Selling Non-book Products
- Are there already non-book products on my IndieCommerce website? [1]
- How do I create other non-book products? [2]
- What if I have a very large number of products to add—more than I can do by hand? [3]
- How do product images work for bulk upload? I have thousands of images to add. [4]
- How should I organize my non-book product data? [5]
- Which options are available for IndieLite? [6]
Stock for Non-book Products
- Can I upload non-book products together with books in my LSI? [7]
- Will uploading LSI make all my non-book inventory appear on my site? [8]
- Are there any differences in the LSI file format for non-book products? [9]
- Can/should I send my non-book products in a separate LSI feed? [10]
- Can I use LSI for some non-book products, and not for others? [11]
- Can I upload prices for non-book products in LSI as well as inventory numbers? [12]
- Can I prevent customers from buying products if the stock runs out? [13]
- If a customer buys a product, will it decrease the stock? [14]
- How often should I send LSI updates? Is there any way to send them faster? [15]
- I don't upload LSI. Can I provide stock details for my products? [16]
- Does LSI for non-book support attributes and options? [17]
- I am already using the bulk importer to upload stock for my non-book products. How can I switch to this new option of uploading non-book stock in our LSI file with books? [18]
- Can we use the bulk importer for uploading stock for some non-book product classes and the new LSI option for other non-book product classes? [19]
- Ugh, it turns out I have a lot of SKUs that need to change. Am I condemned to toil? [20]
Selling Non-book Products
Are there already non-book products on my IndieCommerce website?
Yes, but you have to enable them. In addition to data on over 10 million books, data is available from Ingram for approximately 25,000 calendars, maps, blank books, and other book-like non-book items (Department T), and approximately 25,000 gift & game non-book items (Department M). To enable these products for sale on your site, just go to:
Store > Configuration > Account Information and Preferences > Configure Book Settings
How do I create other non-book products?
What if I have a very large number of products to add—more than I can do by hand?
How do product images work for bulk upload? I have thousands of images to add.
- You can provide links in the file you upload to the bulk importer. This option works best if all of your images are available publicly online, someplace other than your IndieCommerce site—for example, on the website of a vendor or distributor.
- You can bulk upload a ZIP file of images. See this document for more information: https://www.bookweb.org/indiecommerce/bulk-upload-images [23]
How should I organize my non-book product data?
Which options are available for IndieLite?
Most of this document discusses features available exclusively on IndieCommerce sites. Custom products, bulk upload, and LSI are all features for IndieCommerce only. IndieLite sites can take advantage of Ingram's calendars, maps, blank books, and other book-like non-book items (Department T), and gift & game non-book items (Department M). To enable these products for sale on your site, just go to:
Store > Configuration > Account Information and Preferences > Store Preferences
Stock for Non-book Products
Can I upload non-book products together with books in my LSI?
- That the products you want to supply LSI for already exist on your website
- That the SKU for each product on your website matches the SKU for that product in your Point of Sale system
- That the LSI file you upload to IndieCommerce includes these products
Will uploading LSI make all my non-book inventory appear on my site?
Are there any differences in the LSI file format for non-book products?
- Product SKU or EAN - maximum length is 20 characters
- Quantity on Hand
- Price
- Section in store
Can/should I send my non-book products in a separate LSI feed?
Can I use LSI for some non-book products, and not for others?
Can I upload prices for non-book products in LSI as well as inventory numbers?
Can I prevent customers from buying products if the stock runs out?
- LSI is enabled for the product class
- The quantity for the product is 0 across all store outlets, or the product does not appear at all in your LSI
If a customer buys a product, will it decrease the stock?
How often should I send LSI updates? Is there any way to send them faster?
I don't upload LSI. Can I provide stock details for my products?
Does LSI for non-book support attributes and options?
- Compatible: a signed copy of a book. Attributes are used to allow the customer to choose a gift message.
- Compatible: a product with a "gift wrap" option. Adding gift wrap makes the product cost extra.
- NOT compatible: T-shirts in multiple sizes and colors. (To use LSI with a T-shirt in multiple sizes and colors, upload each as a separate product.)
I am already using the bulk importer to upload stock for my non-book products. How can I switch to this new option of uploading non-book stock in our LSI file with books?
-
Understand the differences between the legacy stock module and LSI:
- The legacy stock module does not support multiple store locations; LSI does.
- The legacy stock module does not display detailed stock status on the page; LSI does.
- The legacy stock module does not include price or store section/shelf, LSI does.
- The legacy stock module requires uploads to go through the "Import Products" page; LSI works via Treeline, FTP, or manual upload.
- The legacy stock module requires a separate feed with a different format; with LSI for non-book you simply need to check that the products on your site appear in your LSI file.
- The legacy stock module allows you to toggle stock as "active" on or off per SKU; LSI works per product class.
- The legacy stock module automatically reduces stock when customers purchase products; LSI does not adjust stock until you provide an update by supplying a new feed.
- Review your LSI file to check that your custom products are included. If they aren't, check settings in your POS system to see what is necessary to include them.
- Check that the SKUs uploaded for products in your LSI feed match the SKUs on your site. If they don't, you'll need to update them to match.
- Once you're comfortable that your non-book inventory is appearing in your LSI, ask ABA staff to switch you to the new LSI system.
- After the new LSI for non-book module has been enabled, review the settings at Store > Configuration > Local Store Inventory > LSI Settings and make sure the product classes you want to enable LSI for are checked.
Can we use the bulk importer for uploading stock for some non-book product classes and the new LSI option for other non-book product classes?
Ugh, it turns out I have a lot of SKUs that need to change. Am I condemned to toil?
- The Old SKU (what's currently on your site)
- The New SKU (what's actually in your POS/LSI file)