A grocery-specific purchase order transaction set used by retailers and distributors to order CPG products, with native support for the promotional pricing, allowances, deal codes, and program structures that define grocery channel commerce.
The EDI 875 Grocery Products Purchase Order is the grocery channel's answer to the general-purpose EDI 850. While an 850 can be used in grocery trading, the 875 is purpose-built to carry the complex pricing structures, allowance qualifiers, deal identifiers, and program codes that CPG suppliers and grocery buyers exchange as a normal part of every order.
Grocery purchasing is not a simple price-times-quantity calculation. A single 875 may carry a base cost, a promotional off-invoice allowance, a display allowance, a freight allowance, an early pay discount, and a deal number that links the entire order to a specific promotional event window. The 875's BEG (Beginning Segment for Purchase Order) carries a transaction set purpose code, the PO number, the PO date, and - critically - a contract number or deal number that ties the order to an approved promotion. The G61 (Contact) and G62 (Date/Time) segments carry buyer and seller contact details and critical dates like the promotional window start and end.
The 875 is used by major grocery retailers (Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, H-E-B, Wakefern) and large distributors (UNFI, KeHE, C&S Wholesale) when ordering from CPG suppliers. Suppliers selling to the grocery channel must be capable of receiving and processing 875s, including mapping the promotional allowance data to their own pricing systems to confirm that the buyer's cost matches the agreed promotional deal terms.
The 875 is specific to the grocery and consumer packaged goods channel. Other industries use the standard 850 for purchase orders.
National and regional chains use 875 to issue orders against promotional programs. Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, and H-E-B send 875s that embed deal numbers, event codes, and allowance qualifiers directly in the PO. The supplier's response (876 acknowledgment or 855) must reference those same deal identifiers back to the retailer's promotional planning system.
Suppliers receive 875s from grocery buyers and must parse promotional allowance data to validate cost. A 875 carrying an off-invoice allowance must be matched against the supplier's approved trade promotion plan - if the allowance in the 875 doesn't match the agreed deal, the supplier needs to flag the discrepancy before shipping rather than discovering a deduction on the 820 remittance 60 days later.
UNFI, KeHE, C&S Wholesale, and regional grocery distributors use 875 when placing orders under program agreements with natural, specialty, and conventional CPG brands. Distributor 875s often carry warehouse codes, buying group identifiers, and volume deal qualifiers that suppliers must map to their own cost and availability systems.
Direct store delivery suppliers in beverage, snack, bakery, and fresh categories receive 875s from chain grocery accounts for pre-sell orders and route replenishment. DSD 875s frequently carry store-level delivery requirements, route numbers, and day-of-week delivery windows in addition to promotional pricing detail.
Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, and co-ops within the natural channel use 875 through distributors like UNFI. The natural channel's promotional structures - including scan-based promotions, MCB (manufacturer charge-back) allowances, and new item intro deals - are carried cleanly in the 875's allowance segments.
IGA, Topco, Wakefern, and similar buying cooperatives issue 875s on behalf of member stores. These orders often carry member-specific identifiers, group contract numbers, and negotiated program codes that differ from what an individual retailer would send. Suppliers must maintain mapping logic for each buying group's 875 conventions.
The 875 extends the standard purchase order structure with grocery-specific segments for promotional and allowance data.
Opens the 875. BEG01 = transaction set purpose code (00 = original, 01 = cancellation, 05 = replace). BEG02 = purchase order type code (SA = stand-alone order, KB = blanket purchase agreement release). BEG03 = purchase order number. BEG05 = PO date. BEG06 = contract number or deal number - this is the critical field that links the 875 to a specific promotional program or trade deal in both the buyer's and supplier's systems.
G61 carries buyer and seller contact information including name, phone, and department code. G62 carries multiple date references: ship date (002), delivery date (010), promotional event start date (196), and promotional event end date (197). The promotional window dates are essential for the supplier to validate that the order falls within the authorized deal period and to apply the correct cost.
The same grocery-specific allowance segment used in the 880 invoice. At the header level in a 875, G72 carries PO-level allowances that apply across all line items - such as a freight allowance or a total order volume discount. G72 at the line item level carries item-specific allowances: off-invoice amounts, promotional scan allowances, display fees, and co-op contributions. G7201 = allowance or charge code. G7202 = method of handling (deducted from invoice, bill back, etc.).
Line item detail including ordered quantity, unit of measure, and agreed cost. In the grocery 875, PO106/107 typically carry the buyer's item number (UPC or internal item code), and PO108/109 carry the supplier's item number. The unit price in PO104 reflects the net cost after any header-level deal allowances. Line-level G72 segments following PO1 carry item-specific promotional pricing that the supplier must reconcile against approved trade promotion plans.
Identifies all parties to the transaction. ST (Ship To) identifies the DC or store receiving the order. BT (Bill To) identifies the accounts payable entity. BY (Buying Party) identifies the purchasing organization. In DSD scenarios, N1-ST carries an individual store's DEA or GLN number. In DC replenishment, N1-ST carries the distribution center's warehouse code used for routing and ASN matching.
Closes the 875 with line item count (CTT01) and optionally total quantity ordered (CTT02) and total weight (CTT03). Trading partners use CTT01 to validate that all PO1 loops were received intact. Mismatches between CTT01 and the actual number of PO1 loops are a common EDI exception that causes the 875 to fail validation before it reaches the supplier's order management system.
The 875 sits at the center of the grocery order-to-cash document flow.
The buyer's modification to a previously issued 875 - adjusting quantities, delivery dates, or promotional pricing. The 876 mirrors the 860 in general supply chain but carries the same grocery-specific allowance and deal structures as the original 875.
The supplier's advance shipment notice sent before delivery. For grocery, the 856 must reference the 875 PO number and deal number, include SSCC-18 pallet labels, and carry case-level detail to support automated DC receiving.
The supplier's invoice following shipment. The 880 references the 875's PO number and deal code, and its G72 allowance segments must match what was agreed in the 875. Mismatches between 875 allowances and 880 allowances trigger deductions on the 820 remittance.
The retailer or distributor's payment notification. The 820 traces back through the 880 invoice to the original 875 deal terms. Understanding the 875 allowance structure is essential for suppliers reconciling why a 820 payment differs from the 880 invoice amount.
Grocery EDI is among the most complex in any industry. Better EDI handles 875 mapping, promotional allowance structure setup, trading partner certification with grocery retailers and distributors, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
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