Hello,
We have started using 3 different alternate price lists in addition to the main base price list for different groups of customers. Now we are trying to do our annual price changes, and add new items for the holiday season. The issue is that "Update Alternate price list" seems to only update prices of items that were created prior to the alternate price list. Any new items set up after the price list was created are not pulling into the list. My question is: what is the best way to maintain these seperate lists? Should I delete the price lists each year, and create new lists using the same codes? We bring in about 100 new items each year, so I certainly don't want to have to add each item to the 3 alternate price lists individually. What makes the most sense and will not cause any integrity errors?

Any info would be appreciated!

Hello orlanda,

It's often easiest to maintain your price lists by importing them from Excel.

Hi orlanda,

The 'Update Alternative Price List' function will alow changing information on previously created item-price list combinations. It will not add new items to a price list - sometimes companies only want some items on a price list and not others.

If you want to add new items to tha price list, you could either import them from Excel (as posted above) or use the 'Create Alternative Price List Items' function. Indeed if the price lists don't have 'easily convertable' amounts from the base price(ie 10% less or 20.00 more), it is easier to import the information rather than try and determine which method to 'Create', and having to edit it later on anyway.

Ok, thanks, I'll have to look into that. So the idea is that I would export the base price list into excel, modify it with the alternate prices, and upload it as an alternate price list? Would I run a greater risk of integrity errors doing this?

OK, so I can "Create Alternate price list" using the same price list code as last year, and it will pull in the new items, and all of the new pricing information from the main list?

Hi orlanda,

There isn't a risk of integrity errors, and if the Excel file was incomplete or incorrect, the import process would detect this an not import anything.

Yes, you can export items to Excel, make changes, and re-import the list as an alternate price list. But you need to set up an export Item Template and an import Alternative Price List Item Template that have matching columns as best as possible - otherwise that Excel management will involve a lot more editing.

You can find a ZIP file on our website (containing a number of import tech tips) following the link here.

Create Alternative Price List will add new items, but it will not update price list amounts/records for existing items.

Thanks, it looks like creating the price list again actually did update prices for the entire list, and added the new items. I just have to go back and enter the prices that are actually different from the base price manually. There are only 50 or so items that are actaully different prices than our base price, the other 2,000 or so items have are the same price. In the future I'll look into exporting & maintaining the list that way if necessary, but for now this seems to work.
Thank you