Archived How is Softlines holding up in your store?

[ClearanceMaster]

Our VA is always faked. My softlines TL think it's ok to ALWAYS set just the first two rows and the mannequins. Nothing in the back ever gets done and looks horrible. I understand, to get it done you work on what will be seen. But you have to spend a little time here and there fixing your junk in the back otherwise people see the junk and just pile everything there.

 

[squirrely]

Only six? Ive got five sections of the back wall double hung plus 7 high capacity racks. It is insane.. and 2 weeks out theres another 2000 firsts

I think we have 5 high capacities, 6 sections of the back wall, and then we put all the clearance swim on the back wall near the other swim... 3 rows, 5 or 6 sections. It's insane.

 

[sher]

Our VA is always faked. My softlines TL think it's ok to ALWAYS set just the first two rows and the mannequins. Nothing in the back ever gets done and looks horrible. I understand, to get it done you work on what will be seen. But you have to spend a little time here and there fixing your junk in the back otherwise people see the junk and just pile everything there.

Our jeans are never zoned properly. It looks like it when the new ones come, but eventually it's just "oh these are a similar color and the same brand... Just put them together"

 

[ClearanceMaster]

I think we have 5 high capacities, 6 sections of the back wall, and then we put all the clearance swim on the back wall near the other swim... 3 rows, 5 or 6 sections. It's insane.

I wish we could space out our swim. I have two sections of the wall quadruple hung and a convertible triple hung of swim. If I could get one or two more sections of the wall... (I might take down the sign and just do it.. whatever.. lol)

 

[redeye58]

But you have to spend a little time here and there fixing your junk in the back .....

Why did I just think of Kim Kardashian when I saw that?
Sorry......carry on.

 

[Ladylaura]

Softlines at our store is horrible , they hire people who don't do anything and always on there phone ... when it comes to reshop you see some of the tm taking 4 pieces of clothing and coming back for more which takes them to long to finish

 

[SrslySpot]

I still have nightmares about zoning the shoes at closing.

 

[squirrely]

Setting the adjacency in RTW today. They want 3 high capacities for clearance! HAHAHA!

 

[GlobalTL123]

You do know that this is the new company direction right. 2 front rows, mannequins, tables and back wall

Our VA is always faked. My softlines TL think it's ok to ALWAYS set just the first two rows and the mannequins. Nothing in the back ever gets done and looks horrible. I understand, to get it done you work on what will be seen. But you have to spend a little time here and there fixing your junk in the back otherwise people see the junk and just pile everything there.

 

[AmICrazy]

The August playbook states that these last weeks of August are the 4th quarter for softlines.

I can honestly say that I have been feeling it. My store has huge amounts of clearance and not enough high capacities. My zones and VAs are a mess. My store doesn't POG shoes, instead we got rid of labels and fit every shoe out on the salesfloor. It is a disaster to say the least, especially with all the clearance.

As the softlines TL I feel like hiding in the mountain of reshop.

How are you guys holding up?

LIKE CRAP!!!!! My ETL gets no payroll and thus our coverage is very light. My areas look awful and our DTL has given a red for brand on both of her last 2 visits.

 

[ClearanceMaster]

You do know that this is the new company direction right. 2 front rows, mannequins, tables and back wall

Yes I understand this is the new directive. But the thing is she doesn't even touch the back 2 rows to even merchandise it.. you cant just cram stuff back there it at least has to make sense. We have a rack with maxi skirts, tank tops, sweatshirts and leggings. We even have 2 different brands on the same side of a rack (not a mannequin rack) and everything from the first two rows that isn't on the adjacency just gets put on a z-rack instead of being merchandised into a rack that makes sense.

For instance. We mave a bunch of discontinued Moss. Black tanks Not on her adjacency. Instead of putting them on the freakin moss black tank rack she pushed them to the back. I in turn, pushed them back out and she had a fit and I told her to suck it because they were going clearance soon (and they did today).

 

[ClearanceMaster]

Setting the adjacency in RTW today. They want 3 high capacities for clearance! HAHAHA!

Haha. Yeah, maybe in a couple weeks when everything salvages. This week there was hardly any firsts so that was good.. give it time to sell..

