Hardware step 3: load a large catalog

A hardware store easily carries 10,000 to 50,000 items. Typing them one by one is not realistic, so this step loads your catalog from a spreadsheet, sets up categories and brands that make sense on the shop floor, adds the stock you already have and prints the labels cashiers will scan.

Before you start

• Units and sub-units exist (step 2).
• You have your item list as a spreadsheet, for example from your co-op or main distributor.
• Optional: create your category tree first (Products › Categories), such as Fasteners › Screws, Plumbing › Fittings, Lumber & Building › Treated Lumber. Categories also become the tabs on the POS.

Import the products

1. Open Products › Import Products.
2. Click Download template file and open See what goes in each column. 5 of the columns are required; keep the header row and the column order.
3. Fill in one product per row: name, unit, category and sub-category, brand, SKU or barcode, purchase and selling price, tax, and whether to manage stock. Services such as key cutting get Manage Stock = 0.
4. Save as .xlsx, .xls or .csv, drag it onto Upload your file and click Import file.
5. Check the review step. If a row has a problem, nothing is saved; fix the row and upload again.

/import-products

Products › Import Products: download the template, fill it in, upload. The column reference explains every column.

Tip

Split a very large file into chunks of a few thousand rows (for example one per department). Smaller files are quicker to check and fix.

Add opening stock

• All at once: Products › Import Opening Stock. Fill in SKU, location, quantity and unit cost, and upload. Use a separate row per location (store and yard).
• One product: edit it and enter quantities on the Stock tab.

Enter quantities in the base unit: 2,000 screws, not 20 boxes. See opening stock.

Labels and barcodes

• Products without a barcode get an SKU automatically. Print shelf or bin labels with Products › Print Labels: add products, choose what to print (name, price, business name), pick the label sheet and print.
• Products that come with a manufacturer barcode are scanned directly; put that code in the SKU column of the import.

Check the result

Open Reports › Stock Report and filter by location and category. You should see each item with its stock, value at purchase and selling price, and the potential profit.

/reports/stock-report

Reports › Stock Report after the import: stock value and margin per location.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Keep names consistent: size first, then material and finish (for example “#8 x 1-1/4 in Exterior Deck Screw”). Cashiers search by typing part of the name.
• Do not import the same file twice; it creates duplicates. Use Products › Update Price for price changes.
• Add product photos later for the best sellers; they appear on POS tiles and online.

Next: step 4: contractor accounts and price groups.

Import products from Excel

Opening stock

Barcodes and labels

Prices and discounts