I'm getting corporate called on me uh oh

[freespirit114]

Freaking out over fake eyelashes at the dollar store? Total fail!! Never worn fake eyelashes myself, but I wouldn't have high hopes for a pair from a store with dollar in the name. Crazy woman!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Not defending the lady, as she was totally awful. But why do stores change their layouts? It seems to me, customers would be able to find things easier if they never moved.

They also wouldn't make impulse buys as they were looking for what they wanted, and space would eventually become wasted as sales trends changed.

This spring/summer, we're going to be doing a project that, IMO, is the first stage of the swamp getting out of the electronics business. Housewares will be expanded (it's already freakin' huge) and to make room for the expansion, vacuum cleaners and their accessories, and maybe a few other things, are moving across the way into home entertainment.

Which makes no sense unless corporate plans to rename home entertainment and produce graphics and signage with the new name. Otherwise I'll have people asking me where our vacuum cleaners are and I'll be telling them "They're in home entertainment!"

[fireheart]

Not defending the lady, as she was totally awful. But why do stores change their layouts? It seems to me, customers would be able to find things easier if they never moved.

I'm thinking more on a minor level here, but also factoring in new and old products or ease of access for customers or staff.

The kmart near my partners house recently had a "refit" of sorts where they changed their makeup stands. While they added a whole bunch of new lines and got rid of some older ones, they also made it harder for thieves to steal stuff.

The nearby supermarket is currently doing a refit for what I believe to be this exact reason, which is more of a minor inconvenience for my partner and I than anything. In this case though, they've cut down the size of some of the aisles to accommodate their clothing line which is taking up a good chunk of store space (it's not a horrible clothing line either, mostly staple products like t-shirts, dresses, pants and shoes)

[drjonah]

Our store doesn't move departments around, we just redo sections. The planograms usually change every 6 months or so based on a number of things.

Products being discontinued
Products not selling so why continue to keep it around
New products being offered
Seasonal merchandise
Products selling really well so it's decided to hold extra shelf space for it

[Argabarga]

Our store doesn't move departments around, we just redo sections. The planograms usually change every 6 months or so based on a number of things.

Yep, worked briefly in the pricing department before moving to pharmacy (and then tow truck driving ) but that's pretty much it. Every few months, the stuff that isn't selling is discontinued, the holes are re-allocated to something else (empty shelf space, like a plane on the ground, costs money every second it sits) and everything moves around to account for it.

So, even disregarding seasonal changes, everythings going to move just a little bit, it's the nature of retail. Stuff would only stay "the same" if buying habits never changed.

[fireheart]

Our store doesn't move departments around, we just redo sections. The planograms usually change every 6 months or so based on a number of things.

I'd add "theft risk" to certain items. I remember hearing that some stores had to put certain things behind the counter because no matter how locked-down the area was, thieves still got into it.

[drjonah]

Very good point, yeah we have a number of items behind the register and a lot of customers are surprised when we tell them certain items are high theft. They are shocked when they find out air fresheners (especially the oils) were one of the most stolen items in our store.

[manybellsdown]

Or baby formula. I remember the local Wal-Mart having to lock that up because it was getting shoplifted in crazy quantities.

[erik316wttn]

Yeah, I got corporate called on me the other day. Thankfully, they were on my side.

Some old bat got all worked up about the fact that it was senior day at our store and she also couldn't use her $10 off coupon in addition to the senior discount-- it's one or the other, and our system is programmed to only accept one or the other.

A cashier told her this, I told her this, the assistant manager told her this, the STORE manager told her this, and corporate told her this. Then she called the store again and the assistant manager once again told her "no" then she DEMANDED my last name, as well as everyone else's last name to report us all to corporate again, and she was denied. I haven't heard back from her since. But my lord, lady, it's $10. Is it really worth getting that worked up?

[drjonah]

Or baby formula. I remember the local Wal-Mart having to lock that up because it was getting shoplifted in crazy quantities.

In a funny case of WTF, when I worked at Awful-mart, they would keep the small cans of baby formula behind the register. Well one of the formula companies came out with a larger, economy size. You would think those would be behind the register too right? NOPE, those were prominently displayed on an end cap.

Yeah quite a few of those ended up stolen then management finally got their heads out of their rear ends and put those large cans behind the register too.

[raudf]

Theft is the leading reason why baby and electronics are usually found at the back of the store. Supposedly, it's supposed to give employees a chance to spot a 'lifter, but between how few floor employees there are now and the fact that those that exist are spread thin..

Major changes are usually done to freshen up the store and present products in the best possible light. Minor changes are often due to seasonal changes, with product lines either being added or dropped.

The super hell upgrade needed the change, because we were adding onto an existing store. This meant that at any one time, we were moving merch to different areas, taking down gondolas, cursing stupid management and even dumber customers and trying not to kill ourselves or each other. They would have a big "map" to show customers were the various departments had moved to, but we made so many changes (due to regional having a bug up her butt) that they had to finally throw in the towel (after I had folded the damn thing for the 15th time that day!) and just give the door greeters a radio to ask!

[BrenDAnn]

Yeah, even at C-Store we update planograms twice a year. Usually we do a larger scale reset in January, and then a more minor one in June. Of course, C-Store is more worried about employee theft than customer theft. What? It's true. Every camera in the store is on the clerks, I swear!

[Dentarthurdent]

Your punishment shall be....50 LASHES!!!

*facepalm* I have *certainly* been on this board long enough that I should have seen that one coming.

[Android Kaeli]

Yeah, even at C-Store we update planograms twice a year. Usually we do a larger scale reset in January, and then a more minor one in June. Of course, C-Store is more worried about employee theft than customer theft. What? It's true. Every camera in the store is on the clerks, I swear!

Random Craft Store seems to be more worried about that, too. Up until about three, maybe four, or so years ago, the compactor was unlocked -- now it has to be locked 24/7. Thankfully on truck days it's kept unlocked, 'cause we really don't have the time to babysit empty boxes.

And it seems like my store gets turned around every two months or so. I think the paint alone has been moved and reset at least a half dozen times already, if not more.