What is a host file?
4 min read · by the BetterRetailer team
Updated
The short answer
A host file is a regular (usually weekly) file from your buying group listing products, barcodes, costs, recommended retail prices and promotions. Your POS loads it to keep your product file and prices up to date without typing them in.
What's in a host file?
Each line is a product, usually with:
- Barcode (EAN/APN) and the supplier's item code
- Description, size and pack quantity (cartons and units)
- Cost price, ex-GST, and whether the item is GST-free
- Recommended retail price (RRP) and promotional prices with their dates
- Department or category
Who sends host files?
Buying groups and wholesalers that supply independent stores, such as New Sunrise, Metcash (for IGA and Friendly Grocer stores) and SPAR. They usually arrive as CSV files you download from a portal, or through an automated feed.
How should a POS use a host file?
A good POS loads the whole file in one go, matches products by barcode, and shows you what will change: new products, cost changes, price changes and promotions. You choose which prices to follow and which to keep, and every applied price change should queue a shelf label.
What goes wrong with host files?
Duplicate or changed barcodes, pack sizes that don't match how you sell, and prices that overwrite your own. Look for a POS that flags these instead of silently importing them.