Stock Clerk / Glossary :

B-Item

n. An ITEM that's slated to soon be DISCONTINUED. You can easily recognize them because PRICE CONTROL overwrites their SHELF TAGS with a bold letter “B”. See also SHELF TAG NOTATIONS.

NOTE: Notice the “B” gets written over the SHELF TAG'S BAR CODE. That reminds the person holding the GUN, “Don't re-order any B-Items!” After all, it wouldn't make sense to ORDER more of something you're about to get rid of.

HOW TO: Handle B-ITEMS

Fill the SHELF, same as always, anytime you encounter a B-ITEM. The only difference is what you do with the leftovers...
Any left?
1. Put a large “B” on the CASE with your MARKER, and circle it to draw attention to the CASE NOTATION.
2. Drop it off in RECEIVING on the designated SHELF in the RACK back by the GATE. If there's not enough space, leave it on the floor nearby.

The ultimate fate of a B-Item is typically either the DISCONTINUED ITEMS RACK, where CUSTOMERS may pick up a bargain, or the RECOVERY PALLET.

B1G1

adj. See BOGO.

Back

adj. See BE, BOTTOM.

Backdrop

Backdrop,
on Aisle End-Cap …

Backdrop

n. A raised, shallow, and slightly tilted shelving area behind and above a FAST-WALL, EVZ or END-CAP DISPLAY were additional amounts of the ON-SALE PRODUCT are STACKED as a curtain to create an eye-catching background for a SIGN. Also, SHADOW BOX.

NOTE: Lightweight ITEMS, like cereal BOXES may be STACKED for the full height of the Backdrop. Heavy ITEMS like the cans in the photo at right, are often STACKED on a series of special, narrow metal SHELVES that may be inserted into the slots between the slats of the Backdrop surface.

Back End

adj. See BE. Contrast FE, FRONT END.

Back Room

Back Room,
Under the Mezz

Back Room

n. A DEPARTMENT'S storage, preparation and staging area that is off-limits to the public. However, by agreement with the RECEIVER or DEPARTMENT MANAGER certain VENDORS may also be granted relatively free access.

Back-set Offset Row

Back-Set Offset Row
(right) More, Neater

Back-set Offset Row

n. An arrangement for like cans, bottles or other round ITEMS in a HOLE that allows a greater than usual number GO while still maintaining a straight FACE and good BLOCK. See also JAM, MAKE IT GO, PACKING THEORY.

NOTE: Whenever jars or cans slightly overhang the lip, or there's a gap between the BLOCK at the FACE and the rest of the STOCK on the SHELF, or if there's a significant fractional can or jar's worth of wasted space right up at the front, you may have an opportunity to get slightly—sometimes significantly—more PRODUCT up. Just shift a row of PRODUCT three or more rows back from the FRONT sideways, left or right, so that it's “hills” fit into the “valleys” of the row behind it, similar to the way the teeth of two gears mesh. Repeat the offset process as often as necessary to make the first three rows sit flush with the front edge of the SHELF, alternating left and right, and moving backwards towards the back of the HOLE. This compresses the distance between the centers of jars or cans in the offset rows, making a tighter “lattice” and thus more will GO to the SHELF. Candidates? Premium canned soups or tomato PRODUCTS, jars of spaghetti sauce, those little jars of baby food, etc.

TIP: Best Face Forward. Any time you place Back-set Offset Rows, the foremost Offset Row should ideally be at least three or more rows behind the SHELF FACE, so that it's less obtrusive (see where the arrow's pointing to the three highlighted circles in middle of the rightmost illustration pane, above).

Back-Stock

n., v. See OVERSTOCK.

Back-Topple

n. A nuisance or annoying condition akin to the domino effect, necessitating the removal of one or more ITEMS or CASES in order to set upright something that has been inadvertently pushed or toppled over towards the rear of a DISPLAY. Specifically, an unfortunate tendency of 2-liter soda bottles being slid into BOTTLE-RACES, and of TRAY-CUT CASES of cans that are being slid onto a STACK, where underlying cans in the back of the lower layer can be inadvertently displaced.

Badge

n. Your official NAME TAG, issued by the STORE upon hiring.

NOTE: If you're a MANAGER or FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, your Badge is gold metalized plastic and your name is engraved. MANAGERS get pocket-protector-style Badges, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES' have pin-backs. If you're PART-TIME, like me, it's white PLASTIC and your name is applied as a piece of printed labeling TAPE.

Besides the individual EMPLOYEE'S name, Badges show the STORE'S logo and motto. At least for PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, it's customary for your EMPLOYEE NUMBER to be written on the back, so you don't forget it.

Whenever you're working, you have to wear your Badge. It's part of your UNIFORM. If you lose it or forget it, see the FRONT-END MANAGER for a replacement or temporary substitute. Expect a scolding (I speak from experience) if it happens more than once.

