
Managing a diverse product catalog is one of the biggest challenges for modern retailers, especially when syncing inventory across in-store POS systems like Retail Management Hero (RMH) and eCommerce platforms like Shopify. If your products come in multiple sizes, colors, styles, or configurations, you’re dealing with variants and attributes, and this is where the x2x RMH–Shopify Integration shines.
Here we will illustrate how x2x creates product variants and attributes from RMH to Shopify to have an omnichannel experience without gaps.
Attributes and Product Variants: What are they?
Attributes are material, size, color, or style.
Variants are accurate combinations of the attributes to borrow an example, a T-shirt with “Red, Medium” and “Blue, Large” would have over one variant.
Shopify treats each variant as a unique item under one product listing, while RMH handles variants as matrix items using a style/sub-style structure.
The Complexity of Syncing Variants
Without integration, you’d have to manually manage:
- Product configurations in both RMH and Shopify
- SKU assignment and stock levels
- Pricing across variant combinations
- Image mapping for each variant
This manual work is time-consuming and error-prone. That’s why the x2x connector automates and simplifies the entire process.
How x2x syncs Variants and Attributes
The x2x sync will sync RMH’s matrix items (style items) directly into Shopify product variants. This is what it does:
1. Create Matrix Items in RMH
Start by creating your parent item in RMH using RMH’s matrix function:
- Create master product (e.g., “Men’s Hoodie”)
- Set up attributes such as Size and Color
- Set up all the combinations (variants) with various SKUs
2. Sync Matrix Items to Shopify
Once matrix items are set up, the x2x connector:
- Uploads the parent product and variants to Shopify automatically
- Installs dropdown selectors on Shopify product pages for each attribute (color and size)
- Maps all variant SKUs with matching RMH item numbers to ensure tracking is correct
3. Per-Variant Inventory Management
Per-variant inventory management is done. In case you stock “Red, Large,” x2x only updates Shopify inventory for the individual variant alone, providing accurate stock visibility and avoiding overselling.
4. Sync Price and Descriptions
A variation can inherit or override the price and description from the master product. Using x2x, you can:
- Sync base prices from RMH
- Store Shopify-specific prices when necessary
- Override variant-level images or descriptions
Best Practices for Managing Variants in x2x Integration
Use Uniform Attribute Names
Clear naming (e.g., “Size”, and not “size” or “Sizes”) of all your RMH products will allow clean mapping in Shopify.
Apply a Unique SKU to Every Variation
Every variation must have its own distinct SKU so that x2x can effectively map inventory and sales data between RMH and Shopify.
Group Similar Products Under a Parent
Avoid cluttering with variations under a different product wherever possible. Shopify UX is built to manage it, and x2x natively supports this kind of structure.
Sync Variants within RMH, Not Shopify
RMH must be your master database. Attribute, price, and stock updates must be performed in RMH and synced via x2x so that no data conflict occurs.
The above-mentioned most Important Advantages of x2x Variant Management
- Bi-directional sync between Shopify and RMH
- No duplication of entry of variant details
- Inventory levels by variant by channel are correct
- Product setup is easy, even for a large catalog
Final Thoughts
Product variations disrupt your inventory management with a vengeance, especially if you have both on- and off-line operations. But with x2x RMH–Shopify Integration, you can simply allow variant handling in RMH to take care of itself and push correct, properly formatted information to Shopify stress-free.
The payoff? Streamlined back-end processing and clean, uncluttered front-end customer service.
Having trouble Setting Up Variants with x2x
Whether you are opting for a brand-new installation for Shopify or updating an existing installation, our experts will guide you through the right method of matrix item configuration as well as mapping.