A specific article type (WERT) is provided for defining value-only articles. Article categories are also defined for the individual value-only article categories.

One merchandise category article can be created for each merchandise category.

When a merchandise category article is entered at the cash register, sales of articles in that merchandise category (that is, merchandise which is not managed on an article basis) can be processed on a value basis.

The merchandise category article is created directly in the maintenance screen of the appropriate merchandise category. Before you start to use the article, it is advisable to maintain it in more detail using article master transactions. Whenever the merchandise category is subsequently assigned to stores, the value-only article is automatically listed from the relevant change documents. Merchandise category articles can be created and deleted via the merchandise category transaction only. They can, however, be changed and displayed in Article Processing as well. You can assign a value-only article to more than one store merchandise category.

Retailers also often need (or wish) to sell articles belonging to different merchandise categories under the umbrella of a single value-only article; this is necessary if, for example, a store has cash registers with fewer merchandise category keys than there are merchandise categories. If a sale is to be processed via a value-only article valid for a number of merchandise categories, the hierarchy article is used. It always corresponds to a single hierarchy node above the merchandise category level.

Business constraints often require further value-only articles to be defined below the level of a merchandise category and its associated merchandise category article, whereby a value-only article can only be assigned to one merchandise category. This type of value-only article is called a group article. A retail organization using store-specific, value-based inventory management can use group articles for inventory management purposes, as a finer hierarchical subdivision than a merchandise category article. For example, some articles in the merchandise category "Confectionery" can be merchandised by rack jobbers in certain stores but not in others. In this case, the articles merchandised by rack jobbers need to be posted to a different value-only article than to the merchandise category article associated with the merchandise category. In the fashion industry too, it is common practice to use "catch-all" cash register keys which represent value-only articles below the level of the merchandise category.

Group articles are created in Article Processing.