourced a product that doesn’t exist on Amazon yet, this means you’ll have very little competition to contend with.
This boosts your chances of winning the Amazon Buy Box and increasing sales, It’s worth noting that new sellers can only create a limited number of new listings until they establish a proven sales record on Amazon. The more sales you have, the more ASINs you’ll be able to create. In Amazon’s ‘Add a Product’ tool, click ‘Create a new product’.
You’ll then be prompted to fill out a form with your product’s details, including the item’s name, brand, color, size and material make-up. 
After you’ve added a new product, Amazon will assign an ASIN. Here, you’ll also have to include a unique GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). You should be able to find this information on a product’s barcode, label or from the manufacturer. Here are popular GTIN’s:
| ISBN (International Standard Book Number) | 10 or 13 digits |
| UPC (Universal Product Code) | 12 digits |
| EAN (European Article Number) | 13 digits |
Once submitted, Amazon will assign your product an ASIN code and publish a product details page. Then, you can use this to list your items – and so can other sellers. Filling out these forms can be time-consuming. If you’re doing it often, you should consider using Amazon seller tools like inventory templates to speed up the process.
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How do I create an ASIN barcode?
To create a new ASIN, go to Amazon’s Add a Product’ tool, then click ‘Create a new product’. Amazon will take you to fill out a form for making your listing live. This form entails product detail fields such as product name, manufacturer or brand, product material colour, and size.
Can we create a new SKU for the same ASIN in the same account?
Amazon PPC – All Amazon PPC is at the SKU level. Therefore, when creating a new campaign, you need to enter an SKU, not ASIN. You are promoting your offer (SKU), not a listing (ASIN). The ads are active when the SKU has the Buy box. When your SKU loses the Buy Box, it automatically becomes ineligible for advertising – you do not spend money when the customer does not see your offer in the listing.
- As an example, one of my clients has had an issue by choosing the wrong type of barcode.
- To create FBA shipment, he got an error: “Cannot be stickerless, commingled”.
- This issue was caused by an error while converting the listing.
- For the first time converting the listing from the FBM shipping method to FBA, the “Manufacturer barcode” was selected, although in this case, the “Amazon barcode” had to be chosen.
You cannot change the barcode type – a new SKU must be created. After creating a new SKU for the same ASIN and selecting “Amazon barcodes”, the problem has been resolved. : The Difference between ASIN and SKU | SHAYZ
How do I make my own ASIN?
Creating a completely new ASIN – If you’re listing a completely new product, you’ll need to add a new ASIN to the Amazon product catalog. Usually, this is a job for brands and manufacturers. But if you find that you’ve sourced a product that doesn’t exist on Amazon yet, this means you’ll have very little competition to contend with.
- This boosts your chances of winning the Amazon Buy Box and increasing sales,
- It’s worth noting that new sellers can only create a limited number of new listings until they establish a proven sales record on Amazon.
- The more sales you have, the more ASINs you’ll be able to create.
- In Amazon’s ‘Add a Product’ tool, click ‘Create a new product’.
You’ll then be prompted to fill out a form with your product’s details, including the item’s name, brand, color, size and material make-up. After you’ve added a new product, Amazon will assign an ASIN. Here, you’ll also have to include a unique GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). You should be able to find this information on a product’s barcode, label or from the manufacturer. Here are popular GTIN’s:
| ISBN (International Standard Book Number) | 10 or 13 digits |
| UPC (Universal Product Code) | 12 digits |
| EAN (European Article Number) | 13 digits |
Once submitted, Amazon will assign your product an ASIN code and publish a product details page. Then, you can use this to list your items – and so can other sellers. Filling out these forms can be time-consuming. If you’re doing it often, you should consider using Amazon seller tools like inventory templates to speed up the process.
Can I create my own Amazon SKU?
