MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[band_rules16]

That's exactly my point. What you are describing is NOT leadership. Target's leadership model has always had cult-like elements, but with modernization it's gotten far worse.

I agree with this, but I feel my leaders at my current store just go with it. Yes, it sucks. Yes, it doesn't work with a skeleton crew. And so on. Usually, I think leadership just sighs and tries to keep it moving as best they can. Some aspects do work (like I completely agree with having hardlines TMs backstock what's left after a pull...that's more efficient), but some don't (like telling front end they're not allowed to work Bullseye, saver wall, or endcaps and then not having other TMs do it, so it sits for days).

My old store was WAY more cult-like with the leadership. It was an "us vs. them" mentality, and it really sucked when I had friends promoted, but couldn't really talk to them anymore, or even express my concerns when things weren't going well. My current store has been very good about hearing when things aren't working. Have we found solutions? No, but at least getting heard is better than constantly having to keep it to ourselves.

Half assing it trying to prove a point that it won’t work isn’t going to do anyone any favors. We need to change to survive and beat Amazon, if you think the old way is better go work at JC Penny or Kmart and tell me how it’s going.

Agreed, things are changing in the retail world. In my opinion, ship from store, drive up and order pickup (as much as they can be obnoxious) are steps in the right direction. I like being able to order something ahead of time and going to get it. But it has to be done right, and things need to be more clear to the guest (and the TMs) if something can't be fulfilled. Some bugs in the system, but hopefully it will get sorted out.

I also like to shop local as much as I can. My dad worked for a family retail business for almost 40 years until they closed down due to lack of business. While convenience is nice, I also like to support local business too. I don't even want to think about the day when mom and pop places are gone. Whenever I'm traveling, I look for the local coffee places and restaurants as much as I can.

 

[Jayrod1994]

so much negativity.. seems as though too many people here believe we are all being setup to fail which makes it hard to understand such logic considering if we do bad, the stores do bad.. if the stores do bad it’s setting them up to fail. We all have to trust and believe the process seeing as we are all here working anyway. Make the best of it, move forward and try to understand what YOU can do to improve the modernization process aside from worrying what is going on in the corporate minds.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

TM workload has drastically increased while TL workload has been cut to a purely supervisory role, it seems like.

That’s a recipe for disaster. Spot already has too many levels of management in purely supervisory roles, what they need is more hands to complete the workload. Hours are so low that there are days that there are only one or two TMs scheduled in a workcenter. Why on earth does Spot need a TL and an ETL to supervise two people but not help with the workload?

 

[PackAndCry]

Didn't Spot Canada fail because they tried to "blow up" old things that worked and "reinvent" them? 🤔

 

[busyzoningtoys]

That’s a recipe for disaster. Spot already has too many levels of management in purely supervisory roles, what they need is more hands to complete the workload. Hours are so low that there are days that there are only one or two TMs scheduled in a workcenter. Why on earth does Spot need a TL and an ETL to supervise two people but not help with the workload?

I have a team of 4-6 any given day. My ETL has 3 other TLs with their larger teams as well. So that’s 24-30 TMs we are helping to succeed. Or as you call it, ‘supervising’.

 

[unknown]

Didn't Spot Canada fail because they tried to "blow up" old things that worked and "reinvent" them? 🤔

Oh don't mention the huge failure of the Canada expansion. That's too negative. If only the team members would have bought in the system, it would have worked. LMAO. It failed because the upper echelon thinkers screwed up. But hey don't worry, they know what they are doing this time, right? Right? Oh, am I being negative by mentioning that HUGE failure? Too soon? Well, that is our reality. We are asked to blindly buy in this system that may fail. And it may fail for various reasons. Sure, it may fail because regular tms don't buy in. That's possible. It might also fail because it's a flawed system. Management might push it for years before they decide it's a failure. You think big corporations don't make mistakes. Hello? New Coke anyone? But that was back in the old days you say. Then don't learn from history.

I'm not saying the new way will fail. I'm saying that I'll give it a shot. But I wouldn't be surprised if does fail and things slowly move back.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Supervising, yes. That's pretty much the definition of the word. Target has so many needless levels of bureaucracy. We are a discount retailer. Literally just need to get product on the shelves and we'll make money.

We don't need U-boats to beat Amazon. Having a few more TMs on the floor in the morning isn't going to beat Amazon either. We could go back to the old process and have the truck completely pushed and Flow out the door before the store opens, and we'd be exactly where we are now when it comes to beating Amazon.

