Setting up Merchandising Rules in Cluster (Multi-Store Merchandising) – Klevu

Klevu’s Multi-Store Merchandising (MSM) allows you to apply consistent Default Rules and Scheduled Campaigns across all linked stores in a cluster. The cluster references the product data, attributes, and currency of the Primary store, ensuring uniform merchandising across all linked stores.

In this article, we’ll guide you through how to merchandise a cluster, set up rules, preview results, and manage store-specific overrides.

Pre-Merchandising Checks

Ensure that mapping for categories, attributes, and attribute values have been verified.
If any linked store in the cluster has an active Scheduled Campaign or A/B Test, it will take priority.

Merchandising a Cluster

In Klevu Merchant Center (KMC), Navigate to Smart Category Merchandising > Multi-Store Merchandising. Locate the cluster you want to merchandise and click Merchandise. (Merchandising can be done only after mapping is complete).

From the Cluster Merchandising screen, you can setup:

Cluster’s Default Rules
- Setting up default rules for a cluster works the same way as in single-store merchandising. You can:
- - Create merchandising rules to boost or deboost products.
  - Pin or remove products as needed.
  - Manage the facet order for better navigation.
- For detailed instructions, refer to this article: Setting Up Default Rules in Visual Category Merchandising
Cluster’s Schedule Campaigns
- Campaign setup for a cluster follows the same process as single-store merchandising. You can:
- - Create campaigns for specific categories within a defined time duration.
  - Set up a strategy to align with your merchandising goals.
- For step-by-step guidance, refer to this article: Setting Up Scheduled Campaigns in Visual Category Merchandising.
- In addition, there is a slight difference in how Default Rules are handled in Single-store vs Multi-store merchandising:
  - In Single-store merchandising, merchants can choose to enable or disable default rules within a scheduled campaign.
  - In Multi-store merchandising, If default cluster rules are created for the selected category, you can copy them into scheduled campaigns.
- To copy default rules in Multi-store merchandising, click the [···] icon within the scheduled campaign default rules.
- This will display all default cluster rules created for the selected category. You can then choose to copy specific rules or all of them into the cluster’s scheduled campaign.

Previewing Merchandising Results

Before enabling the cluster and saving the merchandising rules, you can preview how they will appear across different linked stores.

Click the Preview button on the Cluster VM Merchandising screen.
From the preview screen, use the dropdown to switch between linked stores and see how it will be displayed on the storefront.

Handling Different Languages and Currencies

Since linked stores may have different languages and currencies, Klevu will handle the mapping of categories and product data based on the Primary Store. Similarly, Klevu will also manage currency conversions using the Primary Store’s currency as the reference.

Text-Based Properties

Please note that Klevu does not translate Product Titles, Descriptions, or other text-based properties. When creating rules using the "Contains" condition, keep the following in mind:

When using "Contains" rules for text-based attributes, it’s recommended to use the "OR" condition and include values in all relevant languages to ensure the rule applies across all stores. You can use the "Translate with AI" option when selecting a text-based attribute—this automatically detects all languages used across your cluster, translates the entered value using AI, and generates the rule with all translated values combined using "OR".

Or, if you prefer, you can manually add values in different languages to create the rule yourself.

Price-Based Rules

If you are creating rules based on product prices are automatically adjusted through currency conversion, using the conversion values set in the Cluster Configuration.

Store-Specific Overrides

If a specific store requires different merchandising for certain categories, you can create a store-specific campaign:

Select the store from the header dropdown.
Navigate to Single Store Merchandising.
Go to Scheduled Campaigns and create a new campaign for the required categories.
Store-specific campaigns will override cluster rules for the selected categories while the cluster remains active.

Common Questions (FAQs)

What is the precedence of merchandising rules in a store which is part of a cluster?

Merchandising rules are applied in the following order, from lowest to highest priority:

Cluster Default Rules → Applied if no other rules exist.
Cluster-Level Scheduled Campaigns→Overrides default rules for all linked stores.
Store-Level Scheduled Campaigns→Takes priority over cluster rules for that store.
A/B Testing (Highest Priority)→If an A/B test is running at the store level, it overrides all other rules.

This ensures store-specific strategies can run while still following cluster-wide merchandising.

Can I merchandise a specific category differently for a store within a cluster?

Yes, you can override cluster merchandising by creating a Scheduled Campaign at the individual store level for the categories you want to merchandise differently.

What happens to the default merchandising rules of stores linked in a cluster?

For all linked and primary stores, the Default Rules section will no longer be accessible and will not apply on the storefront while the store is part of a cluster. However, if a store is removed from the cluster, its default rules will be restored automatically.

Few of my stores already have scheduled campaigns. What happens when I add those stores in a cluster?

If your store has scheduled campaigns, they will take priority over cluster merchandising. Once the campaigns end, the store will automatically apply cluster’s merchandising rules.

Can I merchandise a category or product that exists in a linked store but not in the primary store?

No, cluster merchandising is based on the Primary Store’s data. However, you can still merchandise that category or product at the store level by creating a Scheduled Campaign in the linked store.

What if a category or product from the Primary Store is missing in a linked store?

If a category or product from the Primary Store does not exist in a linked store, it cannot be merchandised as part of the cluster. However, you can still merchandise it at the primary store level by creating a Scheduled Campaign in the Primary Store.

What happens if I remove a store from a cluster?

Once removed, the store will revert to its individual default rules and scheduled campaigns, and it will no longer follow cluster merchandising.

What if a store has an active scheduled campaign before joining a cluster?

Active scheduled campaigns will take priority over cluster rules until they end. Once completed, the store will follow cluster merchandising.

Can I run A/B tests within a cluster?

A/B Testing is currently not supported at the cluster level. However, you can run A/B tests at the individual store level within a cluster.