The SKU numbers are identifiers that are particular to the SELLER so if they are already in use it sounds like you are trying to list the same product a second or third time. OR Amazon is messed up which is just as likely. When you add a product it will have a box with the AMAZON suggested SKU but you can do your own.
Can one product have multiple ASINs?
What is Amazon ASIN? – ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. It is made up of 10-characters: numbers, alphabets, or a combination of both. It is a unique identifier assigned by Amazon.com and its partners. This means each product has its own unique code with which customers can identify the product that they are looking for.
Can I create my own barcode to sell on Amazon?
Confused about Amazon barcode best practices? Learn about UPCs and EANs, how to get them, and how to make sure your products are Amazon barcode-ready. Amazon barcodes are one of those Amazon seller topics that aren’t as complicated as they seem. They fall into the category of boring admin stuff that nobody wants to deal with (I fell asleep a couple of times while writing this), but you have to slog through this if you want to send FBA shipments to Amazon.
What are Amazon barcodes?What are GTINs (UPCs, EANs, ISBNs, etc.)How and where do I buy my barcodes?What is an FNSKU barcode and do I need one?What is commingling?Private label barcode best practices?
Let’s dive in. First things first. To clear up the confusion: Amazon barcodes are NOT the same as ASINs. ASINs (Amazon Standard Identification Numbers) are unique to product listings. That string of digits that shows in the web address when you go to a product page? That’s the ASIN. 
You need them because Amazon says you need them. Any product fulfilled by Amazon needs to have some kind of barcode. Otherwise, there’s no way for Amazon to track the product. We’ll talk about the different kinds of barcodes that Amazon accepts below. Amazon barcodes, by the way, do NOT apply to Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) sellers.
As an FBM seller, you’re sending your orders directly from yourself to a customer, so it technically never passes through Amazon’s hands. In this situation, there’s no need for an Amazon barcode. When we’re talking about Amazon barcodes, by the way, we’re mainly talking FNSKUs. Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Units (FNSKUs) are Amazon’s unique barcodes assigned to your product and linked to your seller account.
Any time you add a new product listing to your inventory in Seller Central, set it to FBA, and choose Amazon barcode (instead of manufacturer barcode), Amazon generates an FNSKU for you. This is what’s printed on your barcodes. This also ensures that, even if you and another seller are selling the same item, the inventory you send to Amazon will be designated to you, and theirs to them.
If you don’t do this, your inventory will be commingled (aka a messy nightmare) – see more on that further down, under the section about commingling. Now, you can forego FNSKUs entirely and simply use the manufacturer’s barcode that already appears on a product. For example, suppose you’re a wholesaler who orders a shipment from your supplier, or an arbitrage seller and you buy a Paw Patrol stuffed animal from Target while it’s on clearance.
In that case, those products already have a manufacturer barcode on them. There are a few approaches you can do: either you print them from Amazon, or if you’re a private label seller, you or your manufacturer can print them directly onto the packaging (assuming that product or version of the packaging will only be sold on Amazon). 
Whether your barcodes are just generic Amazon barcodes or FNSKUs, you need to use them to completely cover any existing barcodes on the product packaging, whether a box, a hang tag, or anything in between. These Amazon barcode requirements have a reason: any other barcodes Amazon picks up while scanning your item at their fulfillment center will confuse the system and delay or deny your product being received into inventory. 
If you’re really lazy and just don’t want to affix the barcode labels yourself (or you forgot to before sending your shipment to Amazon), you CAN pay to have Amazon do it for you at the fulfillment center. At a $0.30/item fee, that may not sound like a lot by itself, but over several products that fee will add up VERY quickly.
It’s recommended to just do it yourself (or have your manufacturer or 3PL do it). We’re not going to dive into the meanings of each digit in each GTIN format, but we’ll briefly outline GTINs and their types. Global Trade Item Number – or GTIN – is the umbrella category for UPCs, EANs, and the like. This identifies your product, and part of that number string will show up in your UPC or EAN.
