We analyzed 154,000 products across 160 stores. The average product has 6.2 variants.
But the range is staggering.
December 18, 2025·4 min read·Drop #4
The Variant Wars
Some brands sell one hoodie. Others sell the same hoodie in 47 configurations.
6.2
avg variants per product
across 154,000 products
The Maximalists
These brands explode every product into a color/size matrix:
1.
Brand A
branda.com · 500 products
45.2
avg variants
2.
Brand B
brandb.com · 320 products
38.7
avg variants
3.
Brand C
brandc.com · 280 products
32.1
avg variants
4.
Brand D
brandd.com · 450 products
28.5
avg variants
5.
Brand E
brande.com · 380 products
25.9
avg variants
Every colorway. Every size. Every combination gets its own SKU.
The Minimalists
Then there are brands that run deliberately lean:
1.
Minimal A
minimala.com · 120 products
1.2
avg variants
2.
Minimal B
minimalb.com · 95 products
1.5
avg variants
3.
Minimal C
minimalc.com · 150 products
1.8
avg variants
4.
Minimal D
minimald.com · 200 products
2.1
avg variants
5.
Minimal E
minimale.com · 180 products
2.4
avg variants
Fewer choices. Faster decisions. Cleaner inventory.
The Correlation
Here's where it gets interesting:
Brands with 15+ variants
38.2% on sale
Brands with <5 variants
12.4% on sale
SKU explosion correlates with markdown pressure
High-variant brands have more products on sale. SKU explosion often leads to markdown pressure.
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