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Business Readiness

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Retailing is about fulfilling customer expectations profitably. Customers choose to shop in a particular store because they know it consistently delivers a positive shopping experience. Business readiness strongly affects the customer’s perception of a store.

It is critical to be ready for business. Being ready for business includes staffing, product availability, pricing integrity, visual presentation, cleanliness and all the other components of a well-run store.

Business readiness is responsive to customer’s needs at different times of the day. For example it may not be necessary to have hot convenience foods ready at store opening, but customers do need produce, dairy and meat to be available at that time.

Business readiness may differ from store to store depending on such things as location and competition. However, minimum expectations must be met consistently from opening to closing:

  • Stores must be clean.
  • The right number of employees must be available to serve customers (See Labour Management Benchmarks for more information).
  • Basic “always in stock” items must be available.
  • The integrity of regular and advertised pricing must satisfy customers.

Sample Meat Department Business Readiness Guidelines

  • Opening
    • clean chrome and glass on meat cases each morning
    • prepare grinds first each morning
    • display grinds and fresh meats by opening each morning
  • Throughout the Day
    • Ensure that all signage is current
    • Ensure that all shelf tickets are in place and accurate
    • Replenish displays as required
    • Store excess fresh meats (cut, wrapped and priced) in the meat cooler
    • Do not stack fresh meats more than two high, unless traffic warrants a larger display
    • Keep all displays level and below the refrigeration line
  • Closing
    • Level off the fresh meat cases each night
    • Store roasts in the meat cooler overnight
    • Face the processed meat case
    • Face the frozen meat case

Daily Operating Disciplines

Daily operating disciplines are the activities that are performed each day in order to run a store or department. Daily operating disciplines form a predictable routine that gives three key benefits:

  1. Activities are not forgotten.
  2. Standards are consistently applied.
  3. Customers and employees know what to expect.

Some daily operating disciplines are tasks that need to be performed, but most are check points to monitor the department”s operation.

Sample Meat Department Daily Operating Disciplines Check List

  1. Display counters clean
  2. Re-wraps and culling properly controlled
  3. Packaging standards followed
  4. Labeling and nomenclature (product name) correct
  5. Cases ready for business
  6. Advertised items available and signed
  7. Cutting list (daily production sheet) followed
  8. Counter stock rotated by date
  9. Cutting standards followed
  10. Employee hygiene standards followed
  11. Sanitation policy and cleaning schedule followed
  12. Ground meats quality and handling procedures followed
  13. Cross-contamination procedures followed
  14. Temperature control and receiving practices followed
  15. Product variety, availability and seasonal selection followed
  16. Plan-o-grams followed
  17. Staff scheduled
  18. Information signs posted
  19. Meats prices reduced according to policy
  20. Meat order guidelines followed
  21. Invoices entered
  22. Price audit done

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