GelatoConnect Procurement (GCP) gives you two types of suppliers in your catalog:
GelatoConnect Suppliers — pre-vetted suppliers where Gelato has already negotiated prices and set up integrations. Their catalogs are pre-loaded and ready to order from.
Your own Suppliers — your own suppliers, visible only to you. You manage their catalog, prices, and product details. This article covers how to set these up.
You will also learn how to manage the categories shown on your catalog homepage so the page stays relevant to your business.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1 — Manage Your Catalog Categories
When you first open the GCP Catalog, you will see a list of recommended categories and suppliers on the homepage. You can customise this page so it shows only what is relevant to your business.
Remove a category from the homepage
From the Catalog homepage, find a category you don't need (for example, Mugs if you don't produce them).
Click the minus (−) button on that category tile to remove it from your view.
Add a category to the homepage
Click Show All (or View All Categories).
You will see all available GelatoConnect categories and your own custom categories.
Click the plus (+) button next to any category to pin it to your catalog homepage for quick access.
Create a new custom category
If you procure products that don't fit an existing category (for example, footballs, flags, or custom merchandise), create your own:
Click Add Category.
Enter the category name.
Optionally upload an image to represent the category.
Click Add Category to save. The new category will appear instantly in your My Categories section.
Step 2 — Add Your Own Supplier
1. Click Show All Suppliers from the Catalog homepage.
2. Go to the My Suppliers tab.
3. Click Add Supplier and fill in the supplier details and click Add supplier
Mandatory fields
• Supplier Name — the name of your supplier (e.g., 'Local Paper Co', 'Flags Direct')
• Currency — the currency in which this supplier invoices you
• Contact Name — your point of contact at the supplier
• Contact Email — the email address that will receive your purchase orders
Step 3 — Add Products to Your Supplier
Once the supplier is created, click Edit on their card to open the product catalog. You have three ways to add products:
Method 1 — Add from Catalog (Recommended)
Use this if the product you want to add already exists in the GCP catalog (for example, a frame, mug, or apparel item that a GelatoConnect supplier also carries).
Click Add from Catalog.
Browse by product type (e.g., Frames, Mugs, Apparel) and select the specific variant your supplier offers. For example: 8×12 inch Black Aluminum Frame.
Select it (you can select multiple variants at once) and click Continue.
Enter your supplier's price for that SKU. You can also add the price later.
💡 Tip: Why this matters: when you add a product using 'Add from Catalog', GCP links it to the same SKU across all your suppliers. This means when you use automated ordering, GCP can show you multiple supplier options for the same product — giving you flexibility to choose the best price or delivery time at the point of order.
📝 Note: If you add the same product manually across multiple suppliers, make sure the SKU Name field is identical for each one. This is what GCP uses to link supplier options together.
Method 2 — Add SKU Manually
Use this for products that are unique to your supplier and not in the GCP catalog.
Click Add SKU → Create New SKU.
Fill in the required fields:
Category — select or type the category (e.g., Flags, Football, Packaging)
SKU Name — enter the supplier's internal code or your own reference ID (e.g., FLAG-10234). This is used for linking across suppliers — keep it consistent.
Product Name — a readable name for the product (e.g., 'White Flag 60×90cm', or how your supplier calls it).
Price — the unit cost from your supplier.
Optionally add - MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity), Batch/Box Quantity, Pallet Quantity, Delivery Time
Click Save Changes.
💡 Tip: Adding MOQ, batch, and pallet quantities makes the order screen much more useful — GCP will display your options in the right quantities and show pallet equivalents as you adjust your order size.
Method 3 — Import via Template (Bulk Upload)
Use this when your supplier has many products (tens, hundreds, or thousands of SKUs).
1. Click Import → Generate Product Template.
2. Download the template file, fill it in with all your supplier's products and prices, then save.
3. Upload the completed file back into GCP.
GCP will process the upload and create all product records. For imports of more than 300–400 products, the system processes them in the background — you can continue using GCP while it runs.
Special instructions for Apparel SKUs
If you are adding apparel products from your own supplier, follow Gelato's structured SKU naming format. This is required because apparel SKUs are linked to your store's order intake system.
The SKU Name must follow this format:
apparel_manufacturer_[Brand name]_[ModelCode]_[Size]_[Color]
Example for a Gildan 64000 T-shirt, size XL, in Black:
apparel_manufacturer_Gildan_64000_XL_Black
💡 Tip: Most popular apparel SKUs (Gildan, Bella+Canvas, etc.) are already in the GCP catalog. Use 'Add from Catalog' for these and you will find a majority of these SKUs already in the catalog. Only use the manual import for SKUs from local suppliers not yet in the GCP catalog.
Step 4 — Place an Order from Your Supplier
Once you have saved your supplier and their products, you can place an order immediately.
From the Catalog, click on your supplier under My Suppliers.
Browse their categories and products. Add the items and quantities you need to your cart.
Click View Cart, then Checkout.
On the checkout screen, confirm or adjust: Delivery date, PO number, Shipping cost, VAT or any Special Requests.
Click Continue, review your order summary, and click Place Order.
Your supplier will receive an automated email with the complete order details: your delivery address, PO number, requested delivery date, product list with quantities and prices, and any special comments you added.
Communicating with Your Supplier
After placing an order, you can communicate directly with your supplier through GCP without switching to email.
Your supplier can reply to the order email they received — their reply will appear in the Comments section of your order in GCP.
You can reply back from within GCP — your message will be sent to your supplier as an email.
This two-way communication keeps all order-related messages linked to the order record, making it easy to track conversations and follow up.
💡 Tip: Use the Comments section to confirm delivery dates, request tracking information, or flag any issues — it keeps everything in one place for your team to see.
For a detailed walkthrough, please watch our video guide here.
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