Remodeling the 'Mart = Huge Friggin', Earth-Shattering Deal!

[ShinyGreenApple]

I am at a point in my life where I cannot be happier that some suit at corporate decided our stores needed to have their layout completely changed around. It means that for the first time since early '08, I have a job. However, most customers seem to feel that it has placed a heartrendingly huge inconvenience on their delicate balance of shopping experience pleasure. Comments made to me or other remodel associates, or overheard in the past two weeks:

"This place was already enough of a damn mess before you guys decided to mess around with it!"

"What. A. Mess!"

"You guys are screwing stuff up, I wish you'd stop it!"

"I really wish you guys would leave stuff ALONE!!!! Now could you pu-LEEZE tell me where (item that has not been relocated yet, and is in the same spot it always has been) is?!"

"I hated this place before, and I really hate it NOW!" (Then please, do us all a favor and GTFO. No one is making you shop here.

"Why, oh why do they have to make this look like all the other Stal-Marts? It was just fine the way it was!"

An exchange between myself and a customer:

C: "What are you people doing?!"

Me: (in my polite, customer service voice) "We're remodeling the store, ma'am."

C: *rolls eyes* "Well, I know that! I meant, what are you doing besides making a HUGE MESS?"

She then walked away. I mean WTF did she want me to say? And it's not like we have construction materials scattered willy-nilly all over the place. The guy who came in to oversee the remodel said that he toured a few other stores during his vacation last week, and that this one was the tidiest, safest one undergoing remodel that he'd been in. I mean, I know we're flipping a LOT of departments around and putting them in new locations, but is it really *that* big of a deal to have to re-learn the layout of the place you shop? Some people are actually interested to hear about why corporate is changing the layout, and like all the new fixtures we're putting in, and then laugh and say not to worry "We'll bear it with you" or "This too shall pass" (Electronics/connection center looks sharp. Seriously.) But the majority bitch and moan throughout the entire store. And the dirty looks we receive when pulling down entire shelves of merchandise and rolling them away to a new spot are priceless. We've been accused of downsizing and one woman even swore up and down that I was lying to her and that we were really shutting down the company one store at a time.

Sigh. Don't mess with people's everyday low price place, I guess. I took my Mom shopping last night and she's one of the most uptight, easily confused people I know, and even she didn't think it was all that big of a deal. I only wish she weren't in a minority

[sarasquirrel]

i remember a few years ago at my old store (seevee-ess) we went through a store remodel. and got the same complaints you listed above basically. even 1 or 2 years after the remodel people still complained. one guy even shook me. creeper

its like. wtf. its a small store. its not like its gonna take you 30 min to find something

hopefully the store im in now doesnt need one for a while, though the company likes to do this every 5 years or so, you know for ha-has

[pitmonkey]

Been through 2 remodels at my former store. It was fun when you are asked were something is and all you can say is: Well lets go see were they moved it this time. Then they get mad because they have to look for it with you instead of you pulling it out of your pocket.

[Sunsetsky]

I remember working at Walmart while undergoing a remodel. Most people were pretty cool about it. I think the biggest (and probably a pretty legit) complaint was when they temporarily shutdown the bathroom by the old lawaway. A pregnant woman came in my line and made a comment on how she was shopping by the closed bathroom and had a sudden urge to use the bathroom and had to run across the store to get to the front bathroom. I think the front bathroom was full of people too. But she was rather nice about it. I did get a lot of "Where is <department>?" and I would usually respond "I'm not sure myself. It was at <random location> yesterday. Lets go look together!" And off we go to find the electronics or women's clothing.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Ugggh, thanks for bringing back memories of remodeling the swamp five years ago.

We had gondola movers come in to move some of our gondolas, sometimes with the merchandise still on IIRC. Stuff would be in one place one day and someplace else the next.

Plus random fixtures of merchandise here and there while other sections were being redone.

I had lots of people complaining that they couldn't find things because they weren't where they were used to finding them, and I had to go around the store trying to find them. Actually, during the remodel, one of the first things I'd do in a day was take a walk around to see what had been moved so I'd be prepared if somebody asked where they were.

