STORE OPENING PREPERATION
Zoning, recovery, straightening--call it what you will--is simply the act of getting a retail store ready for customers. It is the combination of several processes to make the store look great, ease store operations and it should be done on a daily basis.
Store recovery is a continual process but the majority of it should be done either just before closing or opening of the store. While part of store recovery can be started during store hours, retailers may find it easier to be done with the doors locked. This way the staff can safely complete their tasks without interfering with shoppers.
Make your store recovery go by quickly and efficiently with the following tips.
Checkout Area
This is the place where customers are most likely to receive their last impression of the store. It is also where the financial transactions take place and should always be kept neat and orderly.
* Refill bag areas at the checkouts.
* Any merchandise in the register area should be restocked to the correct location on the sales floor.
* Clean doors, glass cases, register stands and any other surfaces the customer may come in contact.
* Sweep and/or vacuum entryway, including mats.
Sales Floor
By straightening items in our selling area, we're not only giving our store a neat, full appearance, we're deterring theft. When a shoplifter opens a package and takes the merchandise, he/she generally discards the packaging in the first available empty space. Filling those spaces during our store recovery will add a few more seconds to the shoplifter's act and hopefully give the employee more time to catch the thief.
* Fill up empty spaces with overstock and back-stock.
* Straighten all merchandise on the sales floor. Bring all products to the front edge of the shelf or move peg hook items forward to maintain a full appearance. Use both hands as you move along straightening each item.
* Don't stop what you’re doing to return mis-shelved items. Collect the merchandise in a shopping basket or cart and return each item to its correct location as you move around the store.
* Collect any damaged or opened packaging, and other trash, that has been discarded.
* Check expiration dates on perishables and other consumable items.
* Check all signage and replace any missing tags, labels or signs.
* Dust the tops of racks, cases and other fixtures with a clean dust rag.
* Don’t forget to clean the base shelves and the bottom of fixtures.
* Sweep the aisles, vacuum carpet and mop the floor.
Stock Room
We all get busy taking care of business and may easily neglect this area of the retail store. As the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind”. The time to pay attention to the stock room is during store recovery.
* Clear work areas, empty trash cans and dispose of empty boxes.
* Work out any merchandise in the stock room to the correct location on the sales floor if possible.
* Organize hangers, pricing guns, tagging guns and all other store supplies.
* Keep emergency exits free of clutter.
Office
Because this location is usually out of sight from the customer, retailers may neglect this area as well. Plan a few minutes in the store recovery process to clean up the office.
* Secure deposits, petty cash and any other monies.
* File invoices, receipts, bills of lading along with all other paperwork for the day.
* Create computer backups, if necessary.
Other Areas for Recovery
Store recovery should also include cleaning areas such as restrooms, the break room and fitting rooms. There should be no merchandise any of these areas and each area should be spotless.
The time spent on store recovery will vary by the size of the retail store and the number of employees. Keep a checklist of the process handy to make sure each area has been completed. Consider assigning one person for each task and rotate assignments for better accountability. Remember, the more often store recovery is done, the less there is to do.
POWER FALURE
We all hope we're never faced with having to operate a retail store without electricity but acts of nature, mechanical problems and other emergency situations could result in power failure at your store.
So what do you do when the lights go out during store hours? Start by preparing a power loss procedure before it happens. Keep this plan in your store policy manual and be sure to communicate the plan with all store personnel. Having a solid plan in place can help ease the hassle of doing business without power.
Place flashlights under each checkout, in the office and one in the stockroom. Be sure to periodically check and/or replace the batteries. These flashlights can be used to provide security for the customers and staff.
In the event of a power failure, staff should immediately lock the front door and place a sign on the door explaining why the store is closed during regular business hours.
If there are any customers in the store when the power goes out, finish checking out the customer as quickly as possible. Cash registers and POS systems on a backup uninterrupted power supply (UPS) will have time to finish the transaction and properly shut the system down.
If your registers are not on a backup system and no longer operate without power, use a battery-powered calculator to total the sale, if possible. Many cash registers can be opened with a key for cash and check tendered sales. Keep good written records in order to add these transactions to the register later. Use the flashlights to escort customers out of the store.
Contact the utility company to report the power outage and to determine how long the power will be off. If the power will not be restored within 30 minutes to an hour, consider dismissing hourly employees and have them call, or return, at a specified time. Store management will need to handwrite the time off on time cards as most time clocks will be inoperable.
Retail stores that keep track of daily sales in a Beat Yesterday book, or other log for comparing sales history, should document the power failure and the length of time the store was closed.
