# Convenience store step 1: catalog and barcodes

> Import snacks, drinks and household items with barcodes from the Product Library, add your own items, switch on expiry and lots, and print shelf labels.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/convenience-store/step-1-catalog-and-barcodes/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

A convenience store carries a few thousand fast-moving, barcoded items. The quickest way to get them in is the **Product Library**, then your own items on top. This page also switches on expiry tracking and prints shelf labels.

## Before you start

- Your location exists (**Settings › Business Locations**).
- On **Settings › Business Settings**: **Product** tab, tick **Enable Product Expiry** and **Enable Sub Units** if needed; **Purchases** tab, tick **Enable Lot number**.

## Import from the Product Library

1. Open **Products › Product Library** and choose **Mart / Karyana / General store**.
2. Browse **Departments** (Beverages, Snacks, Sweets & Breakfast, Household & Cleaning, Personal Care…) or **Brands**, or search by name or barcode.
3. Tick a whole department, a sub-category or single products. **Preview** shows a product's details.
4. Click **Import**, check the summary and confirm.
5. Set your prices with **Products › Update Price** (spreadsheet) and enter opening stock.

![Product Library with the Mart / Karyana / General store catalog of 16,200 products, departments on the left with counts and product cards with barcodes and Preview buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/product-library.DZq3X5jS.png) (web app page: `/product-library`)
*Products › Product Library: pick departments or single products and import them with barcodes and photos.*

**Note:** 
The library contents depend on the region of the catalog. If your local brands are missing, import from your distributor's list with **Products › Import Products**. See [Product Library](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/product-library/).

## Add your own items

- **Barcoded items:** **Products › Add Product**, scan the barcode into **SKU**.
- **Unbarcoded items** (hot dogs, coffee, bagged ice): leave **SKU** empty; put them in a category that becomes a POS tab.
- **Services** (car wash token, ATM fee): untick **Manage Stock?**.

## Labels and expiry

Print shelf-edge or price labels with **Products › Print Labels**: add products, tick what to print (name, variation, price, business name, packing date, lot number, expiry date), choose the sheet and print.

![Print Labels page with a product search box and options to show product name, variation, price, business name, packing date, lot number and expiry date](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/print-labels.PTNtpJAt.png) (web app page: `/labels/show`)
*Products › Print Labels.*

Products with dates show in **Reports › Stock Expiry Report**. Check it every morning for dairy and sandwiches.

![Stock Expiry Report with filters for location, category, brand and unit and a list of bakery and drink products with stock left, lot number, expiry and manufacturing dates](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/stock-expiry.CGKb5V4E.png) (web app page: `/reports/stock-expiry`)
*Reports › Stock Expiry Report: stock left per product with lot and dates.*

Next: [step 2: fast scanning checkout](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/convenience-store/step-2-fast-scanning-checkout/).

  - [Product Library](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/product-library/)
  - [Barcodes and labels](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/barcodes-and-labels/)
  - [Expiry and batches](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/expiry-and-batches/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Where do the ready-made products come from?

Products › Product Library, Mart / Karyana / General store catalog. Pick departments, sub-categories or single products and import them with their barcodes, brands and photos. Add your prices and stock afterwards.

### Products I sell are not in the library. What then?

Add them with Products › Add Product or a spreadsheet in Products › Import Products. Scan the manufacturer barcode into the SKU field.

### Do I need expiry dates?

For dairy, bakery, sandwiches and hot food, yes. Turn on Enable Product Expiry (Product tab) and Enable Lot number (Purchases tab) and enter dates when stock arrives.

### Can I sell single cans and the 12-pack?

Yes. Use a variable product with one variation per pack and barcode, or sub-units if the pack price is simply units × price.

### How do I make hot food sellable without a barcode?

Put it in a category such as Hot Food; the category becomes a tab on the POS, so the cashier taps it.