Defining product item associations
You can set up cross-sell, up-sell, supersession, alternative, and competitive associations that apply to the item. You can set up an item’s association on an item-by-item basis or by queries under which particular items fall.
Cross-sell
A cross-sell promotes an optional component or accessory item that, when combined with the primary item, makes a “better” package. For example, there is a shirt in your inventory that matches a pair of shoes. When you create the shoes item in the catalog, you associate the shirt as a cross-sell. This way when the customer orders the shoes it is possible to notify them about the matching shirt.
Up-sell
An up-sell promotes a more powerful or higher-level item. For example, in your inventory you have a certain model of running shoe that comes in one of two ways, an inexpensive, lower-quality version or an expensive, top-of-the-line version. When you create the catalog item for the lower-quality shoes you associate the more expensive shoes as an up-sell. When the customer goes to order the lower-quality shoes it is possible to notify them about the higher-quality shoes.
Supersession
Setting up a supersession association provides the ability to recognize that an ordered item can be substituted with one or more other items. An item is superseded when its effective date becomes obsolete. Typically, obsolete items are not offered to customers who perform a regular search of your business’s Web site. However, if a customer performs an advanced search, looking specifically for obsolete items, he is offered the next item in the chain of supersession. Additionally, if an item becomes unavailable, such as an item that has sold out, the system tries to order the next item in the chain of supersession. For example, in your inventory you have a very popular brand of shoe that sells out quickly. There are other comparable brands of shoes that are popular but don’t sell as much. When you create a catalog item for the popular brand of shoes you associate the other shoes as supersessions. When a customer orders the popular brand of shoes that are not in stock, they can be given the option to substitute for one of the other shoes.
Preferred substitutes
A preferred substitute is an item that is fulfilled prior to fulfilling the original item. The system checks and fulfills the order by shipping the preferred substitute item even when the original item is available.
Alternative
An alternative association provides the ability to choose an item that is very similar to the original as an alternate. For example, in your inventory, you have a popular model of running shoe in two different models, high-top or low-top. When a customer chooses the high-top sneaker, they are given a choice to choose the low-top as an alternative.
Competitive
A competitive association provides the ability to associate similar items from different manufacturers. You can also be use this association to track products from competitors. For example, a competitive item to a Company X high-top basketball shoe is a Company Y high-top basketball shoe.