Place products where shoppers expect to find them
Put the rechargeable desk lamp under Lighting and Desk lamps because those labels match its use. A portable-light collection may provide another useful entry point. Keep a single clear product identity while reviewing memberships; the supplier’s Garden furniture grouping is not a sufficient reason for the navigation placement.
Worked example — illustrative data.
| Tree level | Fictional path | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Department | Home → Lighting | A broad shopping destination |
| Collection | Lighting → Desk lamps | Matches the intended use |
| Product | Desk lamps → Arc rechargeable lamp | Specific item with comparable attributes |
| Incorrect placement | Garden furniture → Arc rechargeable lamp | Supplier grouping does not match the buyer task |
Inventory the catalog before drawing the navigation. For each sample SKU, ask a buyer where they would look first and record the reason. The rechargeable lamp can also appear in a portable-light collection if that grouping helps, but it should not acquire conflicting product identities. Use breadcrumbs to make the current route understandable. Keep collection names stable enough that merchandising changes do not require a new architecture every week.
Test the catalog tree with a product that crosses uses
For the rechargeable lamp, ask where someone looking for desk lighting and someone looking for portable lighting would expect to find it. Use legitimate collection memberships or useful links without duplicating the product’s identity. Check the breadcrumb and the route back from the product. A supplier’s category tree is an input to review, not the buyer’s navigation plan.
Decision: Move the lamp’s navigation placement to Lighting and review portable-light cross-links. Do not change its product URL just to make the breadcrumb resemble every collection membership.
Several collection memberships need one clear product identity: A product may serve several uses. Multiple useful collection memberships can be appropriate; copying the whole product page into several competing URLs creates a separate URL-management decision.
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