diff --git a/backend/app/alembic/versions/add_category_to_items.py b/backend/app/alembic/versions/add_category_to_items.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e9728a59fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/app/alembic/versions/add_category_to_items.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""Add category to items
+
+Revision ID: add_category_to_items
+Revises: d98dd8ec85a3
+Create Date: 2023-11-30 10:00:00.000000
+
+"""
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+import sqlmodel.sql.sqltypes
+from alembic import op
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = "add_category_to_items"
+down_revision = "d98dd8ec85a3"
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    # ### commands auto generated by Alembic - please adjust! ###
+    op.add_column(
+        "item", 
+        sa.Column("category", sqlmodel.sql.sqltypes.AutoString(length=100), nullable=True)
+    )
+    # ### end Alembic commands ###
+
+
+def downgrade():
+    # ### commands auto generated by Alembic - please adjust! ###
+    op.drop_column("item", "category")
+    # ### end Alembic commands ### 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/app/api/routes/items.py b/backend/app/api/routes/items.py
index 177dc1e476..7140f1c1ca 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/routes/items.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/routes/items.py
@@ -12,35 +12,58 @@
 
 @router.get("/", response_model=ItemsPublic)
 def read_items(
-    session: SessionDep, current_user: CurrentUser, skip: int = 0, limit: int = 100
+    session: SessionDep, 
+    current_user: CurrentUser, 
+    skip: int = 0, 
+    limit: int = 100,
+    category: str | None = None
 ) -> Any:
     """
     Retrieve items.
     """
-
+    
+    # Base query
     if current_user.is_superuser:
-        count_statement = select(func.count()).select_from(Item)
-        count = session.exec(count_statement).one()
-        statement = select(Item).offset(skip).limit(limit)
-        items = session.exec(statement).all()
+        query = select(Item)
+        count_query = select(func.count()).select_from(Item)
     else:
-        count_statement = (
-            select(func.count())
-            .select_from(Item)
-            .where(Item.owner_id == current_user.id)
-        )
-        count = session.exec(count_statement).one()
-        statement = (
-            select(Item)
-            .where(Item.owner_id == current_user.id)
-            .offset(skip)
-            .limit(limit)
-        )
-        items = session.exec(statement).all()
+        query = select(Item).where(Item.owner_id == current_user.id)
+        count_query = select(func.count()).select_from(Item).where(Item.owner_id == current_user.id)
+    
+    # Apply category filter if provided
+    if category:
+        query = query.where(Item.category == category)
+        count_query = count_query.where(Item.category == category)
+    
+    # Apply pagination
+    query = query.offset(skip).limit(limit)
+    
+    # Execute queries
+    count = session.exec(count_query).one()
+    items = session.exec(query).all()
 
     return ItemsPublic(data=items, count=count)
 
 
+@router.get("/categories", response_model=list[str])
+def get_item_categories(
+    session: SessionDep, current_user: CurrentUser
+) -> Any:
+    """
+    Get all unique item categories.
+    """
+    if current_user.is_superuser:
+        statement = select(Item.category).distinct()
+    else:
+        statement = select(Item.category).where(
+            Item.owner_id == current_user.id
+        ).distinct()
+    
+    categories = session.exec(statement).all()
+    # Filter out None values and return unique non-empty categories
+    return [cat for cat in categories if cat]
+
+
 @router.get("/{id}", response_model=ItemPublic)
 def read_item(session: SessionDep, current_user: CurrentUser, id: uuid.UUID) -> Any:
     """
diff --git a/backend/app/models.py b/backend/app/models.py
index 2389b4a532..57a6c62c92 100644
--- a/backend/app/models.py
+++ b/backend/app/models.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ class UsersPublic(SQLModel):
 class ItemBase(SQLModel):
     title: str = Field(min_length=1, max_length=255)
     description: str | None = Field(default=None, max_length=255)
+    category: str | None = Field(default=None, max_length=100)
 
 
 # Properties to receive on item creation