Archived Clearance/Rainchecks/Salvage/Discontinued Products etc.

[Kismet]

Hello all, I'm a Hardlines TM and I've been working for Target almost 2 years but there's still things that I have yet to learn. Since I close most of the time, the ETLs or TLs are not always available to answer questions and when they do it's always rushed or they just do what needs to be done instead of explaining it or showing me how to do it.

Clearance - Why do some items go on clearance and not others? Is the store trying to get rid of those items to make room for new products or is it because they're seasonal? or because they're not selling?

Rain checks - I know when an item is on sale it will be indicated on the tag if a rain check can be obtained or not. Why can you get a rain check on some items and not others? and how do you process a rain check?

Salvage - I've heard several TM sometimes refer to an item as being "salvage", what's the difference between salvage and a charge back? The charge backs we usually send back to GS, where do you send the salvage and how does it get processed?

Discontinued Products - I spend most of my closing shifts in HBA, I've noticed that sometimes an aisle will get planoed and some products will disappear, then a guest will show up asking for that product and all I can answer is that "it's been discontinued", they want to know why and I have no answer for them. Then a few months later that aisle will get planoed again and the product will return. Why does this happen?

Gray dot - Sometimes a location will be empty and it will have a gray dot on the price label, but the particular product that goes there sometimes happens to be in the location next to it. So I will move it to the right location and remove the gray dot. Is there anything else that I should be doing to ensure the backroom doesn't pull the product thinking the location is empty? Also, sometimes a guest will ask me when it will be restocked again (if it's actually out of stock) and since I have no idea I tell them to check back in a couple of days. I had previously asked a TL about when items get restocked and he said that no one knows that only the ETLs get a list of things that will be restocked and when, someone else said that we get a truck in 3 times a week and that no one knows what's in the truck until it gets unloaded. I just want to be able to be able to give guests an answer that will satisfy them.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and excuse me if these questions have already been answered 🙂

 

[artforoxygen]

Rainchecks - some items won't be allowed to be rainchecked because it's a high demand product and/or such a % off that it eats into profit and/or seasonal. To make a raincheck, standalone research the item, zero the count, toggle to RF apps, hit 8 for specialized, 2 for raincheck, 1 for raincheck, scan the product, scan the raincheck(find out where they are kept), let the guest select a substitute item if they want, make the sign.

Grey dots - Fixing with the zone like you said is good. If a guest asks you about replenishment, go under Item Search, scan the product's location, hit the book in the right hand corner of the screen, hit Instocks, under there it will show if it's on the way to the DC or on the most recently closed truck to the store(which means 1-3 days for the guest)

 

[doxie71]

Salvage- From what I understand, salvage is something that we for whatever reason can't sell, but it could still be used so we donate it to a shelter in the area. I remember someone returned shoes they "only wore once" but the bottoms were clearly worn some. Not something we can sell in the store, but something that is still usable by someone. Therefore, salvage.

Clearance- Seasonal merchandise that is leftover always goes on clearance to make room for the next season. I think the only seasonal stuff that may not go on clearance is a lot of the BTS merch cause we do carry a lot of it all year long. Other stuff may just be items that aren't selling or have been discontinued.

 

[buliSBI]

Hello all, I'm a Hardlines TM and I've been working for Target almost 2 years but there's still things that I have yet to learn. Since I close most of the time, the ETLs or TLs are not always available to answer questions and when they do it's always rushed or they just do what needs to be done instead of explaining it or showing me how to do it.

Clearance - Why do some items go on clearance and not others? Is the store trying to get rid of those items to make room for new products or is it because they're seasonal? or because they're not selling?

Rain checks - I know when an item is on sale it will be indicated on the tag if a rain check can be obtained or not. Why can you get a rain check on some items and not others? and how do you process a rain check?

Salvage - I've heard several TM sometimes refer to an item as being "salvage", what's the difference between salvage and a charge back? The charge backs we usually send back to GS, where do you send the salvage and how does it get processed?

Discontinued Products - I spend most of my closing shifts in HBA, I've noticed that sometimes an aisle will get planoed and some products will disappear, then a guest will show up asking for that product and all I can answer is that "it's been discontinued", they want to know why and I have no answer for them. Then a few months later that aisle will get planoed again and the product will return. Why does this happen?

Gray dot - Sometimes a location will be empty and it will have a gray dot on the price label, but the particular product that goes there sometimes happens to be in the location next to it. So I will move it to the right location and remove the gray dot. Is there anything else that I should be doing to ensure the backroom doesn't pull the product thinking the location is empty? Also, sometimes a guest will ask me when it will be restocked again (if it's actually out of stock) and since I have no idea I tell them to check back in a couple of days. I had previously asked a TL about when items get restocked and he said that no one knows that only the ETLs get a list of things that will be restocked and when, someone else said that we get a truck in 3 times a week and that no one knows what's in the truck until it gets unloaded. I just want to be able to be able to give guests an answer that will satisfy them.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and excuse me if these questions have already been answered 🙂

Clearance: Correct. It can be for any number of reasons. Product isn't selling. Going to change packaging or a new line is replacing the old. Making room for new product. Product is discontinued. Department reset.

Rain Checks: They will only work for sale items that are not seasonal, limited quantity, or do not have the NO RAIN CHECK disclaimer in the ad. Best rule of thumb is that the item must say Sale (and have no rain check disclaimer) in the ad.

