Duplicating Categories

[RJSK]

Hi.

Brand spanking new to all this CubeCart lark, and also to this forum, so apologies if I come across as too 'Newbie'

So, After lots of playing around and trying and testing, I like how CubeCart works, and feel that this is the right choice for my store. I think I now have the basics down, but what I'm creating is quite immense, and so need to find ways of easing my workload to try and avoind bones poking out of the end of my fingers by the time I'm finished!..

I'm making an online store selling kitchens, and so many 'Ranges' will have the same items available. I have figured out how to assign a product to multiple categories, but not how to assign a category to multiple parent categories. Is this possible?

So, the main thing I need to acheive right now is in essence the same category within other parent categories as follows:

Cat1: Kitchens > Sub Cats (Kitchen Ranges): Remo  / Porter / Ulno / BroadOak / Fitroy / Etc...

 > Sub Cat1 'Remo' > Sub Cats (Kitchen range style options): Remo Gloss / Remo Matt

> Sub Cat2 'Remo Gloss' > Sub Cats (Colour/Finish Options): Remo Gloss Alabaster / Remo Gloss Almond / Remo Gloss Graphite / ...Etc x20 odd more options..

> Sub Cat3 'Remo Gloss Alabaster' > Sub Cats: Remo Base Units / Remo Wall Units / Remo Tower Units (These Sub categories need to be available for all colour options in both Remo Gloss and Remo Matt as Well)

> Sub Cat4 'Remo Base Units' > List of available Products (All available in both Remo Gloss, and Remo Matt)

This would also need to be repeated for all the other kitchen ranges as well as Remo...

Hope this makes sense?..

Is there a way to create a category with all its sub categories, and then clone that and simply rename them? Or Any other ideas on how I can do this without having to add multiple sub categories in multiple categories, please?

[bsmither]

Welcome RJSK! Glad to see you made it to the forums.

"how to assign a category to multiple parent categories. Is this possible?"

No. Any one category can have only one parent. A top-level category (TLC) has no parent.

What I am seeing in your category structure seems to be styling/color options.

The Remo range with:
Option: Finish [Gloss or Matte]
Option: Color: [Alabaster, Beige, White, etc]
Option: Mount: [Wall, Base, Tower]

 

[RJSK]

1 hour ago, bsmither said:

what I am seeing in your category structure seems to be styling/color options.

The Remo range with:
Option: Finish [Gloss or Matte]
Option: Color: [Alabaster, Beige, White, etc]
Option: Mount: [Wall, Base, Tower]

 

Okay, thank you. That's a bummer... 

Okay, so I'm struggling to see how your workaround would work for me, presumably the customer would have to select all the options each and every unit they want to buy?

If they want to buy the following (All in Remo Gloss white):

2x 600mm Highline Base, 2x 500mm Highline base, 1x 500mm 4 Drawer base, 1x 600 3 drawer base, 1x 1200 Corner Base, 1x 600mm Oven Tower, 1x 600mm Fridge freezer tower, 1x 500mm Larder tower, 2x 600mm Wall units, 2x 500mm Wall units.

What would be the process?..

[bsmither]

I see where you are coming from.

I recently remodeled my kitchen. Once the wood grain, stain, and door style was selected, all the various cabinetry parts acquired that set of options as appropriate. Once a color was selected, all the appliances acquired that option as appropriate.

However, the actual bill of materials (which the customer rarely sees), did in fact, list every component with those options affixed to each line item.

So, how do we make this easy for the customer? Will you ever allow a customer to choose a Larder Tower that is of a different style than an Oven Tower for the same project? That is, sure, it may be inconceivable that you would intentionally deny a customer from mixing styles - but what customer would actually do that?

Do you have a master product? That is, a product that is simply described as a "Remo Kitchen". This product can have the aforementioned options. Then, the customer picks the parts and pieces with the "understanding" that these parts and pieces are for the Remo Kitchen having the options chosen. Thus, we avoid having to apply and having the customer choose option sets for each part and piece.

I can see a possible problem if the prices of the parts and pieces are different between Remo and Porter.

[Dirty Butter]

I've been drooling over kitchen designs for the last couple of years, waiting until I have enough saved to actually remodel. From what I've seen, having wall and base cabinets in different colors is "in" at the moment (in the US anyway) - like light on top and darker on bottom. Is that something you need to be able to provide if that's what someone wants? If so, would Bsmither's idea for choosing a "Remo Kitchen" allow for such color choices?

[RJSK]

You have both hit the nail on the head. Each kitchen range has different priced 600mm base units, but remo matt and gloss are the same price, so I could save a lot by assigning remo products to both categories. 

Also, yes, the customer should be able to choose whichever products from whichever ranges on the same order, especially different colours of the same range. 

Generally the order doesn't need to worry about component parts, other than say, a complete base unit (item order code 'bfh6') which includes the cabinet, door, legs etc, but the customer will need to add plinths (kickboards), cornice, light rails/pelmets and plant on end panels etc that are specified in their specific range style and price group. 

 

Oh man, I hope this is achievable as I've already put so much time into it so far. 

[bsmither]

Stupid Question #1: would a customer know about all these parts (plinths (kickboards), cornice, light rails/pelmets and plant on end panels etc)? Would a customer have to add all these parts to their shopping basket?

Stupid Question #2: how would a customer even know what sizes to order? Would it be of any interest to you to make sure the customer is not making a mistake in ordering a 600mm unit to fit in a 500mm slot?

In cases like this, sometimes the solution is to solve it backwards --- called a 'pivot'.

Instead of starting with the whole Remo Kitchen as the TLC, start with the Units and Misc with the Options mentioned above.

" presumably the customer would have to select all the options each and every unit they want to buy? "

" Also, yes, the customer should be able to choose whichever products from whichever ranges on the same order, especially different colours of the same range. "

It seems you answered your own question.

[RJSK]

Firstly, Thanks for your help so far ?. 

Secondly, there's no such thing as a stupid question... 

Our store will prompt customers to think about the extra items that make up the kitchen, and will show customers what parts they will probably need, like the plinths etc, so yes after looking through the site they will have a better understanding of this. Plus we will check all orders and email customers with our recommendations/advice if we feel they may have forgotten something..

Most people that buy kitchens online tend to be property developers, or people that have had quotes from somewhere else, and so all they are doing is copying that. 

We need to allow the customer to select which kitchen range they want to buy, then choose their colour/finish, then add the units they want to their basket.

A 600mm base unit is a different price across different kitchen ranges, so it makes sense to choose the range and colour before the item..