Stores use many codes for inventory tracking. Here are a few
you might have seen, but not sure how they are used.
A UPC, or Universal
Product Code, is the number (usually under the barcode)
universally used to identify a certain product. Identical
products at different stores will have the same UPC. There are
multiple UPCs. UPC10, UPC11, UPC12, and UPC14 are frequently
used, with UPC12 being the most popular.
A SKU, or Stock Keeping
Unit, is the product code used by an individual store. Many
SKUs, for simplicity’s sake, were simply their UPCs, but most
store-brand items have shorter SKU numbers. If a product’s
packaging changes there might be two different UPCs represented
by one SKU, because the newer item would eventually replace the
older one.
A PLU is a Price (or
Product) Look-Up. Some are universal, such as 4011 for bananas
and some can be assigned by the store for unique items. Items
with a PLU are generally sold by weight, or volume, or quantity.
An item sold with a PLU could have 3 different numbers to
represent its price, UPC, and the store’s stock keeping unit.