All this to make the store look not much different than it had before. It was a real cheap, half-assed remodel. For example, nothing was done with the bathrooms, which are now clearly showing their age and get mentioned negatively on all of our customer surveys.

[ShinyGreenApple]

Oh I've done the 'Let's look together!' thing plenty of times now. Most people laugh and take it in stride, but I can tell they're still irritated that I can't snap my fingers and make it appear. I've been put in health & beauty aids to stock at least three days now, and I spend half of those days directing and escorting people to various products. What none of us get is how they miss the pharmacy. The old pharmacy is boarded off so the construction guys can do their thing without having people walk up and ask for prescriptions to be filled. Meanwhile, a large, very fugly grey box has been constructed on the GM side by the checkouts. It has huge black letters that spell out "PHARMACY" and "RX". Seriously, you cannot miss this monstrosity or the fact that people are lined up into the main isle holding pill bottles. Yet they still walk past it, into the shampoo/vitamin, etc isles and ask one of us where the pharmacy is.

Then there are comments that 'You guys should hire someone to sit out front just to tell people where things are'.

We have those people. One sitting at a table on each side of the store, wearing a huge blue and yellow vest that says "How may I help you?" They even have a stack of maps printed with the store layout for that week, and there's usually one person walking the floor as well.

I worked in the same store during a remodel 5 years ago, and I don't remember this much stupidity, but then again, I was on a register then and not on the floor visibly tearing down displays or setting new modules. I actually think this one is going faster and more efficiently than the last, but people are having more hissy fits because of all the drastic relocations.

I think the biggest (and probably a pretty legit) complaint was when they temporarily shutdown the bathroom by the old lawaway.

That's irritating, no doubt. The back bathrooms are usually not as nasty as the front. But I'm an evil person. When we did that in 2005, I used to have a hard time not laughing at people's crestfallen faces when they walked all the way back there only to discover the bathrooms were ripped out.

[Javarod]

Which floorplan are they using (i assume you're in a Super Center)? There's three major styles they're doing here, and while none are perfect, i'd say the Raintree & Northsight store gets it closest (cards/stationary/books have a bizarre placement where the pharmacy would normally be). They're doing real nice stores compared to the K who's just shutting stores down (do they have any real plan?).

[ottid]

Store re-modelled in October last year (well, basically within October) doing painting and replacing shelving while we were still open. It was the kind of store where you looked at it and went "If they just closed for a day or two it would all be done without the hassle of having to yell at customers above the noise of construction and so on."

What was worse is that we dropped from being a full post office where people could pay bills, pay for everything they needed for their vehicls (change of ownership, registration, diesel tax etc) Money orders, Western Union transfers, down to a post centre, which eans people can only bring in thir parcels etc to post, and nothing else. We are still getting customers EVERY DAY asking to pay their bills/car registration (those using money orders or Western Union were regular users) sometimes 10+ people.

Oh and the other bonus, last month corporate came down and rearranged one of the stores again. So I still have to apologise to the customers that if I haven't already seen it that day, it is a "lets find this together" thing. In saying that corporate did do an amazing rearrange, and we are now showing more stock, no more hunting through a large pile of Bockingfor art pads to find the right one

Good Luck Shiny Green Apple, just be prepared to stick with the suckiness for a couple of months (or more) after the remodel is finished

[EvilEmpryss]

*sigh* It's official... I have no life. This thread proves it.

My reaction to a store remodel is excitement: I get to go on a big treasure hunt and find all new stuff they've put in while looking for all the old stuff I usually get.

It's even more fun when I can get an employee to play with me... they're usually as surprised by where things are as I am.

[ShinyGreenApple]

Which floorplan are they using (i assume you're in a Super Center)?