Zoning, recovery, straightening--call it what you will--is simply the act of getting a retail store ready for customers. It is the combination of several processes to make the store look great, ease store operations and it should be done on a daily basis.
Store recovery is a continual process but the majority of it should be done either just before closing or opening of the store. While part of store recovery can be started during store hours, retailers may find it easier to be done with the doors locked. This way the staff can safely complete their tasks without interfering with shoppers.
Make your store recovery go by quickly and efficiently with the following tips.
Checkout Area
This is the place where customers are most likely to receive their last impression of the store. It is also where the financial transactions take place and should always be kept neat and orderly.
* Refill bag areas at the checkouts.
* Any merchandise in the register area should be restocked to the correct location on the sales floor.
* Clean doors, glass cases, register stands and any other surfaces the customer may come in contact.
* Sweep and/or vacuum entryway, including mats.
Sales Floor
By straightening items in our selling area, we're not only giving our store a neat, full appearance, we're deterring theft. When a shoplifter opens a package and takes the merchandise, he/she generally discards the packaging in the first available empty space. Filling those spaces during our store recovery will add a few more seconds to the shoplifter's act and hopefully give the employee more time to catch the thief.
* Fill up empty spaces with overstock and back-stock.
* Straighten all merchandise on the sales floor. Bring all products to the front edge of the shelf or move peg hook items forward to maintain a full appearance. Use both hands as you move along straightening each item.
* Don't stop what you’re doing to return mis-shelved items. Collect the merchandise in a shopping basket or cart and return each item to its correct location as you move around the store.
* Collect any damaged or opened packaging, and other trash, that has been discarded.
* Check expiration dates on perishables and other consumable items.
* Check all signage and replace any missing tags, labels or signs.
* Dust the tops of racks, cases and other fixtures with a clean dust rag.
* Don’t forget to clean the base shelves and the bottom of fixtures.
* Sweep the aisles, vacuum carpet and mop the floor.
Stock Room
We all get busy taking care of business and may easily neglect this area of the retail store. As the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind”. The time to pay attention to the stock room is during store recovery.
* Clear work areas, empty trash cans and dispose of empty boxes.
* Work out any merchandise in the stock room to the correct location on the sales floor if possible.
* Organize hangers, pricing guns, tagging guns and all other store supplies.
* Keep emergency exits free of clutter.
Office
Because this location is usually out of sight from the customer, retailers may neglect this area as well. Plan a few minutes in the store recovery process to clean up the office.
* Secure deposits, petty cash and any other monies.
* File invoices, receipts, bills of lading along with all other paperwork for the day.
* Create computer backups, if necessary.
Other Areas for Recovery
Store recovery should also include cleaning areas such as restrooms, the break room and fitting rooms. There should be no merchandise any of these areas and each area should be spotless.
The time spent on store recovery will vary by the size of the retail store and the number of employees. Keep a checklist of the process handy to make sure each area has been completed. Consider assigning one person for each task and rotate assignments for better accountability. Remember, the more often store recovery is done, the less there is to do.
POWER FALURE
We all hope we're never faced with having to operate a retail store without electricity but acts of nature, mechanical problems and other emergency situations could result in power failure at your store.
So what do you do when the lights go out during store hours? Start by preparing a power loss procedure before it happens. Keep this plan in your store policy manual and be sure to communicate the plan with all store personnel. Having a solid plan in place can help ease the hassle of doing business without power.
Place flashlights under each checkout, in the office and one in the stockroom. Be sure to periodically check and/or replace the batteries. These flashlights can be used to provide security for the customers and staff.
In the event of a power failure, staff should immediately lock the front door and place a sign on the door explaining why the store is closed during regular business hours.
If there are any customers in the store when the power goes out, finish checking out the customer as quickly as possible. Cash registers and POS systems on a backup uninterrupted power supply (UPS) will have time to finish the transaction and properly shut the system down.
If your registers are not on a backup system and no longer operate without power, use a battery-powered calculator to total the sale, if possible. Many cash registers can be opened with a key for cash and check tendered sales. Keep good written records in order to add these transactions to the register later. Use the flashlights to escort customers out of the store.
Contact the utility company to report the power outage and to determine how long the power will be off. If the power will not be restored within 30 minutes to an hour, consider dismissing hourly employees and have them call, or return, at a specified time. Store management will need to handwrite the time off on time cards as most time clocks will be inoperable.
Retail stores that keep track of daily sales in a Beat Yesterday book, or other log for comparing sales history, should document the power failure and the length of time the store was closed.
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