We went over this today in the board meeting as its being introduced after derby. Meat dept. head seems ok with it as it reduces meat cutting a bit and it should let him hit his morning ready-by times now. Of course it will also lead to meat dept. cutting hours due to less time needed for cutting/prepping (though it was pointed out those hours will be "shifted" to the processing company that does it, I forget their name).
I suspect the goal is to "eventually" (whenever that may be) do away with the Meat Market/Seafood service case all together and just have stockers for the department, much like Walmart. Have everything come in already cut, packaged and ready to go straight to the shelf. Until Kroger can pull that off, the company is going to try and bring in more and more meat that just gets tossed out onto the shelves and give Meat Market "less" stuff to cut.
So no more meat cutters..seems like the meat department is not a good department to be in now.
The Meat Market has some of the highest paid hourly associates in a Kroger store. I'm not saying that these associates don't deserve what they are making; cutting meat is a skill, after all, but it does make the department a target when the topic of cost-cutting measures comes up among the higher-ups, I imagine.
I wouldn't say they would eliminate all meat cutters, but I do think they will only have 1 shirt for meat cutters. (Someone working 9-5/10-6 would cover most meat cutting requirements). Service Meat cases I don't believe will be eliminated, Seafood I would say does 60+ or sales from it, Meat service counters I think could be cut down but not eliminated at higher volume stores.
Soon enough the Columbus Division will be getting in on this. The cutting for the Service case will be nothing more than open the bags and putting the precut items on the pans. Hours may be cut but the turn around and instock will be better. I see a to of happy and confused customers soon. Just wait for the add outs, short dates and quality problems..
I'm sure instock would be better, 18+ shelf life I would hope items would be instock. I'm guessing CAO will be ordering and eventually trucks will be cut. I have hope they at least leave the Meat Service counter with some freedom to cut.
Yeah, they won't get rid of meat cutters entirely. That's one of the core reasons people will shop at Kroger over Walmart, freshness of meat/seafood etc. As EUID stated, cutting it down to 1 a day is definitely a possibility, however.
It won't help anything in the end, because ELMS will take a hit. Less meat cutting means that they don't get those hours in ELMS. Which means less staffing, which will make it just as hard to hit those 9am set times. It's impossible anymore. Or am i just bitter? lol
I'm guessing they will keep the Service Counter to at least have the appearance, but if you think about the Meat Department already is 60%+ prepacked. Chicken, Pork, Ground Beef, Organic items.... I'm guessing most stores will go to 2-3 meat deliveries a week, similar to milk. I think its funny its going to come in unlabeled, they are doing everything else already.....might as well label too.
ELMS will be decreased, because production is being eliminated at store level, but 9am should still be easier. With it all being in the back already cut, night closer can open/label items at night. Its funny, call that expense in the Meat cutting tool.....
Your most likely bitter, but so is everyone else. Its hard to take pride and ownership of your department when rules are always being changed and hours/staffing always being lowered. Only things being introduced are to eliminate expense and "raise customer experience".....
-- Edited by EUID_Unknown on Tuesday 24th of April 2018 04:10:38 PM
-- Edited by EUID_Unknown on Tuesday 24th of April 2018 04:13:16 PM
The Louisville Division will implement Retail Ready Beef WK2P4
First wave will be cuts from ( Tips, Top Round, Eyes, Shoulders, Chucks) Choice Tbones and Choice Top Sirloin
Second wave will be W2P5 for Choice (Bone- in and Boneless) Ribeyes, and Strips
Our supplier will be JBS foods We currently get Cube Steaks, Stew Beef, Shanks, Stir-fry, Bottom Round Roast, from them
Retail Ready Beef takes 18 to 24 hours to cure once processed
We will be using the travel time to the KDC to cure Retail Ready Beef
The low oxygen bag will allow for 18 days of shelf-life inside the bag Once opened will use Day of Process plus 3-days
First shipments to stores will be May 7th
All case ready beef will be priced at store level
Butcher Shop case cutting remains the same
What will come of the glorious APP? The time and money spent implementing, upgrading,and maintaining it must of been in the millions easy. They then and turn around and discard it? What about the old saying A penny saved is a penny earned ?
They will be saving plenty of pennies on less cutter hours......APP might have been millions, but over 2600+ stores isn't really anything with the cost spread out.
The Louisville Division will implement Retail Ready Beef WK2P4
First wave will be cuts from ( Tips, Top Round, Eyes, Shoulders, Chucks) Choice Tbones and Choice Top Sirloin
Second wave will be W2P5 for Choice (Bone- in and Boneless) Ribeyes, and Strips
Our supplier will be JBS foods We currently get Cube Steaks, Stew Beef, Shanks, Stir-fry, Bottom Round Roast, from them
Retail Ready Beef takes 18 to 24 hours to cure once processed
We will be using the travel time to the KDC to cure Retail Ready Beef
The low oxygen bag will allow for 18 days of shelf-life inside the bag Once opened will use Day of Process plus 3-days
First shipments to stores will be May 7th
All case ready beef will be priced at store level
Butcher Shop case cutting remains the same
What will come of the glorious APP? The time and money spent implementing, upgrading,and maintaining it must of been in the millions easy. They then and turn around and discard it? What about the old saying A penny saved is a penny earned ?
the app was a tool for them to log information so they know what volume of meat to send to each store. All that money they invested in it is just the cost of getting that information, so they can eliminate the meat cutter positions and say "hey we need 4 tbones a week, 120 strips, and 230 chuckroasts".