Badge Number

n. A 6-digit number on the back side of the badge or name tag you're given upon being hired. The first 3 digits are the STORE NUMBER, and the last 3 are your EMPLOYEE NUMBER.

NOTE: At the TIME CLOCK you CLOCK IN/OUT and PUNCH for all breaks and meals, etc. using the entire 6-digit Badge Number.

Bale

Bale …

Bale

n. A great quantity of CARDBOARD that has been compressed into a large and heavy brick about the size of a side-by-side washer dryer set, and which is held together by multiple stands of iron BALE WIRE: “It's time to tie a bale.” See also, MAKE A BALE.

NOTE: When the GATE is open, BALES go onto the TRUCK. Otherwise, they're “parked” short-end forward in front of the GATE, to await arrival of the KEY.

Remember: successive BALES should always go onto the TRUCK on alternate sides, to help balance the trailer. And likewise don't forget: along with their supporting PALLETS, Bales should always be recorded on the SHEET kept at the RECEIVER'S desk.

Baler

n. A large power-driven compactor into which waste CARDBOARD is put and periodically compressed to MAKE A BALE.

Bale Wire

Bale Wire
in Tray …

Bale Wire

n. Long, thin, yet strong iron wire strands with a loop on one end, used to help MAKE A BALE.

Banana Box

n. A heavy-duty, standard-sized BOX or carton with air holes and a tight-fitting lid that's used for shipping bananas.

NOTE: And once empty of bananas, also used for many other purposes, such as BOXING UP ITEMS too large for MILK CRATES, or by the RECEIVER during RECOVERY.

Banana Cart

n. A decorative, vertically-oriented, wheeled CART with sling-style canvas shelves that cradle bananas, as well as other ITEMS such as banana-related gadgets or Vanilla Wafer cookies on an ordinary bottom SHELF.

NOTE: Despite its location near the TOP of the breakfast cereal aisle, the Banana Cart is kept stocked by the PRODUCE DEPARTMENT. It's a P.O.S., or Point-Of-Sale strategy: many people like bananas with their cereal, so why not make it convenient and provide what they want where they want it?

Bar Code

Bar Code,
Product Label

Bar Code,
Shelf Tag, same Item

Bar Code

n. A SCANNER-readable numeric code composed of closely-spaced thick and thin vertical bars, as on a PRODUCT LABEL or SHELF TAG.

NOTE: PRODUCT LABEL and SHELF TAG Bar Codes are not the same! Compare the two photos at right, which show PRODUCT LABEL and SHELF TAG Bar Codes for the same ITEM—in this case, a 15.5‑ounce can of garbanzo beans.

The Bar Code on the PRODUCT LABEL (upper photo) is the UPC, or Universal Product Code. Its human-legible value of 6‑88267‑02799‑4 is the same in both photos. However, on the SHELF TAG (lower photo) the Bar Code is different. That's because it's a STORE CODE that includes a STOCK NUMBER for that particular ITEM—here, 023037—that the GROCERY MANAGER or NIGHT CREW CHIEF may SCAN with the GUN when ORDERING.

Barricade

Barricade, Window

BARRICADE of cosmetics AISLE deters thieves overnight.

Barricade, Aisle

Barricade, Checkout

Barricade

n. A gate or other obstruction generally imposed as a SECURITY measure to control access to a particular area, and specifically intended to deter THEFT. —v. To put such obstructions into place.

NOTE: Various Barricades are routinely put into place overnight, when fewer people are in the STORE. For instance, unused CHECKOUT REGISTER lanes have the usual “Closed” chain augmented by the addition of an empty SHOPPING CART, to discourage any who might consider ducking under and running out. In similar fashion, a number of CARTS nested together guide incoming and outgoing traffic through the area that's staffed. High-risk areas such as the cosmetics AISLE have their own movable, accordion-style gates that are put into position during the overnight hours.

Base-Cut

v. To make a very shallow cut around three sides of a plastic-wrapped CASE containing a CARDBOARD TRAY, in order to allow the outer covering to be peeled back out of the way and eventually removed. —n. Any such cut. See also BOX CUTTER, H-CUT, LIFT-CUT, PEEK-CUT, SHARK-CUT, STACK-CUT, TAPE-CUT, TOP-CUT, TRAY-CUT, WINDOW-CUT, X-CUT.

NOTE: Candidates? Plastic-covered tray CASES containing jars of spaghetti sauce, jars of baby food, cans of cat or dog food, and so on.

Ordinarily, you first would make an H-CUT, extract a single can or jar out the top of the still-intact case, and only make a Base-Cut once you're fairly sure the entire CASE will GO.