And using more payroll while doing it. The reason for all of this efficiency is to save payroll, boosting the value of every dollar of sales. It’s all about margins.

 

[GlobalTL123]

Modernization would work better if they would load the trucks differently IMO. After a wall of boxes collapses this is what we find. A f*ing shelf leaning against paper towels.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Okay, so why does softlines not have floor locations to help prevent INFs? Why do old sets not go clearance so they can be flexed out immediately instead of waiting two weeks? Why do you have to jump through hoops to get OTLs adusted? Or overstock sent back to the DC? Why is transition sent months ahead of time, mixed in with regular freight?

There are so many more ways they could be saving money. Screwing with a working logistics process and half implanting it in Q4 was not the best way to do it. Not by a long shot.

Updates to price change are coming/being piloted. Stuff will be going salvage the day the new stuff sets. I never said they timed it right or that the old way didn’t have its wins.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Those are easy fixes that would have been great for Q4. Completely revamping the logistics process during the busiest time of year was a complete joke, and should call into question the intelligence of the people in charge. That's without mentioning the rollout of MyWork 2.0, which, again.. busiest time of year. Why?

I completely agree.

I’m guessing their excuse is that full rollout and fixing of bugs and issues takes a year, so this way at least it can only mess up one Q4 instead of two

 

[redeye58]

Our hi-vol store was second-highest in the district, a training store for leaders & the one corp ALWAYS stopped in to see when they were in town.
Our logistics been trying to get on board since September & it has been a HUGE cluster.
Over the past several months we had a complete turnover of leadership & guess what?
They're STILL struggling.
The BR is overflowing with merch, TMs are almost running each other over trying to clear out u-boats & freight, EVERY team has been taken thru the process & it's STILL not working.

 

[BoxCutter]

I think the worst thing Spot did was roll out elements of Mod the last few weeks of Q3. This let all the bad aspects snowball during our busiest time of the year. What type of HQ leadership introduces such a cultural and paradigm shift during your bread and butter season? My store was a shit show during the holidays. However, as Mod is now being fully implemented, and I have been recruited into a specialty area, the store seems to be doing better. I know my area definitely is. I am feeling much better about certain aspects of the change than others, but, on the whole, I can now see Mod working if they address certain areas. It would have been better if the company had waited until the last few weeks of Q4 to start implementing Mod in its current state chain-wide. Too many TMs have been left with a bad taste in their mouths from this past holiday season that some may not be able to get rid of.

 

[CrimsonRaven712]

With all of the new rollouts has there been any word if receiving is changing? I've had people at my store ask me what is going on and I have no idea.

 

[unknown]

Our hi-vol store was second-highest in the district, a training store for leaders & the one corp ALWAYS stopped in to see when they were in town.
Our logistics been trying to get on board since September & it has been a HUGE cluster.
Over the past several months we had a complete turnover of leadership & guess what?
They're STILL struggling.
The BR is overflowing with merch, TMs are almost running each other over trying to clear out u-boats & freight, EVERY team has been taken thru the process & it's STILL not working.

I'm just waiting for all the people to post that your store is not doing it right or the TMS are buying in. As if they are there to see it failing and can diagnose the issue.

 

[Flow Trainer]

Maybe in all of the pages of this thread, I missed the answer to this question, but I will ask anyway. What happens to seasonal/mini seasonal in modernization? Surely one or two designated business owners can not reset all of back to school or Halloween or Christmas alone? How will these large sets be done and by whom?

 

[PackAndCry]

On a related note, good luck getting people to want to be responsible for (I refuse to use the word "own" unless I get a cut of the sales), say, seasonal/mini, toys, or furniture/decor when there's areas like sporting goods and stationary that are far easier. How exactly are these things doled out? 🤔

 

[busyzoningtoys]

On a related note, good luck getting people to want to be responsible for (I refuse to use the word "own" unless I get a cut of the sales), say, seasonal/mini, toys, or furniture/decor when there's areas like sporting goods and stationary that are far easier. How exactly are these things doled out? 🤔

Toys is huge. That means 40 hours a week for those TMs who are the dedicated business owners. I’m sure there are plenty on here who would take on that challenge for a stable 40 hour schedule. Make it known where the payroll will be going and the smart ones will follow.