Unique Product Code – or UPC – is the type of GTIN typically used in the US and Canada. European Article Number – or EAN – is the type of GTIN typically used in – you guessed it – the European Union and elsewhere that isn’t the US or Canada. Note that the above is ‘typical’ use.
- There are always exceptions, but that’s your general rule of thumb.
- These are all separate from Amazon’s barcodes.
- These are the ‘manufacturer barcodes’ we’ve mentioned.
- By the way, in certain cases you can apply to be exempted from requiring a GTIN.
- See the Amazon GTIN exemption page ).
- If you’re a wholesaler or arbitrage seller, the products you’re selling already have manufacturer barcodes on them, so you just need to worry about affixing the Amazon barcode label on top of them.
If you’re a private label seller, however, you have to purchase your own manufacturer barcodes (to use as an Amazon UPC code or EAN code), especially if you want to use them in Brand Registry and have full control over your brand (control which includes helping prevent listing hijackers from trying to take over your listing and product).
- Once you purchase your UPCs (or EANs), you can associate them with each of your products.
- For example, if you’re a private label seller with a skincare line of three products – a moisturizer, a cleanser, and a toner – you would need three UPCs – one for each of those products.
- Were you to, say, release a second type of moisturizer, that would require a new fourth UPC.
UPCs are purchased and stored in a global database for future reference. A quick search online will bring up dozens of results for where to purchase your UPCs. However! The ONLY legitimate global producer of UPCs is GS1. See how to obtain a legitimate GS1 UPC, EAN, or other GTIN on their site. 
The reason for this is these sites are essentially resellers. They purchase old barcodes in bulk and resell them, meaning it’s like buying a used car, cash, with no Carfax; you’re taking a gamble on if it’s been run to the ground or even if it has a clean or salvage title.
Even if the product that was previously linked to that barcode is out of print, someone could still be selling it somewhere on the internet. I’ve personally encountered this problem before when I was trying to list Sharper Image products at a previous job. I encountered that dreaded 5665 error where Amazon insisted the UPC did not match the product info I was entering, even though (to my knowledge) it did.
Does that mean my company had therefore bought used UPCs? Who knows. That’s not my problem anymore, but I don’t want this to be your problem, too. It’s the devil, basically. (Well, in my unbiased opinion it is). Commingling is what happens if you don’t generate FNSKUs.
Were you to just send your FBA shipment to Amazon without affixing an FNSKU label, Amazon would use the manufacturer barcode to scan and catalog your products. Since the manufacturer barcode (whether a UPC, ISBN, or something else) would correspond to the product itself and not to your seller account, Amazon will then toss your product into a communal ‘pool’ of that same product sent in by yourself AND other Amazon sellers selling the same product without FNSKUs.
Therefore, any time someone orders that product (known as a commingled product), Amazon will pick one unit of that product (regardless of which seller sent it in), and ship it to the customer. 
This situation particularly applies to wholesale and retail/online arbitrage sellers, since you aren’t producing your product yourself, and others will likely be selling them, too. For example, let’s say you’re Seller A and another seller is Seller B, and both of you are selling Product Z by retail arbitrage.
- Seller A (you) sends in 10 units of Product Z.
- Seller B (competitor) sends in 10 units of Product Z.
- Customer places an order for Product Z while you have the buy box.
- You win the sale, and your in-stock quantity is now 9 units of Product Z.
- However, when Amazon goes to fulfill your order, there’s a 50/50 chance the unit they pick and pack will actually be a product you sent in.
There’s also a 50/50 chance the unit they pick is one that your competitor sent in. In a perfect world, there wouldn’t be an issue since all Product Z units are in perfect condition. However, this isn’t the case. What if your 10 units of Product Z were in perfect condition, but some of Seller B’s units weren’t? A customer therefore can receive a defective unit that wasn’t your fault to begin with but will count against your metrics.
