Similar goods: labelling colour and size

A blue and a light-blue T-shirt, trainers in size 40 and size 41, a case for two close models of phone. The boxes are the same and the colours or sizes are almost identical. The customer asked for a 41 and you sent a 40. Goods that look alike at a glance are the biggest source of mistakes in a shop, a store and in online selling, especially on busy days and in poor light. Fortunately there are simple remedies.

Why look-alikes confuse

The causes resemble each other:

• the eye cannot tell close colours apart, especially under artificial light;
• the size label is small and often sewn on the inside of the item;
• a supplier may put two sizes mixed into one box;
• if the count is written as "T-shirt blue: 25" on a single row, M and L get mixed up.

So the table shows 25, while for a customer who asked for size M there turns out to be none. In online selling such a mistake costs more: if the wrong size is sent, the return is paid for both ways and the customer may never order again. In a shop the buyer stands in front of you and sees the mistake at once.

A code for every variant

Make up a short code for every variant. A recommended form: MODEL-COLOUR-SIZE. For example:

• FUT-KOY-M: T-shirt, blue, M;
• FUT-HAV-M: T-shirt, light blue, M;
• FUT-KOY-L: T-shirt, blue, L;
• KRS-QOR-41: trainers, black, size 41.

A code should belong to one item only and never be repeated. Write it the same way on the shelf label, on the box, in the table and in the listing.

A colour sample card

Everyone understands "blue" and "light blue" a little differently. So prepare a small colour card: 5 or 6 squares of colour or scraps of fabric, each with its name and short code beside it. Stick it on the wall or the table where you count. Now when anyone says "KOY" everyone sees the same colour.

A label that catches the eye

• a coloured sticky dot for size: for example, S green, M yellow, L red. Glancing along a row, you see at once what is where;
• mark the pairs that are confused most often with a label colour of their own;
• on the side of a shoe box write the size as a large number, so that it shows even when boxes are stacked;
• always put the label in the same place, for instance the top left corner of the box or shelf;
• for small goods such as phone cases, write the model name in large letters on the front of the packaging.

When counting: separate first, count second

Never count variants together on one row. The order is:

1. sort the goods into separate piles by variant;
2. put a code label beside each pile;
3. write each code on its own row of the table.

Example: not "T-shirt blue: 25" but FUT-KOY-S 4, FUT-KOY-M 9, FUT-KOY-L 7, FUT-KOY-XL 5. The total is still 25, but now "do we have M?" has an exact answer: 9. Always lay out the piles and table rows in the same order: S, M, L, XL, smallest to largest. When the order never changes, the eye gets used to the sequence and skipping a row becomes harder.

When a batch arrives, do not trust the writing on the box; check the item inside. Sort a mixed box by codes as soon as you open it, or the mixture will go onto the shelf.

Common mistakes

• writing all the sizes on one row;
• leaving the colour as just "blue" or "green" without showing the shade;
• placing two easily confused variants side by side on a shelf;
• writing the label not on the box but on a slip of paper that will be lost;
• leaving a returned item without a label, "I will sort it later";
• putting a returned item into the empty box of a different variant.

Conclusion

To keep similar goods from getting mixed up you need three things: a code for every variant, a colour sample and a label that catches the eye. When counting, the rule "separate first, count second" applies. If there are many goods without labels or mixed together, the Sanab team can count them by variant and make barcode labels for goods that have no code.