Don't break your back/arms/legs/fingers stocking milk. Just go at your own pace.
Make sure you don't trap yourself behind the pile of milk crates that you've just emptied.
Always rotate stock in dairy. That means when you stock, put the newest product at the back. Also, check the cheese and yogurt for expiration dates. While they try to pull the items that are close to expiring, some people miss them. Actually, the lazy ones shove them to the back and put the fresh ones at the front. That's how I found moldy cheese that expired months after the printed date. Yes, it was moldy.
When you stock the pillsbury stuff, try not to drop any of the tubes. They're prone to break easily on impact.
Ask how they want the dairy cooler organized. Ask what order they want the milk pallets to be brought in (most arrange the pallets in the same order as the shelves).
ALWAYS keep an empty brown cart in the cooler. Yes, that's hogging. But, only hog one cart. Unless there's plenty of carts in your backroom, then do whatever.
Quickest way to scan backstock is to scan 20-25 items at random. With all the different varieties of a single product, you'll be there for hours.
CONDENSE THE BOXES. It saves space. Also prevents idiots from leaving only one cup of yogurt inside a box for 12 of them. Then you find out about it when the box is crushed and the stack topples over.
Try to memorize what product goes on what shelf, especially when you're stocking the shelves that can be stocked from behind.
I'm sure there's a few other people out there who can give better tips.
If you have never put milk up before it can be a workout. So pace yourself and see where it goes. Depending on the size of your store you may have a large diary department and have multiple things to stock in the cooler such as creamers, dips/sour cream, half and half, etc. Over time you will get faster as you start to memorize where things "should" go.
Condensing is a GOOD thing. If you have empty crates from the milk take them out and put them where they can be wrapped and picked up. Try to put things where they go meaning the yogurt on the yogurt Dollie, juices on juice dolly and so fourth. If you have to put miscellaneous items (new,seasonal,extra) on a dolly try to put them one cart. If you have too many carts in there it will get CROWDED fast. Any empty boxes you find take them to the baler so they dont take up room.
Also in talking about space if you work product and back stock it can help free up space. At times it can get crowded in there with product that isnt worked so the more you can get out there on the shelves you will have space to work with.
Be aware of dates on most of the products. Once in goes past its date you may have to scan it out or get rid of it.
As far as using carts/dollies it matters whats available. Sometimes you wont have any trouble finding one others you may have to search and get a bit greedy
You "may" want to get some stocking gloves cause you will have stuff spill on your hands, get knicked, basically your hands can look like they have been through war. I found the gloves they gave me didnt work out so well...so the choice is yours.
Learn what products go where so later when you grab a dollie full of product you can go straight to putting it out.
Depending on the kind of business you get, bring a jacket, because it can get hectic to a point where you have to spend some time in the cooler to continuously stock milk. Especially when the half-gallons are on sale.
Dairy is the most easy going, and nearly stress free of the sub departments under Grocery. I regret leaving that department. Stick with it.
If you are on closing shift, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to condition (you have to condition the entire dept before close) and clean the cooler floor up.
Keep your rotation under control and keep your markdowns flowing to the manager's special bins.
Make sure you fill all the bunkers (neatly) and keep backstock at a minimum.
Stack the backstock carts neatly and efficiently. Never put partial cases or boxes of different heights at the bottom of a pile. They will fall.
If you are ordering (opening/mid-shift), go by the movement history so that you don't order too much. Working with too much backstock SUCKS. Ordering too little will create lots of holes. You have to find a happy medium.
Yogurt is tedious because you have to build a 'wall' with the single-serve Oikos, Chobani, Yoplait, and Kroger yogurts without knocking them over. It takes practice. If you're rotating, it's much easier to just dump them into some empty space and rebuild than to try to maneuver around them with your fingers.
Cut the base of the biscuits and juices to remove the plastic so you won't have to fight with them as you stock.
That's all I got for now.
-- Edited by Pizza1029 on Wednesday 7th of January 2015 01:21:25 PM