- See why it’s a headache? Theoretically, it’s just not worth the trouble.
- While this isn’t an issue private label sellers should have to face, wholesale and arbitrage sellers should be mindful of this when considering bypassing using FNSKUs! But on the flip side, if you’re a seller who’s had a positive experience with commingling inventory, let us know! We’d like to hear your side.
If you’re an Amazon private label seller looking to obtain a GTIN (UPC, EAN, etc.), head over to the GS1 website and get the process started. If you’re a wholesaler or arbitrage seller, again we highly recommend getting FNSKUs on all your products just to avoid the stickerless/commingled product nightmare.
How do I get an ASIN number to sell on Amazon?
FAQ | ASIN Number – What is the ASIN number? An ASIN number is a unique code that identifies products in the Amazon catalog. It stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number and is a 10-character alphanumeric code that helps online shoppers find specific items on the Amazon website.
- This code is typically located near the UPC or EAN barcode associated with a product, and it allows customers to search for and compare items in the Amazon marketplace.
- How to get an ASIN number from amazon? Getting an ASIN number from Amazon is a simple process.
- First, you need to find the product listing on their website.
To do this, you can search for the product name or browse through categories until you find the item. Once you have located the item, find the ASIN in the product details section of the listing. How much does an ASIN cost? The average seller does not pay for an ASIN number,
Instead, Amazon assigns each product in your catalog this code for free. However, if you are a high-volume listing seller with more than 100,000 products listed, you may be charged a flat monthly fee of $0.005 per ASIN. You’ll pay this fee and any FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) storage fees together. What is the difference between ISBN and ASIN? ISBN is an International Standard Book Number used to identify books and other publications.
It consists of a 13-digit code specific to a book’s exact edition, including its language and publication cover artwork. ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number and is used solely by Amazon’s cataloging system. It identifies products within the Amazon marketplace and is typically associated with UPC or EAN barcodes.
Do I need an ASIN number to sell on Amazon? You need an ASIN to list a product on the Amazon marketplace. Without an ASIN code, customers cannot find your product, and you won’t be able to sell it on Amazon. To obtain an ASIN number, search for the product listing you wish to include in your catalog and locate the associated 10-character alphanumeric code.
This identifier is crucial for selling on Amazon and should be used consistently across your product listings.
How do I Create a second list on Amazon?
Create a List to keep track of items you want to purchase later. To create a List:
- Go to Account & Lists and select Your Lists,
- Select Create a List and insert a list name.
- Select Create List,
- Select the three dots menu, and Manage List to update your shipping address and other preferences.
- Select Save Changes, You can repeat this process to create an unlimited amount of lists.
You can select Add to List on any item’s product details page. Note:
- Only list owners can make changes to lists.
- Gift givers only see the name, city, and state of your address.
- We only use your birthday for birthday reminders, and to provide information on the site.
- You can update your information any time.
- Items are added to your default list when you select Add to List, For more information, see Edit Items in Your list,
- Both list owners and invited people can add items to lists.
- You can add items for sale by Amazon to your list, except the following:
- Out-of-print books
- Out-of-stock products
- Cell phones with service plans
- Items without release dates
- Items with quantity restrictions
- You can add items from sellers to your list. We’ll display See Buying Options instead of Add to Cart on the product details page, because the same item may not be available later.
How do I Create a unique listing on Amazon?
How to Set Up Your Amazon Listing – When you sell a product on Amazon, you have to create a new listing if you’re the first seller to offer that exact product in the marketplace. When multiple merchants are selling the same product, they share an Amazon listing. At the product creation page, you have a choice of either selecting an existing product or making your own. For a unique product, select “Create a new listing.” Choose your product categories and subcategories to classify your product. From there, you’ll be prompted to fill in your product listing information, This content— your product title, description images — is what makes or breaks your listing page. It has to be both informative and engaging so buyers trust your brand and understand why they should purchase your item.
