Grocery one for ones

[Fluttervale]

Food is getting clobbered right now with freight on both the fresh and dry fronts. The pandemic and Store pickup changed the business.

We are getting double the amount of freight as last year, but the hours don’t seem to reflect the business growth.

Glad to hear we aren't the only ones. My payroll is definitely at the same level it was a year ago (I keep track) and we're up nearly 50%.

 

[Tynumber5]

I'm one of the market DBOs at my store. I'm responsible for what used to be the GRC2 fill group (Bake, coffee, breakfast, cereal and candy). My 141s for the last week have been over 400 tasks total. Plus truck anywhere from 3hr workloads to 5hr workloads, just for those sections.

I'm getting told I have about 2.5 hours in the am to assess my area, pull 141s, and do price change and then I have to be on truck. If I'm lucky, I can pull about half those tasks but most of the time it's less than that.

The other market DBOs are in similar positions and we're all probably about 2 truck behind on push right now.

In terms of sales planners, revisions and transitions, there will be a Market DBO scheduled specifically for sets for 1 or 2 days at the beginning of the week and that person will set across all sections in market. Sometimes there's a plan, sometimes there's not. We didn't finish the sales planners on Monday and they still haven't been completed for this week.

 

[SleepyTM]

We have 3 DBOS for dry.
1 snack/candy: 3am .
1 grocery 2: 6am .
1 grocery 1 and 3: 4am or 2am
1 DBO for dairy:10am or 9am,
1 for frozen: 8am or 7am,
1 produce: 3am.
A few days a week we have 1 extra person that does deli, meat, milk.
We get all our 1F1s pulled before the store opens. Then focus on dry truck
Once dry is done and C&S arrives, majority of team focuses on it.
We normally set our endcaps as the product comes in on the truck. So once we have a heavy truck, i just go through our cases and write down any endcaps we have a lot of product for and we set it that day so we just push right to the endcap. Revisions i tend to do and occasionally have a TM help me workload isn't too heavy.

 

[MajorChomp]

I’ve heard some stores keep all dairy not back stocked and just push it out on metros everyday

I no longer work at target but when I was TL for Meat Dairy Frozen I remove most backstock for 90% of items which included coffee creamers, yogurts etc which are all on rolling carts. Specialty milks were still on a “back stock” shelf but it was relocated right next to the specialty milk section inside the cooler so it was literally super easy to restock (we had a rear loaded cooler so you had to be inside the cooler to load it). So for specialty milk it made sense since you were like less than a foot away from the actual section. Everything I kept on rolling carts and we stocked them multiple times a day. Morning DBO works it and closer in that area works it at end of night. I sometimes would work them as TL depending on need.

As far as 1:1s, honestly before I left I found them super easy, the catch is you need GREAT DATA INTEGRITY. Your counts need to be spot on. So auditing your Backroom often is key.

the only 1:1s that I remember that were a nightmare was dry grocery. I’ve overseen Meat dairy frozen, I used to be TL for Toys/sports/electronics all the 1:1s were easy to get done. Morning DBOs execute (pull and push) 1:1s before pushing truck. closers pull and push 1:1scagain at night

I got the team in a very productive rhythm and we were successful. Again the only issue was dry grocery was a nightmare, but I honestly think our ETL never had that section under control or could also be that it’s so heavily shopped it makes it a nightmare, who knows.

I still shop at that location and all the TMs complain that it’s not the same since I left lol. Apparently the new TL has no idea how to manage the area

 

[qmosqueen]

closers pull and push 1:1scagain at night

We had a closer about 1 1/2 years ago and a mid 3 days as week. now just 1 produce person 2 dairy and 1 frozen tm every day More work less tms doesn’t get the work done. No one after 4 pm.

 

[novsix]

Yes we still utilize our core 3-4 plano team members to knock out workload. We are taking double the trucks we took last year with the same amount of payroll, there is no way our DBO's can push a double truck, mancaf, pricing and workload in a 4.5-6 hr shift.

This is off mod. How do your visits go when they ask about this? We schedule our dbos to finish their own workload. TLs help set but that's about it We get 7 trucks, two doubles a week.

 

[StyleStar]

This is off mod. How do your visits go when they ask about this? We schedule our dbos to finish their own workload. TLs help set but that's about it We get 7 trucks, two doubles a week.

Our visits go great, we are always green for pog and price on time. If we were taking 7 trucks a week our DBO could absorb their workload as well(they do spls) but all revisions are abaorbed by plano.

 

[balthrop]

so a couple questions:

1. the autofils/1:1's etc need to be pulled every single day with out fail, yes?
2. is expecting 1 person to get 1k+ eaches in all grc batches pulled, pushed and backstocked in under 6 hours is a bit unreasonable?[1]
3. do attendance policies matter when several employees are allowed shall we say have a rather vague and amorphous relationship with such policies?

3 is not directly related to the topic but it does impact both 1 and 2 so that is why it is here.

[1] 6 hours scheduled is 5h15m of actual available to be on the floor

 

[NotQuiteKeanu]

We have 3 in Dry (one for candy/snacks, one for meal essentials, one for coffee/waters/adult bev). Myself and another TM in Open Market- but they are also in dry sometimes, we never work PFresh on the same days. One TM in freezer. One TM that bounces between dry/Food Ave/Mini Seasonal. And then our TL. I'm still new but I feel like we have....perhaps not enough people. idk. I struggle to get truck pushed AND 141s AND fill the milk AND keep meat full AND cull produce AND clear out the endcaps to set new salesplans AND find a spot for all that overflow product AND check dates and i don't know if it's a "me" problem or a scheduling problems.

 

[dabug]

so a couple questions:

1. the autofils/1:1's etc need to be pulled every single day with out fail, yes?
2. is expecting 1 person to get 1k+ eaches in all grc batches pulled, pushed and backstocked in under 6 hours is a bit unreasonable?[1]
3. do attendance policies matter when several employees are allowed shall we say have a rather vague and amorphous relationship with such policies?

3 is not directly related to the topic but it does impact both 1 and 2 so that is why it is here.

[1] 6 hours scheduled is 5h15m of actual available to be on the floor

Is it normal for your store to just flat out skip one for one pulls on some days? I could share my advice but I feel like it wouldn’t be of much use

 

[dabug]

We have 3 in Dry (one for candy/snacks, one for meal essentials, one for coffee/waters/adult bev). Myself and another TM in Open Market- but they are also in dry sometimes, we never work PFresh on the same days. One TM in freezer. One TM that bounces between dry/Food Ave/Mini Seasonal. And then our TL. I'm still new but I feel like we have....perhaps not enough people. idk. I struggle to get truck pushed AND 141s AND fill the milk AND keep meat full AND cull produce AND clear out the endcaps to set new salesplans AND find a spot for all that overflow product AND check dates and i don't know if it's a "me" problem or a scheduling problems.

So are you responsible at all for dry grocery or? Do you do dry grocery salesplanners? Your post is confusing. What exactly are you responsible for?

 

[NotQuiteKeanu]

So are you responsible at all for dry grocery or? Do you do dry grocery salesplanners? Your post is confusing. What exactly are you responsible for?

hi, sorry for the confusion. myself and one other TM are responsible for all of produce, dairy, bakery, fresh meat (low volume store, not a super target). 1-4-1s, pushing truck, setting sales plans, price changes, everything, which on paper doesn't sound like a lot.

 

[balthrop]

Is it normal for your store to just flat out skip one for one pulls on some days? I could share my advice but I feel like it wouldn’t be of much use

yes it is normal for some of the pulls to be skipped. and unless you can get the management team to stop under scheduling the market team, enforce the attendance policy and possibly yeah know maybe get people to do their fracking job there is nothing that can be done. this is solely a management issue well tbh a lack of management but you get the point.

or maybe get the people who do the backend of the MyDay app to stop screwing things up that'd be another bonus. now the MyDay app occasionally just doesn't backstock the thing it just said it backstocked???? That's going to be a great booster for the up coming inventory.

 

[dabug]

yes it is normal for some of the pulls to be skipped. and unless you can get the management team to stop under scheduling the market team, enforce the attendance policy and possibly yeah know maybe get people to do their fracking job there is nothing that can be done. this is solely a management issue well tbh a lack of management but you get the point.

or maybe get the people who do the backend of the MyDay app to stop screwing things up that'd be another bonus. now the MyDay app occasionally just doesn't backstock the thing it just said it backstocked???? That's going to be a great booster for the up coming inventory.

I guess I am lucky then. My management knows who works hard and who doesn’t, and as long as we all are giving it our best then they understand. They still strive for great results of course. But they have enough brain to see if your employees are giving enough effort and the gears are turning, they are appreciative. There is a maximum number of boxes a person can push an hour and they realize that. Do they still miss you with that BULLSHIT sometimes? Yeah. But I love em anyways

 

[dabug]

Also, be confrontational but respectful. Sometimes your etl will get on his high horse(not his fault, I bet his boss and his boss’s boss’s boss are on his ass like crazy) and start spitting that BS about getting a Uboat done and onto the next in 30 minutes tops or these CRAZY insane goals. I dubbed them “those target catchphrases” when I’m talking to my team lead. I work hard every second I’m clocked in and my team knows it. When my store’s leaders start spewing that BS, I confront them with a very literal tone and ask how. Not sarcastic or anything. I, as their subordinate, need to understand from them, my boss, how to get that task done in 30 minutes when it takes me 45 minutes and I’m sweating after. I make sure they know I am in no way trying to be smart with them or insubordinate. I never do that. But the point is I do not know how to do what they are asking me, and they cannot expect their employee to know how to complete the task as expected unless they show me how. They shut up after that.

Like I said, I know they have good intentions and it probably just comes down the ladder once a month to somehow pull double the work out of their employees’ asses, but I’m not going to be told to do the impossible, set up for failure, and be left looking bad. I hold no emotional connection to this company and will leave their asses high and dry. But while I’m here, like damn, let me build you some sexy ass endcaps dude

 

[CIHYFS]

Also, be confrontational but respectful. Sometimes your etl will get on his high horse(not his fault, I bet his boss and his boss’s boss’s boss are on his ass like crazy) and start spitting that BS about getting a Uboat done and onto the next in 30 minutes tops or these CRAZY insane goals. I dubbed them “those target catchphrases” when I’m talking to my team lead. I work hard every second I’m clocked in and my team knows it. When my store’s leaders start spewing that BS, I confront them with a very literal tone and ask how. Not sarcastic or anything. I, as their subordinate, need to understand from them, my boss, how to get that task done in 30 minutes when it takes me 45 minutes and I’m sweating after. I make sure they know I am in no way trying to be smart with them or insubordinate. I never do that. But the point is I do not know how to do what they are asking me, and they cannot expect their employee to know how to complete the task as expected unless they show me how. They shut up after that.

Like I said, I know they have good intentions and it probably just comes down the ladder once a month to somehow pull double the work out of their employees’ asses, but I’m not going to be told to do the impossible, set up for failure, and be left looking bad. I hold no emotional connection to this company and will leave their asses high and dry. But while I’m here, like damn, let me build you some sexy ass endcaps dude

You're lucky they shut up after you ask how. My ETL just tells me that I get paid to figure out how to pull off the impossible. I'm sure he has no ideas on how to do it but probably the SD is telling him it has to be done so his answer is to tell me it is my job to figure out. He also tells me that by asking how and not saying "yes sir" that I have a bad attitude...

 

[qmosqueen]

You're lucky they shut up after you ask how. My ETL just tells me that I get paid to figure out how to pull off the impossible. I'm sure he has no ideas on how to do it but probably the SD is telling him it has to be done so his answer is to tell me it is my job to figure out. He also tells me that by asking how and not saying "yes sir" that I have a bad attitude...

So take short cuts go audit things to get them to drop out of the 141s

 

[balthrop]

So take short cuts go audit things to get them to drop out of the 141s

burn baby burn those batches.
do the pull but leave the item in the waco, unlocated
straight up LOCU multiple locations
mySupport some wacked numbers to adjust the stores numbers

or integrity hotline the ETL for one of the unforgivables

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Through out the day and the closer spends 1 hour at the end of shift zoning

Our grocery has to zone the shelf they stock on and the shelf above and below as they stock the truck.

 

[qmosqueen]

Our grocery has to zone the shelf they stock on and the shelf above and below as they stock the truck.

Ain’t nobody got time for that

 

[balthrop]

Our grocery has to zone the shelf they stock on and the shelf above and below as they stock the truck.

next thing you want is for them to FIFO and toss outdated food.

 

[flow4areasonuno]

Yes we still utilize our core 3-4 plano team members to knock out workload. We are taking double the trucks we took last year with the same amount of payroll, there is no way our DBO's can push a double truck, mancaf, pricing and workload in a 4.5-6 hr shift.

At the end of the year they would give the Inbound people a few more hours, and they could push stuff. Now they rush them out the door...except OOPS, when they come in and HAVE to push stuff before they can even START the truck.

I keep saying this and I will keep on saying it, I have never been so glad to just be a cleaner. The rest of you guys get nothing but shit on

 

[Voiceless]

Our freezer is filled right to the door. We can’t even get in there to do 141’s. They aren’t done. 5 dairy pallets in the dairy cooler made 141’s hard to do, but we got them done, and got it down to 2 pallets before the next truck day. Not sure where the freezer pallets will be going though. There’s no room and no one to work on them.

 

[qmosqueen]

Our freezer is filled right to the door. We can’t even get in there to do 141’s. They aren’t done. 5 dairy pallets in the dairy cooler made 141’s hard to do, but we got them done, and got it down to 2 pallets before the next truck day. Not sure where the freezer pallets will be going though. There’s no room and no one to work on them.

Need to do audits change capacities to 2 for all freezer items. Little to no freezer will come in.

 

[WreckItEm]

I'm snacks. My sections have 65-72% fill rates for ofos. Well, the days I work in snacks. Zoning can take anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour depending on the close and/or if I worked the prior day. I use my day to scan my outs and my lows- this helps me see if it's in the back, coming in that day or soon, I change sales floor quantities as needed and look for other locations. Before I pull, i quickly check ofo batches while I'm on floor. If it wants 6 nacho chips and it's full I fix it then so it won't come up on my pull and I don't waste time backstocking. As I'm pulling ofos I audit backroom locations, fix wacos that have one too many dcpi and look for items that might have been backstocked with secondary locations. Pulling and pushing ofos is usually forty five minutes to two hours. As I'm pushing my ofos, I look for overstock, no bars laying flat on other bars, no overstocked nuts, dried fruit etc. I don't use backstock to backstock. I scan, check sfqs then hit backstock. Take a break. Push truck, pull ofos again after second uboat, more push, audit items to zero if needed, fix low spots and my third time pulling I usually use myday to change sfqs again before pulling.

I had a backroom that literally had five items . We had a winter storm and everything was bought. I made sure sfqs were correct. I ended up with a ton of backstock because endcaps were taken from me. We didn't have any product to fill them so whatever came in was designated endcap. Then a week before 3/7 endcap changes I get EVERYTHING that should have been on endcap that changed 3/7 because no one untied them. It pretty much happened to the whole department.

I don't think there is a rational reason for the amount of product I receive. I know AD items get sent if you have them or not, if you have a lot you'll probably get more of the same. I look for neglected endcaps/side caps and advocate to get my heavy stock on it. I once had 64 cases of stacy's pita chips, i was able to sweep 6 boxes twice but the rest that was all me.

My aisles have nothing above 6 feet and the only cases I ever backstock are AD items that aren't set yet.

I've seen some areas randomly have 150% fill rates for ofos, I'm trying to figure out how to make that happen daily.