Also, furniture and decor are easy. I took VM trained TMs and that’s their area. They already were familiar with pulling the discontinued for it and merchandising it, and doing the VMGs. The amount of freight for it is generally less than The rest of hardlines. Furniture is okay if you tweak the pog so it isn’t such a clusterfuck. Limit capacities and add shelves and safety arms and watch it fit together like Tetris. If only rugs were so easy lol. I don’t own furniture though, so it’s kinda fucked. A challenge for one of my peers that will be interesting to watch unfold when roles change and they have the same ETL as me (who won’t let it slide for long)

As for seasonal sets, or any big sets in general, the presentation workload is the same, and the payroll allocated for it is still the same, it is just used by the respective salesfloor team. Obviously you won’t have a stationary team big enough to do 120 hours of pogs on top of 50 hours of truck; there’s plenty of other TMs from other areas who would love the hours and since everyone knows how to do everything, it works out quite well.

 

[PackAndCry]

Yeah, furniture/decor won't be so easy when HQ "expects" a uboat to take 10min even though there's 4 trash bags worth of trash you have to take off the merch. 🤔 Plus, the guests are incredibly needy there for whatever reason. We aren't Home Depot, Karen. 🙄

A really terrifying thought: the communal label strip box. Ours is bad enough once electronics and the TLs have pawed through it. 😬

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Yeah, furniture/decor won't be so easy when HQ "expects" a uboat to take 10min even though there's 4 trash bags worth of trash you have to take off the merch. 🤔 Plus, the guests are incredibly needy there for whatever reason. We aren't Home Depot, Karen. 🙄

A really terrifying thought: the communal label strip box. Ours is bad enough once electronics and the TLs have pawed through it. 😬

You think that’s bad? Ours was in the TL office and the HRTM tripped over it and got mad and threw it away. On a Monday.

 

[jenna]

On a related note, good luck getting people to want to be responsible for (I refuse to use the word "own" unless I get a cut of the sales), say, seasonal/mini, toys, or furniture/decor when there's areas like sporting goods and stationary that are far easier. How exactly are these things doled out? 🤔

Stationary repacks suck. BTS repacks suck even more. Backstock for BTS and Stationary also suck. So much for easy.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Stationary repacks suck. BTS repacks suck even more. Backstock for BTS and Stationary also suck. So much for easy.

Sort is key for stat. Still sucks though, I don’t know how my stationary person is so damn good at it, she runs circles around me over there lol.

 

[PackAndCry]

Stationary repacks suck. BTS repacks suck even more. Backstock for BTS and Stationary also suck. So much for easy.

Don't you mean STAT/BUCK/softlines repacks? 😂 I just meant it's not one of the total nightmare areas. Our STAT girl uses a SFS cart to break the repacks out, so maybe that's why it's not quite as bad for us.

 

[unknown]

Toys is huge. That means 40 hours a week for those TMs who are the dedicated business owners. I’m sure there are plenty on here who would take on that challenge for a stable 40 hour schedule. Make it known where the payroll will be going and the smart ones will follow.

Also, furniture and decor are easy. I took VM trained TMs and that’s their area. They already were familiar with pulling the discontinued for it and merchandising it, and doing the VMGs. The amount of freight for it is generally less than The rest of hardlines. Furniture is okay if you tweak the pog so it isn’t such a clusterfuck. Limit capacities and add shelves and safety arms and watch it fit together like Tetris. If only rugs were so easy lol. I don’t own furniture though, so it’s kinda fucked. A challenge for one of my peers that will be interesting to watch unfold when roles change and they have the same ETL as me (who won’t let it slide for long)

As for seasonal sets, or any big sets in general, the presentation workload is the same, and the payroll allocated for it is still the same, it is just used by the respective salesfloor team. Obviously you won’t have a stationary team big enough to do 120 hours of pogs on top of 50 hours of truck; there’s plenty of other TMs from other areas who would love the hours and since everyone knows how to do everything, it works out quite well.

Since everyone knows how to to do everything? I can't laugh hard enough. I guess everyone at Target is a doctor now too?

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Since everyone knows how to to do everything? I can't laugh hard enough. I guess everyone at Target is a doctor now too?

When you get the whole store on the kool-aid, the new op model starts to make sense 😂

 

[PackAndCry]

Since everyone knows how to to do everything? I can't laugh hard enough. I guess everyone at Target is a doctor now too?

Hey now, when one person spends 4 hours doing a pog and 4 hours doing pricing, that uses a lot less payroll than having a pog TM spend 4 hours doing a pog and a pricing TM doing pricing for 4 hours. Gotta use that Target Math. 🤔