This tutorial will provide the detailed information regarding Magento product types. Magento gives us control over products in a way that few open source e-commerce platforms allow. Magento provides six types of products. Appropriate selection of product type is essential for accessing the appropriate set of features required to sell the product. Following are the product types in Magento:

1) Simple Product
2) Grouped Product
3) Configure Product
4) Virtual Product
5) Bundle Product
6) Downloadable Product

1) Simple Product

A simple product is the simple physical product that we can ship. There are no options like size or color. It is most widely used product kind. This product just should be placed into the cart, paid, packed and ship. Simple products can be used in association with grouped, bundle and configurable products.

Example: Camera lens, Coffee cup, DVD’s etc.

2) Grouped Product

This is a group of simple products. We cannot specify a specific price for the product, we can just specify the discount. We can offer variations of a single product, or group them for a promotion. The products can be purchased separately or as a group.

Example: Sell furniture, the customer will be able to indicate how many chairs, couches, and tables to buy.

Note: Grouped product provides choices for customer i.e. we can purchase separately or a grouped.

3) Configure Product

A configurable product appears to be a single product with lists of options for each variation. However, each option represents a separate, associated simple products with a distinct SKU and which makes it possible to track inventory for each variation. It is usually used for clothing, which as a rule is customized by selecting a size, color, material etc.

Example: Buy one T-shirt of blue size M and one of red color with size XL. We will need to “Add to cart” one variation and then repeat the procedure for another.

Note: Another way to express product in variation is a simple product with custom options, through using them we will not be able to track inventory.

4) Virtual Product

It is not physical or digital entries. They cannot be shipped or downloaded from the link. It is used in sell services or intellectual products such as warranties, subscription or updates. Virtual products can be used in association with grouped and bundle products.

Example: Someone could place an order for our $99 Magento code Audit. It’s a service that we provide. They place an order, and then we email or call them to complete the order, because it requires FTP access to their site.

5) Bundle Product

Bundle products are those products which cannot be sold separately and doesn’t give any choice for the customer. The bundle could be a gift basket, computer or anything else that we can customize. Each item in the bundle is a separate, standalone product.

Example:  We want to buy cell phone which includes ear phone, memory card, battery, charging cable etc. These are together called bundled of products. These products cannot be sold separately but we can be sold the bundle product.

6) Downloadable Product

A digitally downloadable product that consists of one or more files that are downloaded. The files can reside on our server or be provided as URLs to any other server.

Example:  MP3 file, eBook, documents etc.

Hope now we understand product types in Magento.

Satish Kumar

Satish Kumar is a well experienced professional in the field of Web Development. Expertise: Magento | Wordpress | Cake PHP | Core PHP with Experience of 5+ Years