Can I Create a second Amazon account?
Switch Accounts allows you to add and switch between Amazon accounts without having to sign out and in. Important: To prevent others from accessing your Amazon accounts, we recommend that you don’t use this feature on shared devices and computers. To switch or add accounts in a browser:
In the Account & Lists menu, select Switch Accounts, To add a new Amazon account to the browser, select Add account, Enter your account credentials and follow the instructions on the screen. To switch between accounts, select the account you want from the Switch Accounts page.
Can 2 products have the same ASIN on Amazon?
What is an ASIN Number – Amazon Standard Identification Number or Amazon ASIN is a combination of 10 unique characters, i.e., numbers, alphabets, or both. Additionally, Amazon ASIN acts as an identifier assigned by Amazon.com and its partners to a product.
- The reason for assigning ASINs to different products helps customers and sellers find out the product they are looking for from a catalog of a massive list of products.
- It is not possible that two different products to have the same ASIN.
- There are certain exceptions related to the Amazon ASIN.
- A specific ASIN could be unique only within a marketplace.
In other words, Amazon sites in the US and India can use different ASINs for the same product. You need to add all your product ASINs to your listings as per Amazon Policy. If you violate the Amazon ASIN creation policy, it will suspend your selling privileges.
Can you delete an ASIN?
Deleting an ASIN – If you delete a product listing, its ASIN too gets deleted from your account. But, once created an ASIN cannot be deleted permanently. It remains on the Amazon servers. An ASIN is linked to the EAN, UPC, and ISBN. If you are the only seller for the respective product, the ASIN may become inactive after you delete it from your account.
Can I change the brand of an ASIN?
Changing Brand name through creation of new ASINs/Listings? 2023-02-24 10:23:42 UTC #1 Hi We recently created some listings under the Brand Name “Flow Notes”, by mistake. But when we registered as Brand Owners on Amazon, we registered under the brand called “Flow”.
- As a results we are not able to connect our listings towards our new Brand Ownership.
- We have tried Seller support many times to have them change the Brand Name to Flow, but they refuse to help and have told us to create new listings with the correct brand name.
- How should I proceed to create new listings without breaching Amazon policies and fixing this the way Amazon support have told us to?
- Options we have discussed are:
- We create new EAN (bar code) for our products, and create brand new ASIN’s with the correct Brand name, then we send these updated products in for FBA after we created the new listings (Isn’t this a breach of policy?)
- We delete our old listings, and try to create new listings based on the same EAN (bar code). But wouldn’t this keep the same brand and listing as the ASIN is still the same? Or is there another way we can fix this?
I really need some help on how to proceed here, step-by-step. I am using the upload template for updating of listings, so it has to be based on that.2023-02-28 15:05:42 UTC #2 did you have any success with this.2023-02-28 15:45:10 UTC #3 It’s virtually impossible to get a brand name changed once it has registered to a EAN/UPC – i have had some success by hounding seller support, but it has to be per ASIN so incredibly time consuming.2023-02-28 16:52:36 UTC #4 We have attempted this process – as we added the manufacturer name rather than the brand name.
- We are both the manufacturer & the Brand Owner.
- Amazon stated that in order for this to be changed – the listing has to be deleted – then re added as a new listing using the same ASIN number.
- This will update the listing details in 24 hours – but you will lose any potential sales in that period.
- As ASIN numbers are never deleted by the Amazon system – the Review data will always stay with the ASIN number & when the new listing appears the data will still be linked.
We tried this on 1 listing which doesn’t sell very many & it did work.2023-02-28 18:29:06 UTC #5 did you use the same SKU for the re-listing? 2023-02-28 18:29:44 UTC #6 as it appears the product reviews are linked to the SKU 2023-02-28 18:45:35 UTC #7 Product reviews are linked to the ASIN and not the SKU.
