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How to Retail EDI Invoices and Manage Purchases in PDI CStore Essentials

Thie article walks you through the complete process of retailing your purchases using PDI C-Store Essentials

Updated today

Step-By-Step Process

How to Retail an EDI Invoice

1. How to Retail an EDI Invoice

  • An EDI invoice is an electronic invoice you can request from your vendor in a standard file format

    • Vendors may also send you a PDF for your records, but only the EDI file should be uploaded into PDI C-Store Essentials

    • If the file format is incorrect, you will likely encounter an error when uploading

2. Go to C-Store Essentials Web Account

  • You can access C-Store Essentials by clicking here or going to https://secure.cstorepro.com

    • Click the “Forgot Password” button if you need help resetting your password

3. Uploading Your EDI Invoice

  • On the left side of the screen, select Grocery. Next click on Purchases. Then click on Invoices from the left-hand menu

  • Click the big blue bubble in the middle of the screen (or the plus symbol (+) at the top-right corner).

  • Enter your purchase details:

    • Purchase date

    • Vendor

    • Payment method (bank account)

    • Purchase amount

    • Invoice number

  • Click Add Invoice

    • If adding multiple invoices, select Create Another until finished

4. Uploading the EDI File

  • Select Upload

  • Choose your EDI file (keep all EDI files in a labeled folder for easy access)

  • Change the Electronic Format to match your vendor. If your vendor is not listed, select the default format

5. Assign Departments and Tax Types

  • When uploading new items, a pop-up will prompt you to assign departments and tax types

  • You can use the top drop-down to assign all at once or adjust individually

6. Handling Expenses

  • Delivery charges, fuel surcharges, etc., will appear blank under cost

  • Set the price equal to the cost since expenses are not resold

7. Finalizing Your Invoice

  • Select Retail Items to retail your items

  • New items will show a blue "New to Store" bubble

  • Cost-changed items will show a green "Cost Changed" bubble

  • Check your Invoice Margins column for negative margins, and adjust as needed

💡 Tip!: Assign rebates to applicable items (e.g., Altria, RJR, or others)


How to Retail by Category

  • You can retail purchases by category either automatically (using a preset margin) or manually

1. Go to C-Store Essentials Web Account

  • You can access C-Store Essentials by clicking here or going to https://secure.cstorepro.com

    • Click the “Forgot Password” button if you need help resetting your password

2. Navigate to the Vendors screen

  • On the left side of the screen, click on Grocery. Next click on Purchases. Then click on Vendors

  • Edit an existing vendor or add a new one

  • Set Retailing Type to Preset Margin (default is "By Item")

  • Choose a Category and set the Margin

  • Click Update Vendor

  • When uploading an invoice:

    • Select Purchases. Then click on Invoices

    • Enter your purchase details

    • Your invoice will be retailed automatically using the preset margin

    • Use the Funnel icon to verify the retail category

3. Manual Retail by Category

  • After uploading your invoice, select the Funnel icon next to your invoice

  • Click the blue "Retail by Category" bubble at the top-right

  • Select the correct Category (e.g., Packaged Beverages)

  • Enter the Cost and Margin — the Retail Price will auto-calculate


How to Retail by Item

  • Manual item retailing allows you to scan or manually input items one by one.

  1. Go to C-Store Essentials Web Account

    • You can access C-Store Essentials by clicking here or going to https://secure.cstorepro.com

      • Click the “Forgot Password” button if you need help resetting your password

  2. Navigate to the Vendors screen

    • On the left side of the screen, select Grocery. Next click on Purchases. Then click on Invoices from the left-hand menu

    • Click Add Invoice and enter purchase details

3. Retailing Items

  • Click the Funnel icon next to the invoice

  • Scan the item's barcode into the Vendor Item Code field

    • If the item has never been retailed, click the symbol next to the field

    • Add the necessary item details (UPC, description, department, tax type)

  • If an item already exists:

    • Search and select it from the price book

4. Entering Purchase Information

  • Set Units per Case (default to 1 if unsure)

  • Enter Gross Cost

  • Margin auto-calculates based on your input

  • Enter Quantity Purchased (use a negative quantity for returns)

5. Making Adjustments

  • Adjust costs by selecting the pencil icon under an existing item

  • When finished, click Retail Invoice to complete the process


Frequently Asked Questions

What file format should the EDI invoice be in?

  • The invoice must be in the vendor’s standard EDI file format — not a PDF. Uploading the wrong format will cause errors.

How do I handle charges like delivery fees or fuel surcharges in my invoice?

  • For expenses, manually set the price equal to the cost, since these are not resold to customers.

What happens if my vendor does not appear in the electronic format list?

  • Select the Default format option when uploading your EDI file.

Can I assign multiple rebates to one item?

  • Yes, you can assign multiple rebates if necessary (e.g., manufacturer and store rebates).

How do I retail by category if my items fall into more than one category?

  • If needed, retail manually by category instead of setting a single preset margin.

What should I do if my invoice margin shows a negative value?

  • A negative invoice margin means you are losing money. Review and adjust item costs or retail prices accordingly to correct margins.

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