diff --git a/corporal/batch/vendorcatalog.py b/corporal/batch/vendorcatalog.py
index 7c7aef0..f3b1643 100644
--- a/corporal/batch/vendorcatalog.py
+++ b/corporal/batch/vendorcatalog.py
@@ -35,14 +35,21 @@ class VendorCatalogHandler(base.VendorCatalogHandler):
         self.core_products_by_upc = self.cache_model(self.core_session,
                                                      corepos.Product,
                                                      key='upc',
-                                                     query=query)
+                                                     query=query,
+                                                     progress=progress)
 
         query = self.core_session.query(corepos.VendorItem)\
                                  .filter(corepos.VendorItem.vendor_id == int(batch.vendor_id))
         self.core_vendor_items_by_sku = self.cache_model(self.core_session,
                                                          corepos.VendorItem,
                                                          key='sku',
-                                                         query=query)
+                                                         query=query,
+                                                         progress=progress)
+        self.core_vendor_items_by_upc = self.cache_model(self.core_session,
+                                                         corepos.VendorItem,
+                                                         key='upc',
+                                                         query=query,
+                                                         progress=progress)
 
     setup_populate = setup_common
     setup_refresh = setup_common
@@ -73,7 +80,10 @@ class VendorCatalogHandler(base.VendorCatalogHandler):
         core_product = self.core_products_by_upc.get(row.item_id)
 
         # find the CORE `vendorItems` record, matching by `vendorItems.sku`
+        # preferably, but falling back to match on `vendorItems.upc`
         core_vendor_item = self.core_vendor_items_by_sku.get(row.vendor_code)
+        if not core_vendor_item:
+            core_vendor_item = self.core_vendor_items_by_upc.get(row.item_id)
 
         # if the catalog UPC is not found in `products` but the SKU *is* found
         # in `vendorItems` *and* the latter ties back to valid `products`