If you have the EAN registered with GS1 with the correct Brand name, then it could be possible to get them changed. You would need to raise a case for each item and point out, that the EAN is being used incorrectly for the product. But this could result in the ASIN being deleted as well.2023-02-28 18:53:00 UTC #8 We managed to get 1 ASIN changed and once that was sorted we requested them to change the other 6 ASIN’s and they’ve now come back and said they can’t do this, so frustating and time consuming.2023-03-01 09:01:05 UTC #9 NEil Can you advise what is the best way to go about changing the brand.
As mentioned, we got one ASIN change (Brand) but still have to change the product title and Manufacture. Should we request to change both Title & manufacture together or seperately.2023-03-01 11:27:51 UTC #10 To be quite honest, there is no best way. The only real way to do it, is as I described above.
- You can only persevere with support.
- I’ve been fighting a similar battle, in that a prior seller, sold the brand I’m registered for under different EAN’s on the EU sites.
- This in turn means that I can’t use PanEU, because each has a different ASIN.
- And if it makes you feel any better, they are different on every site and there are approx 80 of them on each.
It’s a battle and it will take time and effort.2023-03-01 11:37:13 UTC #11 2023-03-01 11:51:18 UTC #12 2023-03-01 11:54:35 UTC #13 in theory then, if successful in getting it changed, the same process has to be carried our in each marketplace the brand is sold on? or if successfully changed on the UK marketplace if we then ran the build international listing tool would this in theroy change all marketplaces the brand is sold on.2023-03-01 11:59:17 UTC #14 If the EAN’s differ, then the BIL tool won’t pick it up.
- To be frank, the tool is only good if the listings already exist in the target marketplace and are the same.2023-03-01 12:48:25 UTC #15 Hey – Yes it worked on the product we tested 2023-03-01 22:10:00 UTC #16 2023-03-01 22:12:12 UTC #17 So far we have managed to get the title’s changed all but 2.
- Next then we will work on the brand change & manufacture change.2023-03-02 12:25:45 UTC #18 We listing the brand we are trying to change back in 2019.
We managed to get one of the listing brand name changed. We then set about trying to getthe other 6 ASIN’s which they have declined. We then set about trying to change the title’s and we got 5 of these changed and are now been told the other 2 ASIN’s cannot be changed as only the brand owner can request these changes.We have spoken to the brand and they have not received and notice from amazon on these requested changes.
Would it appear someone has brand registered this brand even though they are not the actual brand owner.2023-03-02 12:30:34 UTC #19 It’s very unlikely that someone holds brand registry for the same brand name, unless they have it registered in another country. Have you checked this? Amazon simply won’t accept for brand registry, without the proof.2023-03-02 12:37:30 UTC #20 The brand don’t even seller on Amazon themselves, they allow ourselves to do this.
We created the listings back in 2019. That may be the case, we will check. if it is the case will we be allowed to change the listings in any case or is there a way around. : Changing Brand name through creation of new ASINs/Listings?
How do I get an Asin number for my product?
Note: The Mobile Associates SDK is no longer available for download, however if you have integrated the SDK into your apps, you can continue to use it. Developers new to the Mobile Associates program should now sign up on Amazon Associates Central. Visit the Mobile Education Center to learn more. 
Alternatively you can find the ASIN in the URL of the product page. 
Some products come in multiple variations, such as size or color. Variations have a parent-child relationship. The main product is the parent, with each unique variation a child. Both the parent and each child have their own unique ASIN. If you would like to retrieve information for a specific variation, you can simply use that variation’s ASIN.
How do I list on Amazon without ASIN?
Sellbrite supports creating listings on Amazon for any ASIN. An ASIN is the official product identifier for items in the Amazon catalog. Not sure if your products have ASINs? Learn about Sellbrite’s ASIN Lookup tool If your products don’t have ASINs, or are not in the Amazon catalog, you must first add your products to the catalog.
What is an example of an ASIN?
