Category Settings - Fabric
Categories
The Categories feature in fabric Dropship allows retailers to group products together and apply different commission rates by category. Categories can then be used when creating Commission Profiles to maximize revenue and manage supplier partnerships more effectively.
Accessing Categories
- Click your business name in the menu at the top of the page in Dropship and click Merchant Settings. The Merchant Settings page is displayed.
- Click Categories.
The Categories page displays a table of all categories you’ve created:
| Field | Example Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 101 |
| Category Name | Apparel |
| Number of Items | 245 |
| Updated At | Feb 1, 2023, 12:07 |
Each row also includes a ⋮ (ellipsis menu) with options to:
- Rename: Update the category name.
- Delete: Remove the category (only available if no items are assigned).
- View Items: See all products in the category (same as clicking the category name link).
Creating a Category
- From the Categories page, click Add New Category. The Create Category window is displayed.
- Enter a Category Name.
- Click Save.
The category is added to the table on the Categories page.
Category names must be unique.
Adding Products to a Category
Categories are set as product attributes in Dropship, similar to a product name, description, or color. To assign products to a category, include the Category attribute in the CSV file you import into Dropship. For more details, see Import Products & Attributes.
Visibility to Suppliers
Suppliers can see:
- All the categories you create.
- Any products you assign to those categories.
This ensures transparency and alignment across your catalog.
Best Practices
- Keep categories broad enough to be meaningful across multiple suppliers (for example, Apparel, Electronics), but not so broad that commission differences can’t be applied effectively.
- Use categories strategically for commissions: Set higher or lower commission rates based on product type and margin.
- Keep names clear and consistent so that suppliers and your team understand what belongs in each category (for example, Women’s Footwear rather than WF).
- Review and clean up categories regularly to prevent unused or duplicate categories from cluttering your catalog.
- Align categories with reporting needs: design them in a way that supports the sales and compliance reports you’ll want to generate.