If you need to add items that are the same but vary in size, color or by another attribute (e.g. t-shirts), creating matrices under Inventory > Matrix could be an efficient workflow for you and an alternative to adding individual items manually.

Matrices are essentially a way to group similar items together by the attributes that they share. These similar items are referred to as "variants" and the attributes that they share are determined by their matrix attribute sets. Matrix attribute sets can have up to three attributes and Lightspeed Retail POS has three built-in matrix attribute sets:

• Color
• Size
• Color/Size

You can also create your own custom matrix attribute sets under Inventory > Matrix Attribute Sets.

To illustrate, if you sell apparel in your shop, you can create a matrix called "T-Shirt" that uses the Color/Size matrix attribute set. You can then add variants to the matrix for the different colors and sizes that you have in your inventory (e.g. T-Shirt Blue Small, T-Shirt Red Medium, etc.).

It's also possible to import matrix variants under Inventory > Item Imports. Before doing so, however, we do recommend you try to create a matrix and add variants manually to familiarize yourself with them.

Create a matrix

1. From the main menu, click Inventory > Matrix > + New Matrix.

2. Under Shared Values, enter the matrix's description and any other details that will be shared with all the items within the matrix.

3. Under Matrix Type, select a matrix attribute set from the Attributes drop-down. 
   Note: To select a custom matrix attribute set, you first need to create it under Inventory > Matrix Attribute Sets.
4. Under Default Values, enter the default price, default cost and tags that will be shared with all the items within the matrix.
5. Click Save Changes. The matrix attribute set displays on the right (e.g. Color and Size).
6. In the fields under the matrix attribute set, enter the attributes of the matrix (e.g. Under Color, enter "Blue").
7. Click Save Changes. 

8. To add existing inventory items to the matrix:

   1. Under Add Existing Item To Matrix, search the existing items you want to add.
   2. Select the checkboxes of the items you want to add and click +Add Selected. Alternatively, click the Select icons of an individual item.
   3. After an item has been added to the matrix, use the drop-down menu to assign that item the appropriate matrix attributes (e.g. Red and Small).

9. To add new inventory items to the matrix, click Matrix in the submenu and click the + button of the items you want to add to the matrix.

   
   Note: Items create within the matrix inherit the default values of the matrix.
10. Click Setup on the submenu.
11. Under Group Items, enter item details for all the matrix items (e.g. UPC).

    

12. Optionally, click the pencil icon to enter other item details that aren't displayed under Group Items.
13. Click Save Changes.

Create a matrix attribute set

1. From the main menu, click Inventory > Matrix Attribute Sets > + New Matrix Attribute Set.

2. Enter a name for the matrix attribute set.

3. From the # of Attributes drop-down, select 1 Attribute, 2 Attributes or 3 Attributes.

4. In the attribute field(s), enter descriptive name(s) (e.g. "Color").

5. Click Save Changes.