To add a raincheck, it must be a raincheckable item, and check for all floor and any backroom locations. If floor locations are empty, and no back room locations. you can tie a raincheck pad to the DPCI (you might need to 0 the count through Research). Be sure your HLTL trains you on this. You do not want to screw up Research.

Salvage: This usually means the packaging is either missing or roughed up, or missing a quantity of a set. A package of socks is missing one pair out of three. Displays that can be sold. It can also cover Online Only items being returned and resold through the store.

Chargeback Salvage are items that go back to the company to be refurbished or donated.

Discountinued: If an item comes up Discountinued on NOP or Item Location, it means its either being discountinued by the manufacturer or changing. Unless there is a communication, there is no way to now the specific reason. Its a corporate or manufacturer decision.

Gray Dots: I never messed with them. I wouldn't even move them. They are the research TMs reminder that the product has been scanned because it has no counts in its location.

For guests, no one knows what is going to be on a truck except for the DC. The only response you should give is to apologize that your store doesn't have the product in. But you get trucks on these days of the week. They can either call in to check the availability. Or check Target.com website, it does have an availability search option for some store items, but it is not a realtime estimate; its only updated once a day.

 

[mrknownothing]

I'll give this one a shot. I apologize if I'm repeating anything.

Clearance - Why do some items go on clearance and not others? Is the store trying to get rid of those items to make room for new products or is it because they're seasonal? or because they're not selling?

Items go on clearance when the store is no longer going to carry them. The reason for the clearance is to encourage guests to buy the items before they go salvage and drop out of the system. Usually, items that go clearance will be replaced with new product.

Rain checks - I know when an item is on sale it will be indicated on the tag if a rain check can be obtained or not. Why can you get a rain check on some items and not others? and how do you process a rain check?

Rain checks are only available for items with a sale price that are not considered high-demand. This does not include BOGO and free gift card offers, only sale prices. artforoxygen explained how to set up a rain check pad for an out-of-stock item, but if you're handling one when you're cashing, here are the steps. Scan the ticket. Hit K1 for Print Rain Check. Enter the quantity the guest plans to purchase, then hit Enter and the rain check will print out. The rain check will be good for 45 days and can be used at any Target store during that period. If the rain check pad is not tied to a valid "rain checkable" item, then nothing will happen when you scan the ticket. If a guest is using a rain check, scan it before you hit Total. It will automatically adjust the price of the item it applies to. I would add info about substitutions, but I'm not 100% certain of the process.

Salvage - I've heard several TM sometimes refer to an item as being "salvage", what's the difference between salvage and a charge back? The charge backs we usually send back to GS, where do you send the salvage and how does it get processed?

There are two types of salvage: defective salvage and missed salvage. Defective salvage is when an item is not considered sellable here in the store (minor damage, multi-piece set missing pieces, etc.) but is still usable to some degree. Missed salvage is when an item has gone through every markdown level while on clearance and still hasn't been sold. Both types of salvage are sent out of the store and distributed to closeout buyers. If you scan a missed salvage item in Item Search, the regular price shown will be the last clearance price and the sale price shown will be zero. Chargeback is just another name for defectives. If you ever find a missed salvage or defective item on the sales floor, give it to Guest Service so they can process it accordingly.

Discontinued Products - I spend most of my closing shifts in HBA, I've noticed that sometimes an aisle will get planoed and some products will disappear, then a guest will show up asking for that product and all I can answer is that "it's been discontinued", they want to know why and I have no answer for them. Then a few months later that aisle will get planoed again and the product will return. Why does this happen?

From time to time, items will drop off of planograms during resets and revisions and show up months later. It just happens. As to why it happens, those decisions are made at the corporate level by the folks who create the planograms (read: they've never set foot in a store). If you find a hardlines item that has no location on the sales floor but is still active (not discontinued), send it to the backroom so it can be backstocked. Hopefully it will show up on a future planogram or come out in a PTM batch if it becomes discontinued. If you find such an item that is discontinued, ask your TL or LOD whether it should be backstocked or flexed (varies by store).

Gray dot - Sometimes a location will be empty and it will have a gray dot on the price label, but the particular product that goes there sometimes happens to be in the location next to it. So I will move it to the right location and remove the gray dot. Is there anything else that I should be doing to ensure the backroom doesn't pull the product thinking the location is empty? Also, sometimes a guest will ask me when it will be restocked again (if it's actually out of stock) and since I have no idea I tell them to check back in a couple of days. I had previously asked a TL about when items get restocked and he said that no one knows that only the ETLs get a list of things that will be restocked and when, someone else said that we get a truck in 3 times a week and that no one knows what's in the truck until it gets unloaded. I just want to be able to be able to give guests an answer that will satisfy them.

You did the right thing. When you are stocking merchandise in a location with a gray dot, whether it's new product from a CAF or old product from re-shop, remove the dot. Also, if you see merchandise in a location with a gray dot, make sure it's supposed to be there (if it is, remove the dot). Your instocks team will appreciate it. As useful as the instocks screen in Item Search can be, it may not necessarily be 100% accurate due to logistical anomalies, so it may be better to tell the guest that the trucks come so-and-so often and you don't know what's on them until they arrive, and they should check back soon. Or offer to check another store in the area.