Parent Items with Variants should show as single items (and not list all variants).

Parent Items with Variants should be allowed to be assigned to sales categories and reordered like other items within that category. Presently parent items with variants only show in 'all items'.

Order UI / Flow - When a parent item with variants is touched, the options within each variant should show (just like multiple modifier groups would), allowing the clerk to choose a single option within each variant group that results in adding the correct sales item to the order (receipt pane).

I recall that this workflow existed about 18 months ago and was removed. Variants should be as easily used by the sales clerk as modifiers.

I also agree that importing variants is important. This could easily be accomplished like modifers where one or more variant group could be assigned to a sales item, however you'd need an additional column to indicate which variant within that group is assigned to this sales item.