assort

Assort is a transitive verb meaning to arrange or classify items into kinds, types, or categories, or to distribute or select items to form a particular set. It can also imply pairing or grouping items according to a plan or purpose. The term often appears in contexts where deliberate organization or curation of goods or materials is involved.

In retail, manufacturing, and logistics, to assort means to create or manage an assortment: a curated collection of products offered for sale that fits a store’s format, target customer, and supply chain. Merchandisers may decide how many variants, flavors, sizes, or styles to include in an assortment so that it is coherent and appealing to shoppers. The adjective assorted describes items that come from a variety of kinds or sources, as in assorted fabrics or assorted candies. The noun form assortment refers to the set of items included in a given offering.

Assortment decisions influence inventory planning, pricing, and shelving. They balance depth (many options within a category) and breadth (coverage across categories) to meet demand while managing space and supplier constraints. While related to sorting, assorting places emphasis on crafting a purposeful collection rather than simply separating items by a single attribute.

Related terms include assortment, assorted, and assorting. In usage, the choice between assort and sort often hinges on the intention to create a targeted, bundled selection as opposed to a general act of classification.