For restaurant supply dealers
How to compare supplier price lists
A lower case price can hide a higher unit cost if the supplier puts fewer items in each case. Compare the cost of one selling unit with your store price to find the products where your margin has slipped.
Match the same SKU across your files
Use the same currency and SKU format. Keep leading zeros in product codes.
| CSV file | Columns to select |
|---|---|
| Store export | SKU and selling price per unit. A product title is optional. Use one row per variant. |
| Current supplier list | Matching SKU and unit cost. If the supplier quotes a case cost, select the case cost and units per case. |
| Previous supplier list (optional) | Matching SKU and previous unit cost, or previous case cost and units per case. Use this file to check for cost increases and pack size changes. |
Calculate the cost per unit and gross margin
Illustrative figures for a full-size steam pan, with a 30% margin target.
| Source | CSV row | Price and quantity | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store export | 3 | $31.00 selling price | $31.00 |
| Current supplier list | 3 | $96.00 per case of 4 | $24.00 |
| Previous supplier list | 3 | $144.00 per case of 6 | $24.00 |
The current unit cost is $96 ÷ 4 = $24. The gross margin is ($31 − $24) ÷ $31 × 100 = 22.6%, below the 30% target. The pack shrank from 6 to 4 and the unit cost stayed at $24.
This calculation uses selling price and supplier unit cost before freight, fees, and taxes.
Review the rows behind each finding
Catalog Watch shows row numbers from the store and supplier CSVs so you can check the inputs before making a pricing decision. Rows with duplicate SKUs, missing matches, or invalid amounts appear in the review list.