Set up a retail product hierarchy (Retail essentials)

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This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.

Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3

This topic explains how to set up a retail product category hierarchy. You can create a category hierarchy to organize the products that you sell through your retail channels. You can use category hierarchies to group products that are used to create product assortments. You can also use a hierarchy for customer loyalty programs, and to assign product attributes and properties.

You can create one category hierarchy to represent all products and categories in your organization, and then use that category hierarchy for multiple purposes. Alternatively, you can create multiple category hierarchies for special purposes, such as product promotions.

Set up a retail category hierarchy

Before you can add products and product attributes to the retail product hierarchy, you must create the base category structure. After you create the hierarchy structure, you can add products and complete the hierarchy setup.

  1. Click Retail essentials > Merchandising > Category hierarchies > Supplemental retail hierarchies. On the Supplemental retail hierarchies list page, on the Action Pane, click Category hierarchy.

  2. In the Create a category hierarchy form, enter a unique name and an optional description for the hierarchy, and then click Create.

  3. In the Category hierarchy form, on the Action Pane, click New category node to add the parent and child categories that you use to categorize your products. The first category that you create for a new category hierarchy is always the parent category of all other categories in the hierarchy. Add as many categories and subcategories as your organization requires.

  4. To assign attribute groups to the category, select the category, and then, on the Category attribute groups FastTab, click Add.

  5. In the Category attribute groups form, in the Attribute groups: section, select one or more attribute groups, and then click Select ->. When you click an attribute group to select it, the attributes that are included in the attribute group are displayed in the Attributes: section. To add the attribute group to the selected category, click OK.

  6. In the Category hierarchy form, on the Category attribute groups FastTab, click View attributes to view the list of attributes that are included in an attribute group.

  7. After you finish setting up the category hierarchy, click Close to save the category hierarchy and return to the Supplemental retail hierarchies list page.

For more information about the fields in the Supplemental retail hierarchy form, see Supplemental retail hierarchies (form).

Maintain the retail product hierarchy

After you create the structure of a retail product hierarchy, you can assign products to its categories and subcategories. You can also assign retail-specific attributes and basic product attributes at the category level.

  1. Click Retail essentials > Merchandising > Category hierarchies > Retail product hierarchy.

  2. In the Retail product hierarchy form, in the left pane, review the tree structure of the product category hierarchy. Select a category, and then, on the General FastTab, view the name, friendly name, status, and other details about the category.

  3. To modify the product attributes for a category, select the category, and then click Edit category hierarchy. In the Category hierarchy form, modify the product categories, and then click Close.

  4. Add one or more products from the organization-wide product list to a category. In the Retail product hierarchy form, in the left pane, select a category in the tree structure. Then, on the Products FastTab, click Add. Alternatively, click Add products to open the Add products form, and then add one or more products to a selected category. If you use the Add products form to add products to the category, you can select products from any category hierarchy.

  5. On the Retail product properties FastTab, enter default settings for the retail product properties. These settings are automatically inherited by all products that are assigned to the category. However, you can override the settings for an individual product.

  6. On the Basic product properties FastTab, enter settings for the base product properties. These settings are automatically inherited by all products that are assigned to the category, across one or more legal entities. However, you can override the settings for an individual product.

  7. On the Product attribute groups FastTab, add other attributes to the products in the hierarchy.

  8. On the Map vendor categories FastTab, map the vendor’s product categories to the retail product categories in which the vendor is authorized to supply products.

  9. On the Category attribute values FastTab, view values for the category attributes.

    You add category attributes in the Category hierarchy form. For more information, see Category hierarchy (form).

Maintain a supplemental retail hierarchy

Use supplemental hierarchies to categorize a subset of products for a specific purpose, such as special pricing, promotions, or special product discounts. You can create as many retail supplemental hierarchies as you require. You cannot set retail product properties or basic product properties in a supplemental retail hierarchy.

To modify a supplemental retail hierarchy, follow these steps:

  1. Click Retail essentials > Merchandising > Category hierarchies > Supplemental retail hierarchies.

  2. On the Supplemental retail hierarchies list page, double-click the hierarchy to open it.

  3. Click Edit category hierarchy to enable modifications to the Category hierarchy form, and then modify the structure of the category hierarchy.

  4. In the left pane, select a category in the tree structure. Then, on the Products FastTab, click Add to add one product at a time from the organization-wide product list. Alternatively, click Add products to open the Add products form, and then add one or more products to a selected category. If you use the Add products form to add products to the category, you can select products from any category hierarchy.

  5. On the Product attribute groups FastTab, add other attributes to the products in the selected category.

  6. On the Map vendor categories FastTab, map the vendor’s product categories to the supplemental retail categories in which the vendor is authorized to supply products.

  7. On the Category attribute values FastTab, view values for the category attributes.

    You add category attributes in the Category hierarchy form. For more information, see Category hierarchy (form).

See also

About retail hierarchies (Retail essentials)

Retail hierarchy (Retail essentials)