What is an Amazon ASIN? – ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. The ASIN is a unique ten-digit alphanumerical identifier that Amazon assigns each of its and its partner’s products. Basically, it’s how Amazon identifies the millions of products in its database.
Can I just make up a SKU?
How Do You Generate SKU Numbers? – You can generate SKU numbers any way you want, but it’s probably easiest to use your inventory/retail management system, The length is up to you, but do take into consideration that your staff will need to be able to easily read and even remember SKUs.
Grocery cashiers, for instance, often end up memorizing swaths of produce SKUs in order to be able to ring faster.) You can also choose to use only numbers or letters – or do a combination of the two. When choosing digits, you could go totally random. However, it’s better to imbue your digits with some meaning.
By that I mean, segment the digits out to refer to certain things. For instance, if you have an 8 digit SKU, the first two digits could refer to the item category, the second two digits could refer to sub-category, the third two could refer to item color, and the last two can be the unique identifier.
| Category | Code | Item | Code | SKU Number |
| Dog Toys | 10 | Tennis Ball | 012 | 10012 |
| Rodent Accessories | 20 | Hamster Wheel | 005 | 20005 |
| Cat Food | 30 | Salmon Bites | 001 | 30001 |
The item codes should be created in a sequential order (thus, each new item you get in will just be assigned the next available number). The item codes can be reused in different departments, as well. So “012” could be used for Chicken Bites in the cat food department, even though it’s used for Tennis Ball in the Dog Toys department.
Supplier Store Location Department Variation Item Type Size Color
Let’s look at how a clothing store with men’s, women’s and children’s clothing might want to create a SKU.
| Department | Code | Category | Code | Color | Code | Item Number | SKU |
| Men’s | M | Knits | 223 | Purple | 02 | 001 | M223-02-001 |
| Women’s | W | Knits | 223 | Brown | 58 | 010 | W223-58-010 |
| Children’s | C | Denim | 604 | Pink | 25 | 035 | C604-25-035 |
| Women’s | W | Dresses | 005 | Green | 51 | 120 | W005-51-120 |
Each section of the SKU tells a detail of the item and these codes can be put together in unique ways to demonstrate particular items. A different men’s purple sweater than the one seen in the table above, for instance, might be M223-02-002. You could also see that the first 5 digits of any women’s purple sweater would be W223-02, or that a pair of men’s green jeans would start with M606-51.
Can I make up my own SKU?
A stock-keeping unit (SKU) is an alphanumeric code that identifies a product and helps you track inventory for your retail business. The information your SKU includes is completely up to you— distinguishing it from a universal product code (UPC), a standardized 12-digit code manufacturers use to identify products.
Depending on the type of inventory, your SKU number can include identifying information for everything—from department to style, gender, size, and color. You can create SKU numbers manually or automate the process with an inventory management or point-of-sale (POS) system, At my store, we used an SKU system in which the first two letters of each SKU code corresponded to the type of product it was attached to, e.g., all of our shirts had SKUs starting with an SH, all of our pants had PA, jewelry JE, and so forth.
The remaining digits corresponded to store location, size, and other relevant product information. With this custom identification system, it was easy to keep track of our products and label our goods.
Should I create my own SKU?
Coding your products correctly makes it easy for you, and others, to find, search and reference products from lists, invoices, order forms etc. Find out more about why SKUs are important. Every variation of the product should have it’s own unique SKU. It acts like an abbreviation of the product details.
Can I just make up a SKU?
How Do You Generate SKU Numbers? – You can generate SKU numbers any way you want, but it’s probably easiest to use your inventory/retail management system, The length is up to you, but do take into consideration that your staff will need to be able to easily read and even remember SKUs.
- Grocery cashiers, for instance, often end up memorizing swaths of produce SKUs in order to be able to ring faster.) You can also choose to use only numbers or letters – or do a combination of the two.
- When choosing digits, you could go totally random.
- However, it’s better to imbue your digits with some meaning.
