V4.3.3 Csv Price Import Multiple Store Fronts

Hi,



We run 3 store fronts, soon to be 4 but have an issue with importing via CSV product pricing. Basically a CSV import will only update the pricing for the product assigned to the store owner. Any product shared across 2 or more store fronts will have to have their prices manually changed via admin.



Apparently according to Support this is the intended operation. We have thousands of products shared across 2 sometimes 3 stores and all to have the same pricing. So when we update our prices due to supplier increases or exchange rate changes, we are supposed to manually change the additional copies of the secondary stores.



This to me seems a very questionable default approach. I would have imagined that the default would be all stores with the same pricing model but even then, if you wanted different pricing then that would also be possible via CSV import.



Does anyone have a workaround for this?



Thanks



Paul

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]You could always write a special import that would understand company_id (or name) and apply the pricing to that company. Note the table to be updated for cscart_ult_product_prices[/font]



[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]You just have to import CSV into that table which you could do via phpMyAdmin. But be sure to clear your cart cache if you update that table outside cs-cart.[/font]



[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Agree that lacking ability to import prices when separate pricing is supported is a noticeable shorcoming.[/font]



Submit it as a bug in bugtracker, maybe someone will take the hour to make/test the changes.

I agree, it is a bug. Please post it to the bug tracker and we will vote for it.



If you need urgent solution, our team will be happy to rework the import/ export feature for you. Feel free to contact us

[quote name='tbirnseth' timestamp='1438038976' post='224508']

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]You could always write a special import that would understand company_id (or name) and apply the pricing to that company. Note the table to be updated for cscart_ult_product_prices[/font]

[/quote]



could you help us with this?

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thanks for the replies. Support emailed today to state that it is not a bug. My reply was “Of course it is a bug, what's the point in having a csv import facility on a software package aimed at multiple store fronts that can only update one store front. If as you say it is not a bug and that is how you intended the software to work, then what was the justification for that decision?”



Whilst we do use phpMyAdmin in a limited way, that is only to fix other problems that occur. We continually face issues with CS Cart that require us to delete thousands of rogue entries from tables that the cart package creates in error but that's not for discussion in this thread as I could write at length on it. As pricing updates are a routine operation and we are about to move our V2 main site into the same package as the other 3 V4 sites, we will look for a custom add-on to be written. I will email you for a quote eComLabs.[/font][/size]

[quote name='Paul Cooper' timestamp='1438180226' post='224780']

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thanks for the replies. Support emailed today to state that it is not a bug. My reply was “Of course it is a bug, what's the point in having a csv import facility on a software package aimed at multiple store fronts that can only update one store front. If as you say it is not a bug and that is how you intended the software to work, then what was the justification for that decision?”



Whilst we do use phpMyAdmin in a limited way, that is only to fix other problems that occur. We continually face issues with CS Cart that require us to delete thousands of rogue entries from tables that the cart package creates in error but that's not for discussion in this thread as I could write at length on it. As pricing updates are a routine operation and we are about to move our V2 main site into the same package as the other 3 V4 sites, we will look for a custom add-on to be written. I will email you for a quote eComLabs.[/font][/size]

[/quote]



I think there is some kind of misundeerstanding.

Shared price can be updated when you select a storefront in the top left corner.



Are you importing under selected Storefront or under “All stores”?

Imac,



We are as we always do and import csv under all stores as we have as single csv file to cover all store fronts. It would not be unreasonable to anticiapte that the 'Store' field takes care of associating the product attribute to the store. It will not be too much of a task to create individual price files for each store and then import each store front one at a time. We are very cautious of the csv import function as it happens to create a number of side affects such as for example: creating thousands of products in a store front that does not exist (company_id=0) which then prevents us updating the description via csv for the genuine store owner (company_id=3). I will try a small file first as we have seen a number of times where the store owner of a product gets changed through a csv import causing that product to move to another store front.



As for any misunderstanding, Support stated “I should inform you that it is a default behavior, only the store owner price can be changed via CSV import. If the product is shared among several stores, the price for the non store owner can be changed only manually via admin panel.”



I will try and let you know the findings.



Thanks



Paul

Imac,



To follow up from my last message. I have tried importing a single product via csv in an attempt to change the price of the shared stored front. I have tried a number of variations of the store front specified under the store field in the csv file and the store front selected in admin but at no time is the price field changed in the shared store front.



A further frustration is that the 'List price' field is changed in all stores even when in 'All stores' mode. So if the csv import adjusts the 'List price' of all instances of the product, why should the 'Price' field be treated any differently? Due to this, we end up with shared products have a silly discount price of say 1% because of the small discrepancy between the 'Price' (set when the product was created) and 'List price' fields (set at the last csv price update).



I remain very confused over the importing of product data via csv over multiple store fronts. The 'Store' field is mandatory for importing products yet the user manual states "Store - Store that the item belongs to. Note that this field is not applicable to products as products are not really associated with store units."Not only that but we also have to include the store name in the 'Secondary categories' field for shared products i.e. Store:category///subcategory;Store:category///subcategory where a product appears in 3 store fronts. So the store name for products seems rather essential!



In summary, yes there is confusion with importing product prices but perhaps the confusion is with the implementation of the csv import code. Why have the 'List price' updated for all product instances but not the 'Price field'?

[quote name='Paul Cooper' timestamp='1438606636' post='225409'] Imac, To follow up from my last message. I have tried importing a single product via csv in an attempt to change the price of the shared stored front. I have tried a number of variations of the store front specified under the store field in the csv file and the store front selected in admin but at no time is the price field changed in the shared store front. [/quote]



Paul, I'm sorry I confused you. CS-Cart really does not support the prices update during import for shared products.

I agree that this is not very user-friendly behavior. We will review ability to add this feature in one of the future version. I created a ticket for this task.



Will keep you informed.


[quote]

[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]A further frustration is that the 'List price' field is changed in all stores even when in 'All stores' mode. So if the csv import adjusts the 'List price' of all instances of the product, why should the 'Price' field be treated any differently? Due to this, we end up with shared products have a silly discount price of say 1% because of the small discrepancy between the 'Price' (set when the product was created) and 'List price' fields (set at the last csv price update).[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]Why have the 'List price' updated for all product instances but not the 'Price field'? [/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][/quote][/font][/color]



[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]Unfortunately List price is not the kind of fields that can be different for the storefronts. This is because main price is essential property of the products, where as the List price is an optional property of the products. Besides the List price field intended to be the same for the product at any storefront.[/font][/color]




[quote][color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]I remain very confused over the importing of product data via csv over multiple store fronts. The 'Store' field is mandatory for importing products yet the user manual states "[/font][/color]Store - Store that the item belongs to. Note that this field is not applicable to products as products are not really associated with store units.[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]"Not only that but we also have to include the store name in the 'Secondary categories' field for shared products i.e. Store:category///subcategory;Store:category///subcategory where a product appears in 3 store fronts. So the store name for products seems rather essential![/font][/color][/quote]

[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]Actually this is true only when you have one storefront or import under storefront, but if you import under “All stores” this field is mandatory in order to assign correct owner of the product. We will update the Reference guide.[/font][/color]

I just found this topic and I think this issue is still not resolved 4 years later? I have to mass update my prices and it seems i have to use direct SQL to make it work?

We really need this functionality too! It's almost impossible to manage our products now.