 

[squirrely]

Yes I understand this is the new directive. But the thing is she doesn't even touch the back 2 rows to even merchandise it.. you cant just cram stuff back there it at least has to make sense. We have a rack with maxi skirts, tank tops, sweatshirts and leggings. We even have 2 different brands on the same side of a rack (not a mannequin rack) and everything from the first two rows that isn't on the adjacency just gets put on a z-rack instead of being merchandised into a rack that makes sense.

For instance. We mave a bunch of discontinued Moss. Black tanks Not on her adjacency. Instead of putting them on the freakin moss black tank rack she pushed them to the back. I in turn, pushed them back out and she had a fit and I told her to suck it because they were going clearance soon (and they did today).

Yeah, that's frustrating!! You have to be creative, but it still has to make sense. My adjacency wants Xhilaration on 6 racks and that's just not happening. So I have 8 racks, but they're still all together.

 

[sher]

Last week our hours all dropped so we're not keeping up as well as before. Everything is impossible to maintain. I get to work for my 4 or 5 hour shift and I don't even wanna do anything because I know it's not enough time to get a dope zone and I know there aren't enough people coming after me to maintain it.

Probably a case of greener grass because when everyone had fantastic hours, the store was actually kinda slow and I was soo bored lol.

 

[Penrose]

What's up with the VA's missing the ism picture? It's a lot easier to visually see what sign goes up where instead of searching for the barcode numbers!!!

I remember creating a thread about it... rather than looking at the UPC, DPCI or the location numbers or pogs, better if it is a column and row directions.... better logistics is needed..and it is really just better labeling.

 

[GlobalTL123]

There was communication that the va will no longer have ism pictures, just numbers.

I remember creating a thread about it... rather than looking at the UPC, DPCI or the location numbers or pogs, better if it is a column and row directions.... better logistics is needed..and it is really just better labeling.

 

[Penrose]

There was communication that the va will no longer have ism pictures, just numbers.

well, at least they should make the font size 2x larger.. With the current size, it's really hard to look. I sometimes wish my brain can INDEX and MATCH visually. LOL

 

[GlobalTL123]

well, at least they should make the font size 2x larger.. With the current size, it's really hard to look. I sometimes wish my brain can INDEX and MATCH visually. LOL

lol before we know it we will just be making up our own adjacencies

 

[Patty]

Why did I just think of Kim Kardashian when I saw that?
Sorry......carry on.

HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!

 

[RightArm]

Been awhile since I've been on here. Our softlines is holding up relatively well since our new TL came on board. She's all about keeping the fitting room cleared and the zones managed well. I don't know how she does it but she sure has a gift for managing the team and the workload. Hoping we never lose her. We've been through at least ten TLs in the nearly ten years I've been working here. Now IF only I could get shoes back up to standards. We haven't gotten to that point of pulling label strips and throwing them out anywhere but I know backroom wishes we would. I keep getting told by visits that our shoes look fine... could be I'm just a perfectionist and need to learn how to let go a little bit more. ><

 

[Patty]

Our Softlines TL is amazing too. She cleared out our fr so well she found my hidden lemonade
In spite of that, she really is a great leader

 

[RightArm]

Question - do any of you who have been through the mannequin remodel still have problems with HQ not remembering whether or not you're a mannequin store or not? We keep getting signing for both and have to check on all incoming signs to make sure we're actually supposed to put them up or not. I have a billboard for Mossimo Black that I can't figure out. -_-

 

[Inigma]

If I remember it has a girl with light blue jeans? I threw it out. I didn't have the time to go detective mode.

 

[RightArm]

If I remember it has a girl with light blue jeans? I threw it out. I didn't have the time to go detective mode.

I believe it was actually two girls on it... dated 8/09.... I think... and I suppose at this point it's tossable considering the date.

 

[SLRebel]

Softlines has been a mess lately in our store. Clearence everywhere! Shoes, RTW, intimates (maintain of panties) and Infants. Our STL has two people working through out the day and each has like 4 areas each. Sometimes two only while one person has RTW,Men, Infants, and active (to zone) they have one girl just in shoes the whole day. So you can tell why its a mess. Reshop keeps coming as you try to zone as fast as you can, but it takes away time. Then you still have to worry about your other areas. Guest first has been killing us lately as well. But yes clearence always on the ground everywhere.