The difference between a Product and a Product Model in the PIM is as follows:

Product:

• A standalone item without any variations.

• Suitable for products that do not have different variations, such as unique items or items that do not come in different sizes, colors, or options.

  
  

Product Model:

• A template that represents the common attributes of a group of products.

• Acts as base for creating product variants.

• Contains all the common attributes that are shared among the variants.

• Variants inherit these common attributes from the product model.

• Suitable for products that have different variations, such as different sizes, colors, or options.

• Variants are created based on the product model and have their own specific variant attributes.

For example, let's consider a T-shirt:

Product Model:

• The product model for the T-shirt will have common attributes such as name, description, brand, season, department, etc.

• All variants of the T-shirt will inherit these common attributes from the product model.

Product Variant:

• Each variant of the T-shirt, such as different sizes (small, medium, large) or colors (red, blue, green), will have its own specific attribute values.

• Variant-specific attributes, such as barcode, color, or size, will have different values for each variant. 

In summary, a Product is a standalone item without variations, while a Product Model is a template that defines the common attributes shared among variants, and Product Variants inherit those common attributes while having their own specific attribute values.