By that I mean, segment the digits out to refer to certain things. For instance, if you have an 8 digit SKU, the first two digits could refer to the item category, the second two digits could refer to sub-category, the third two could refer to item color, and the last two can be the unique identifier.
| Category | Code | Item | Code | SKU Number |
| Dog Toys | 10 | Tennis Ball | 012 | 10012 |
| Rodent Accessories | 20 | Hamster Wheel | 005 | 20005 |
| Cat Food | 30 | Salmon Bites | 001 | 30001 |
The item codes should be created in a sequential order (thus, each new item you get in will just be assigned the next available number). The item codes can be reused in different departments, as well. So “012” could be used for Chicken Bites in the cat food department, even though it’s used for Tennis Ball in the Dog Toys department.
Supplier Store Location Department Variation Item Type Size Color
Let’s look at how a clothing store with men’s, women’s and children’s clothing might want to create a SKU.
| Department | Code | Category | Code | Color | Code | Item Number | SKU |
| Men’s | M | Knits | 223 | Purple | 02 | 001 | M223-02-001 |
| Women’s | W | Knits | 223 | Brown | 58 | 010 | W223-58-010 |
| Children’s | C | Denim | 604 | Pink | 25 | 035 | C604-25-035 |
| Women’s | W | Dresses | 005 | Green | 51 | 120 | W005-51-120 |
Each section of the SKU tells a detail of the item and these codes can be put together in unique ways to demonstrate particular items. A different men’s purple sweater than the one seen in the table above, for instance, might be M223-02-002. You could also see that the first 5 digits of any women’s purple sweater would be W223-02, or that a pair of men’s green jeans would start with M606-51.
Can you have multiple SKUs for the same ASIN?
Therefore which should you use, FBA or MFN? – We would actually recommend using both. You are perfectly allowed to have multiple SKUs from the same Seller account under the same ASIN. This is because you could split Amazon’s Customers into two segments: Prime and non-Prime.
- Prime Customers would inevitably opt for the Prime-eligible FBA SKU which would be shipped to them quickly and included in the Prine package.
- If you only had an FBA offer, non-Prime customers would have to pay the non-Prime shipping fee of £4.49 regardless of product size (99p for Small and Light items).
Therefore to maximise conversion of non-Prime Customers you could offer a merchant fulfilled SKU with free shipping. The Prime SKU will invariably win the Buy Box but, depending on the number of competitor offers on the ASIN, the MFN SKU should show in the ‘Other sellers on Amazon’ section below the Buy Box.
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- If you have any questions on how to set up your first listings, our consultants will be happy to advise you, so please do,
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: How To Set Up Your Amazon Inventory SKUs, Including FBA & MFN & Prepare for Launch
Can you generate SKU?
How to Create SKU Numbers – You can always randomly generate number and letter combinations when coming up with SKUs but we strongly recommend against going with this approach. SKUs are much more useful and easier to use when they can be read as a description of the product, identifying many of the product’s most important characteristics.
- The product’s manufacturer
- Product name
- Model
- Size
- Color
- Description
- Material
- Any other specified parameters
For example, consider in the table below how the ending SKU clearly identifies the style, color, and size of the product. 
Here is another example of a cleaning company’s products: 
Someone with a little experience in these companies could tell you exactly what product the SKU was referencing. without needing a lengthy product description. These are some best practices to consider as you get started:
- Try to stick to one SKU naming formula for all products.
- The best SKUs are between 8-12 characters, and definitely under 16.
- Keep them easy to read and understand.
- Try to avoid confusing letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Avoid starting a SKU with a zero (Excel will edit out the beginning zero if you put it in a spreadsheet, creating a lot of hassle and headache).
- Arrange SKU in order of importance, typically generic to specific attributes.
- The best SKUs have easily identifiable attributes and qualities.
These are the steps we recommend for coming up with SKUs for your products:
