Direct answer. The CU (consumer unit) is the smallest unit purchased by the end customer, a yogurt cup, a bottle, a single item. The HU (handling unit) is the container used to move and store several CUs together within the supply chain, carton, parcel, or full pallet, without necessarily being the unit the customer buys.
From CU to HU: the hierarchy of logistics units
The same product almost always exists at several unit levels. The CU is the commercial level: it's what the consumer puts in their basket, identified by a standard barcode (EAN/GTIN). Above it, the HU groups several CUs together to make transport and internal storage easier: a carton of 12 bottles, or a full pallet of several shrink-wrapped cartons, are each a handling unit. The HU generally isn't sold as such to the end customer, except when the carton or pack itself becomes a commercial offer (for example, a 6-pack sold as such).
This distinction shapes the whole chain: picking is most often done at the CU or carton level, while receiving, pallet-rack storage, and transport are handled in HUs, a standard Euro pallet (1,200 × 800 mm) can carry several dozen cartons this way, with an admissible dynamic load of around 1,500 kg. Each level (CU, carton, HU) can have its own identification code: EAN/GTIN for the CU, a specific code for the carton or pallet in the more advanced systems, a technical distinction similar to the one between the SKU (internal management reference) and the standard barcode shared with trading partners.
FAQ
What's the difference between a CU and an HU?
The CU is the unit sold to the end customer, the smallest commercial unit of a product. The HU is the unit used internally to move and store several CUs together (carton, parcel, full pallet), without necessarily being intended for sale to the customer in that grouped form.
Does an SKU correspond to a CU or an HU?
An SKU can exist at both levels: the product sold as a single unit (CU) and the carton grouping several units (HU) generally each have their own SKU in the management system, since they are two distinct references to be tracked separately in stock.
Related terms
SKU · Packing configuration · Palletizing · Packing · Slotting / location addressing · Warehouse / logistics platform.
See also: Euro pallet dimensions, pallets per truck.
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