Yes, it's a super center, one of the busiest in the region. A lot of managers and AM's get their training here. I haven't had a chance to look at the entire floorplan yet, but so far, we have electronics in the very back, so that you can see the TV wall as you walk in. Next to that is books/mags, and then fabrics & crafts, with photo lab behind that in the area that used to be layaway. On the left hand/GM side of the store we have toys, then sporting goods, then automotive. That's as much as we've done for now, I'm not sure how they're changing the other GM departments and grocery around. We did get a new unit in for frozen food this week though, and they look awesome. I dunno what lighting they're using in them, but it looks really sleek and modern and I kind of just want to wander up and down the isle so I can stare at it

In saying that corporate did do an amazing rearrange, and we are now showing more stock

I like how we're being done, too. The building is still the same size, but it seems so much roomier now, and you can see the departments as you come in instead of having things like electronics and sporting goods buried in the middle of the store.

[Arwyn Q]

Eep. This is one reason I'm scared of going back to work this summer. Our store is undergoing a huge remodel to turn into a bigger Superstore (complete with deli and grocery area). I work in one of the areas they started the remodel at, so I'm not sure I'll even be in the same place when I get back home. It's going to be an adventure!

[Hyena Dandy]

Remodeling Wal-Mart?

To quote the vice-president, this is a big fuckin' deal...








Couldn't resist, please don't smack me. :O

[mattm04]

A supermarket in my are was remodeled a few years ago. I was shopping to get a few things. They did a good job of having hand written/typed on 8.5x11" paper signs ate the end of each aisle saying what is on it, ie (canned soup, canned veggies, etc, crackers, bread crumbs) while it did change often it was fairly simple to follow.

I did over hear a SC and a employee argue...

SC: Where the hell is <item> it was here a few weeks ago.
E: That is on aisle X, left had side at the front of the store.
SC: Well why the hell is it their.
E: The had to move that section because they moved and expanded the prepared food dept.
SC: Well that's a stupid reason. Whe will they move it back.
E: well as I said, that area will become prepared foods. So as of now it looks like it will remain where it is when the remodel is finished.
SC: Your no help.

I would say the employee was very helpful.

[TheComputerError]

My local Wal*Mart is in process on their remodel and has a map at the doors with magnets detailing the locations of the various departments as they move around the store. I have been tempted on many occasions to start moving the magnets on the board. I have a hunch it won't add to the SC problem, but that's only because I doubt they even notice the map in the first place.

[Javarod]

Yes, it's a super center, one of the busiest in the region. A lot of managers and AM's get their training here. I haven't had a chance to look at the entire floorplan yet, but so far, we have electronics in the very back, so that you can see the TV wall as you walk in. Next to that is books/mags, and then fabrics & crafts, with photo lab behind that in the area that used to be layaway. On the left hand/GM side of the store we have toys, then sporting goods, then automotive. That's as much as we've done for now, I'm not sure how they're changing the other GM departments and grocery around. We did get a new unit in for frozen food this week though, and they look awesome. I dunno what lighting they're using in them, but it looks really sleek and modern and I kind of just want to wander up and down the isle so I can stare at it

Interesting, sounds like they're switching you to the currently standard layout. Here in Phoenix, they're doing a lot of experiments, one store has the photo department in the middle opposite electronics, another has books and stationary over there, most stores are like what yours is becoming, or some variant of the above. Raintree has the most unique layout, basically the grocery side is a grocery store, complete with pharmacy and pets over there between the main grocery aisles and apparel, though books, cards and stationary are where pharmacy and pets are usually at as if they had no where else to put them. Oh, and layaway was converted to photo lab and site to store, it looks very sharp, and makes good use of the space.

Eep. This is one reason I'm scared of going back to work this summer. Our store is undergoing a huge remodel to turn into a bigger Superstore (complete with deli and grocery area). I work in one of the areas they started the remodel at, so I'm not sure I'll even be in the same place when I get back home. It's going to be an adventure!

Hmmm, sounds like you were in a Div 1 (discount store, no real grocery department) or Div 1+ (expanded grocery, but still not a real grocery department) store, something that's actually rather rare out here. Usually those get closed down and replaced rather than expanded, must be some combination of things that gave you the luck of being expanded.

Remodeling Wal-Mart?

To quote the vice-president, this is a big fuckin' deal...

Chuckles, "For WalMart it is, considering how old and scummy some of their stores look, updating them is important for sales (which is why i wonder how long until K-Mart dies)."