Loblaw EDI requirements
Loblaw sends grocery purchase orders by EDI and requires an EDI invoice and, for every delivery to a Loblaw warehouse or SAP-enabled store, an advance ship notice (856) sent before the truck leaves your warehouse. You may use your own EDI software or provider, but your ASN and labels must first be certified by SPS Commerce, Loblaw’s testing partner.
The documents
| Document | Direction | What Loblaw expects | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 850 Purchase Order | From Loblaw | The purchase order, for warehouse and direct-to-store deliveries. | Read and validate |
| 830 Planning Schedule | From Loblaw | The planning schedule (forecast). | Read and validate |
| 856 Ship Notice/Manifest | To Loblaw | Required for every delivery to a Loblaw warehouse or SAP-enabled store, in X12 5010 VICS, sent back through the same EDI relationship the PO came through. | Read and validate |
| 810 Invoice | To Loblaw | Billed to Loblaw Inc., 1 President’s Choice Circle, Brampton, for every branch and direct-to-store delivery, using only the allowance and charge codes Loblaw lists. | Read and validate |
| 812 Credit/Debit Adjustment | From Loblaw | Loblaw’s debit notes. | Read and validate |
| 820 Payment Order/Remittance Advice | From Loblaw | Loblaw’s payment and remittance. | Read and validate |
| 864 Text Message | From Loblaw | A business-data rejection. A document rejected by an 864 is not processed, even after a 997 was returned. | Not published yet |
| 997 Functional Acknowledgment | Both ways | The functional acknowledgment. It confirms the document meets the EDI standard, not that Loblaw accepted it. | Not published yet |
ASN, label and invoice rules
- ASN timing: any time after the order is assembled and before it leaves your warehouse.
- Labels: warehouse deliveries only, at the pallet level: a GS1 label with an SSCC-18 barcode matching the ASN’s MAN segment, one per SKU and code date. Single-SKU pallets get two, on the 40″ and 48″ sides. An SSCC cannot be reused within 12 months.
- Rejections: correct a document rejected by an 864 and wait a full 24 hours before sending it again.
- Tax: charged by the province where Loblaw first takes possession of the goods, flagged in the ship-to DUNS when the goods are cross-docked or picked up.
- Bill-to: Loblaw withholds payment on invoices that are not addressed to Loblaw Inc. in Brampton.
Costs and payment
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| SPS certification of your ASN and labels, for DSD or warehouse | $500 flat ($750 for both) |
| Small Supplier Program: payment of EDI invoices sent on time | Within 7 days |
| Small Supplier Program: EDI setup subsidy, first year | Up to $500, reimbursed |
Certification fees from Loblaw’s ASN Manual (2021), which says they cover the EDI testing only; the Small Supplier Program is Loblaw’s policy effective January 1, 2024. Loblaw does not publish EDI chargeback amounts; your supplier agreement is what applies.
Meeting these requirements with Weredi
Read Loblaw’s specifications
6 of the documents above are published segment by segment, free, with a validator that checks your own file against them before certification.
Build the 856 and 810 from each order
Each 850 becomes your ship notice and invoice without rekeying, with pallet structures and SSCC labels for the 856.
See what Loblaw deducted
On Weredi Plus, the deduction ledger matches each deduction to its invoice and builds a bilingual dispute pack for the ones you contest.
One flat price
From $199 CAD a month for Loblaw and every other trading partner, with unlimited transactions.
How you connect
Loblaw’s ASN manual gives two paths: SPS Commerce’s web forms, or your existing EDI software or third-party provider once SPS Commerce has certified your ASN and labels. With Weredi you take the second path: Weredi builds the 856, the 810 and the SSCC labels, and you complete SPS’s certification before going live. Ask Loblaw’s EDI group (by email) how your connection will be set up, and confirm the current requirements, since its public guides date from 2017 to 2021.
Get your Loblaw ASN right before certification
Start a free 14-day trial with Loblaw already added, no credit card.
Questions buyers ask
Do I have to use SPS Commerce to sell to Loblaw?
Not as your EDI provider. Loblaw’s ASN manual lets you use your existing EDI software or a third-party provider, but SPS Commerce must first certify your ASN and labels: a flat $500 for warehouse or direct-to-store, $750 for both, in the 2021 manual.
When do I send the ASN to Loblaw?
Any time after the order is assembled and before it leaves your warehouse. Every delivery to a Loblaw warehouse or SAP-enabled store needs one, sent back through the same EDI relationship the purchase order came through.
What labels does Loblaw require?
For warehouse deliveries, a GS1 pallet label with an SSCC-18 barcode that matches the ASN, one per SKU and code date; single-SKU pallets get two. Direct-to-store deliveries need no label.
What does a Loblaw 864 mean?
A business-data rejection, sent after the 997. The document is not processed: correct it and wait a full 24 hours before sending it again.
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