We are going to be a one touch store. How is that working in other stores?
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I've seen customers walk out because they couldn't find what they were looking for. It's fine if you have an hour to search, plus 20-40 minutes to check out. And if you know where your specific items are for one visit. A week later, it might have moved. Hopefully only a little, but often more than that. It's a grasp for savings ,rather than a performance improvement initiative.
Sales associates will be responsible for unloading the pallets containing the freight, as the positions for backroom associate and backroom lead will be eliminated (this is for Sears, I'm not sure about Kmart. I think they already eliminated those positions in the Kmart format). Because of the loss of backroom, associates will be on rotation for MPU pickups. HI does ratchet repair in their downtime, ASM/zone supervisors will do RTV, and associates on MPU rotation (sales associates trained on MPU process) will do web orders, floor model assembly and pickups.
Basically there will be no backroom team, no back stock except for very large items (appliances, mowers, etc) and no emphasis on MSP. Sales associates, cashiers and MCAs (if you still have those) will be responsible for all merchandising from the truck bay to the floor, even consultative salespeople on commission.
My store is still in the process of converting to one touch. For the most part we’ve been jamming softlines to capacity. In the Tools, L&G, Sporting Goods departments we just put out all of the small merchandise and things that can be bulk stacked. Big ticket items such as appliances, treadmills, etc, we just keep the floor sample and the rest in the stockroom. We pretty much HFM everything since we only tractors, we dont hold inventory for them. There is no demad for tractors in our areas since its very urban.
What about the big stuff like appliances tractors,treadmill and such?
Kmart store here... It's horrible! You run out of overhead space quickly, and no one knows where the merchandise is. Paper towels in automotive, toilet paper in men's basics, pet food in electronics... It's horrible! We lost the 'heavy duty' shelving a few years ago due to the 'expanded pantry' test and finding space for the paper pallet is horrible!
Its a disaster! You have to completely empty out the stock rooms. You have repeated merchandise everywhere. There is so much moving involved because you have to re-work your floor to make room for all the merchandise. Meanwhile, as you empty out the stockroom you continue to get large trucks of more merchandise to put out. Say goodbye to planograms and the MSP, you can only use them as a guide. Everything must be out.