Chapter 3. Catalogs and Stores

As we'll explore in this chapter, one of the most powerful features of Magento is demonstrated by the versatility and flexibility of creating a true multi-store environment. Very few e-commerce platforms provide this level of complexity. But what does this mean for you as a store owner?

While you may be just starting out with one online store, chances are that as you grow, you may want to:

While you could create multiple stores on other platforms, Magento uniquely provides the ability to create and manage several web stores within a single backend interface. Each store can appear independent to consumers, but with one login, you-and your staff-can access products, customers, orders, and content across all or any store.

In this chapter, we'll:

We will help you learn and profit from what can be a complex issue by breaking it down into simple steps. First, however, we need to understand how Magento coordinates this hierarchy of websites and storefronts.