Set up units for fabric and multi-packs

How do I sell fabric by the meter?

Create a unit called Meter and set it as the product’s unit. If you also sell set lengths, such as a 3-meter suit piece, add a sub-unit worth 3 meters. Stock is always kept in meters, whichever unit you sell in.

This is how lawn and cotton shops in Pakistan, and fabric counters in Dubai, keep roll stock accurate.

Before you start

• A list of the units you buy and sell in: meter, yard, suit, piece, dozen, set.
• How many base units each larger unit equals (a suit is 3 meters, a dozen is 12 pieces).
• Whether you sell partial amounts, like 1.5 meters.
• Price per base unit, and per larger unit if it differs.

Step by step: create the base unit

1. Go to Products → Units.
2. Choose Add.
3. Name it “Meter” with the short name “m”.
4. Turn on allow decimal so you can sell part-meters.
5. Save.

If you sell in yards in the US, create “Yard” the same way. Pick one base unit per product and stick to it.

Step by step: add a sub-unit

1. On Products → Units, choose Add again.
2. Name it “Suit (3 m)”.
3. Tick add as multiple of other unit.
4. Enter 3 and choose Meter as the base unit.
5. Save.

Do the same for “Dozen” as 12 of “Piece”, or “Set” as 3 of “Piece” for a three-piece eastern suit sold together.

Step by step: use the units on a product

1. Go to Products → Add product (or edit an existing fabric).
2. Set unit to Meter.
3. In sub-units, tick “Suit (3 m)”.
4. Enter the price per meter.
5. Add opening stock in meters, for example 120 for a full roll.
6. Save.

If you sell several prints of the same lawn, treat each print as a variation so every design has its own stock and photo. See add a product with sizes and colors.

How does it work at the register?

1. Scan or search for the fabric.
2. Choose the unit on the cart line: Meter or Suit.
3. For meters, type the amount, for example 2.5.
4. For suits, enter the number of suits. The price is worked out as the meter price times 3.

Stock drops by the right number of meters either way.

Receiving fabric

When a roll arrives, record the purchase in meters (or in the larger unit if your supplier invoices that way). Stock is converted to meters automatically.

What about dupattas and three-piece sets?

A three-piece suit with shirt, trouser and dupatta can be:

• One product sold as a set, if you never split it.
• Separate products if customers sometimes buy only the dupatta.

Most boutiques keep stitched sets as one product, and stock spare dupattas as their own product so the set count stays clean.

More examples are on the fabric by the meter page.

Common problems

I cannot enter 1.5 at the register

Decimal quantities are off for that unit. Edit the unit and turn on allow decimal.

Selling one suit only took 1 meter off stock

The suit was set up as its own unit, not as a multiple of Meter. Edit the unit, tick add as multiple, set it to 3 meters, and check the product has it as a sub-unit.

The sub-unit is not offered on the product

Sub-units only show when the product’s main unit is the base unit they belong to. A product with “Piece” as its unit cannot sell “Suit (3 m)”.

Stock counts do not match the roll

Do a stock count with a tape, then record a stock adjustment for the difference. Off-cuts and measuring slack are normal; adjusting monthly keeps reports honest.