Why import in bulk from Excel?
Most small wholesalers already keep their product list in an Excel or Google Sheet. Re-typing dozens or hundreds of rows into an app by hand takes hours, and every row is a chance to make a typo.
A bulk import collapses that work into a single file. With bulk catalog upload from Excel you bring in your whole product list at once, then only touch the rows that change. The flow is simple:
- Put your products into a tidy table.
- Import the file.
- Map each column to a catalog field.
- Preview and confirm.
Setting up a catalog goes from days to minutes, and your live list stays in sync with the file on your computer.
Column mapping: which field goes where
The heart of any import is column mapping — linking each column in your spreadsheet to a field in the catalog. The core fields supported are:
- Product name — required; the name your customers see.
- SKU / product code — your own stock code, and the key used for updates.
- Barcode — the product's barcode number.
- Category — e.g. "Beverages", "Nuts", "Hardware".
- Unit / pack — like "case", "each", "kg".
- Price — the default selling price.
- Stock — in stock / out of stock, or a quantity.
Mapping is far easier when your first row is a clear header row. Use obvious labels like "Name", "Code" and "Price" so you can see at a glance which column belongs where.
Updating by SKU or barcode (upsert)
The real payoff comes after the first upload. Say a price changed, you added a new item, or you discontinued one. Instead of rebuilding everything, you edit the same file and import it again.
Here the SKU or barcode acts like an identity. During import, the app checks each row:
- If the same SKU/barcode already exists, it updates that product (whatever changed — price, stock, name).
- If there's no matching record, it adds a new product.
This "update if it exists, add if it doesn't" behaviour is called an upsert. For you it means one thing: you can re-import the same file as often as you like without creating duplicates.
That's why giving every product a consistent SKU or barcode is so valuable. As long as the codes stay stable, refreshing your catalog is as easy as re-uploading a file.
How to prepare a clean spreadsheet
A smooth import comes down to how your file is laid out. Follow a few simple rules:
- Use a single header row; don't put a logo, blank rows, or notes above the table.
- Keep each product on one row, and never merge cells.
- Use a single decimal separator for prices (e.g. 12.50). Leave the currency symbol out of the price cell.
- Format the SKU and barcode columns as text so leading zeros aren't stripped.
- Don't leave required fields empty; at minimum every product needs a name.
- Don't reuse the same SKU on two products; codes must be unique.
The most common mistakes are letters in a price cell, the same barcode repeated on different items, and a header row in the wrong place. The preview screen before import shows these issues row by row, so you can fix them and carry on.
How it works in practice with Bayim
Bayim is a permissioned, multi-supplier B2B ordering app for small wholesalers and their retailers. Making catalog setup painless is part of that.
As a wholesaler, the web side is the comfortable place for desk work: open Get started with Bayim, set up your store, import your Excel file, map the columns, then preview and confirm. When you later edit the same file and upload it again, products are matched by SKU/barcode — existing ones update, new ones are added.
Once the catalog is live, you can set different prices for different retailers using price groups, and track orders through their statuses (submitted, approved, preparing, shipped, completed). Bayim is currently free for both retailers and wholesalers, and your data is stored on EU servers in line with GDPR/KVKK.