When you create a data version in Sloc Local, the Import data screen guides you through bringing your sites in: upload a file, match its columns to Sloc's fields, and tidy up duplicate site names and inconsistent fascia names - all before anything is imported.

Before you start, check your file against how to prepare your data to be uploaded. Don't have a file? You can search for sites in the location database instead.

Step 1 - Upload your file

Choose Upload file, then drag your CSV or XLSX file onto the screen or click Select file. Sloc reads it and shows how many sites it found. Click Map fields for N sites.

Step 2 - Map your fields

On the left, tell Sloc which of your columns hold:

• Site name and Fascia (under Key identifiers) - both are required. Sloc picks likely columns for you; check them.

• Latitude and Longitude (under Location) - optional. Sites without coordinates can be located after import. If you map coordinates, you can also tick Look up addresses to fill in each site's address.

On the right, a preview shows your data. Use the list at the top of the preview to switch between Site name and Fascia.

Step 3 - Fix duplicate site names

Every site needs a unique name. If some names repeat, Sloc highlights them, shows Review N issues under Site name, and won't import until they're fixed.

Click Preview unique names. Sloc proposes a numbered name for each duplicate, e.g. "Co-op Scraptoft (1)" and "Co-op Scraptoft (2)". You can edit any proposed name in the New site name column. Click Confirm change to accept, or Discard changes.

💡 If a duplicate is really the same site listed twice, remove one of the rows from your file and upload it again.

Step 4 - Tidy up fascia names

The same brand or owner is often written in different ways, e.g. "Central England Co-operative" and "The Co-operative Group". Grouping them under one name means they're treated as one fascia in your analysis.

Switch the preview to Fascia. Each fascia is listed with its number of sites. Then:

1. Tick the fascias you want to group.

2. Type the name to use in Replace with - start typing to pick an existing fascia.

3. Click Preview replacement.

The New fascia column shows the change, and a summary tells you how the number of fascias will change (e.g. 17 → 16). Click Confirm change to apply it, or Discard changes.

If Sloc spots fascia names that look alike, it offers Review suggestions so you can accept them in one go.

Other useful tools on the Fascia view:

• Filter by sites - set a minimum and maximum number of sites, e.g. 1 to 1 to find every single-site fascia, then select them all and replace them with a common name such as "Independents".

• Delete - remove all sites of the selected fascias, for example ones outside your market.

• Undo - after confirming, undo the last change.

Step 5 - Import

When Site name and Fascia have no outstanding issues, click Import sites. Your sites open in the table on the Data page, ready to geocode if they don't have coordinates yet.

Pro tips

• Group fascias that share ownership before importing - it's quicker than fixing them later, and it affects how markets are analysed.

• Click Data preview at the bottom right to check all your columns before importing.

• Use Back to change the file or start again.