Categories exist for the purpose of organizing your product assortment within your ecommerce. They work as hierarchical levels of product classification. The organization by category makes your client’s search for a product easier and keeps your catalog organized.
The three main category levels are called Department, Category, and Subcategory.
Categories are also where you need to configure the Specifications (or Fields), that represent the properties you will add to the products or SKUs. We will have a closer look at the relationship between categories, products, SKUs and specifications during the next steps.
We suggest that your store’s category trees have no more than three levels of hierarchy. This will allow your customers to browse your store with more ease.
Department
The Department is a store’s first category level.
It is the highest level within the categories tree. More specific categories should be registered within the department.
Category
The category tree’s second hierarchy level is called Category. This level is under the Department level and above the Subcategory level.
The term "category" is typically used to refer to a generic segmentation concept. At VTEX, the term "Category" is also used to refer to the category tree’s second hierarchy level.
Subcategory
Lastly, we have the Subcategories. This level is under both the Department and Category levels, according to the classification hierarchy.
Examples
Imagine that an e-commerce’s departments function as large sections of a business.
A drugstore network may have Departments called Prescription Drugs, Hygiene and Makeup. Within each of these three large sections, products are organized into Categories, which are then further segmented.
Let’s take a closer look at the Hygiene Department. Within this segment, we can create a category called Personal Care. In turn, a Subcategory called Soaps can be added to this segment.
Categories are interlinked, therefore, a product associated with the Soaps Subcategory is also part of the Personal Care Category and the Hygiene Department.
Thus, if the retailer applies a 10% discount to all Hygiene department products, this discount is cascaded to all categories and subcategories related to this department.