Why Your Product Catalog Matters
When a retailer sends you a purchase order, they don't describe products in plain English. Instead, they reference products using identifiers — codes like UPCs, ASINs, or their own internal SKU numbers. Your product catalog in RetailReady is what connects those codes to your actual products.
Without a properly set up catalog, incoming orders can't be matched to your products, and RetailReady won't be able to generate accurate shipment notices or invoices. Think of your catalog as the foundation that everything else in EDI sits on top of.
Adding Products to Your Catalog
Your product catalog uses an inline spreadsheet-style editor. To add a product, go to Products and click Add Row at the bottom of the table. You can then fill in each field directly in the table. Here are the key fields:
- Your SKU — Your internal product code. This is how you identify the product in your own systems.
- UPC / EAN — The universal barcode number printed on your product's packaging. This is the most common identifier used in EDI. If you sell in the US, this is typically a 12-digit UPC. For international products, it's a 13-digit EAN.
- Description — A brief product description for your own reference (e.g., "Organic Vanilla Extract 4oz"). Some EDI documents include this in line item details.
- Unit Price — Your wholesale price. This should match what you've agreed on with each retailer (you can set retailer-specific pricing in the trading partner settings).
- GTIN-14 — The barcode for your shipping case or master carton, if applicable.
Tip: If you already have products in a spreadsheet or accounting system, you can use RetailReady's bulk import feature. Click the Import button on the Products page and upload a CSV file. RetailReady provides a template with all the required columns and uses fuzzy column matching to map your headers automatically.
How RetailReady Uses Your Catalog
Once your products are set up, RetailReady uses your catalog to:
- Match incoming orders — When a purchase order arrives with a UPC or retailer SKU, RetailReady looks it up in your catalog and shows you the product name, description, and price.
- Validate order details — If an order references a product that isn't in your catalog, RetailReady flags it so you can investigate before acknowledging the order.
- Auto-fill documents — When you create an ASN or invoice, RetailReady pulls product details from your catalog so you don't have to type them manually.
- Check pricing — RetailReady can alert you if an order's unit price doesn't match what you have on file, which helps catch pricing discrepancies early.
Keeping Your Catalog Up to Date
Your product catalog isn't a "set it and forget it" thing. Keep it current when you:
- Launch a new product
- Discontinue an old product
- Change your packaging (which may change the UPC or case pack quantity)
- Update pricing with a retailer
An accurate catalog means fewer errors, fewer order rejections, and fewer headaches down the road.