However, when THROWING LOAD, except for SPECIALS (easily identified as multiple CASES of the same ITEM), the presumption is it will all GO, so you'd often employ the Base-Cut's many-at-once variation: a STACK-CUT.

Basket

Baskets 1

Basket

n. 1. A small, hand-held SHOPPING BASKET. 2. Occasionally, may also mean a regular, full-sized SHOPPING CART, with wheels, and/or the cargo space it contains.

Basket Trick

n. A technique for effectively creating a small SHOPPING BASKET on wheels by setting a regular hand-held SHOPPING BASKET down sideways into the front of a large wheeled SHOPPING CART so that it rests on the three rims at the front of the CART. “Look, Ma! No arm strain!” See also BOTTLE TRICK.

Bay

n. The area under or within a large floor-to-ceiling storage RACK, between its supporting pillars.

BE

adj. “Back End.” A notation used by the GROCERY MANAGER and others on written instructions to indicate where something GOES or may be found relative to a given AISLE, designated by number. For example, “Kill pasta BE-3,” means “SHELF OUT and then BACK-STOCK any remainder of the pasta DISPLAYED (e.g., on a END-CAP, 3-WAY, WING BASE, or SHIPPER—it should be obvious once you look) at or near the Back End of AISLE 3.” Also BACK, BOTTOM. Versus FE, FRONT, TOP.

NOTE: May be written with or without dashes or spaces, as, “BE-#”, “BE #” or “BE#”—all are equivalent.

Belt Clip

n. A small device affixed to a belt which is used to hold and keep a BOX CUTTER readily available when not in immediate use. See also HOLSTER. Contrast HUNT.

“Best EVER... !”

adj. Something that is really, really G-O-O-D, good! Contrast “WORST EVER... !”.

NOTE: Feel free to nominate your own contributions to this “Best EVER...” list:

...Time to Shop. Saturdays, between 10 P.M. and Midnight is ideal. Why? No, it's not just because the STORE'S not very crowded at that time. That's true more or less every night of the week. Oh, no. There's a much better reason: it's because during those two hours on Saturday nights the SPECIALS—sales and promotions—from both the past week and the week ahead are valid at the same time. So, with careful attention to the ads in the weekly CIRCULARS (the SHELF TAGS may have already been changed over), you can save more money by taking advantage of two weeks' SALE ITEMS at once!

Bill of Lading

n. A WAYBILL. The official document detailing the contents of the TRUCK.

Black RACK

Black Rack

Black RACK

n. Low, wide wire racks with two back-tilted shelves that are typically used to DISPLAY modest quantities of PRODUCT in front of FAST-WALL or EVZ DISPLAYS. See also TIE-IN SHELF.

NOTE: The best way to move a Black Rack is to JACK it up on a PALLET. Second choice is to hoist it—empty, of course—cross-wise onto the front of a SHOPPING CART.

BLACK RACK Clip

n. A special variant of a SHELF CLIP that has a curved hook that slips snuggly over the rod running along the front edge of the shelves on a BLACK RACK, and is used to hold 3-UPs. See SHELF CLIP.

Blade

Blades1

Blade

n. 1. A small replaceable, disposable sharp-edged and pointed piece of metal that goes into a BOX CUTTER for the purpose of making CUTS. Also called “utility knife blade.” Blades are trapezoidal, with the base providing two sharp points and a long cutting edge that may be reversed when one end becomes dull. 2. Square, single-edge razor Blades as are used in the push-up style BOX CUTTERS that are frowned upon because they are very unsafe and have an unfortunate tendency to create STORE DAMAGE.

NOTE: The approved, trapezoidal Blades come in two lengths. The longer style is necessary to prevent jamming caused by twisting the Blade in older, longer CUTTERS such as the classic S3. Newer CUTTERS, such as the S4 and later models suffer from no such problems, and can use the shorter (less expensive) Blades.

TIP: Blacken Blades. Before loading new Blades into the handle of your BOX CUTTER, take your MARKER and blacken one end of each Blade on both sides, and put a dot on both sides of the other, unpainted tip. Then, when you load a new Blade, use the silver end with the dot first. Later, after you've forgotten whether the other end of that Blade is sharp or not, look at its back end. Black means sharp and unused. Silver means toss out the whole Blade and get a new one from the cache in your handle. No thinking required!

Block

v. 1. To make PRODUCT on DISPLAY or on the SHELF more visually appealing by pulling several ranks forward to the front edge. 2. To do so for whole AISLES, or the entire STORE. Typically done by NIGHT CREW after they've finished THROWING LOAD. “OK—It's time to start blocking.” Contrast WALL‑BLOCK.

NOTE: There's one good reason to enjoy Blocking: you don't have to HUNT for the PRODUCT or it's HOLE! Thus, with a little practice, you can do it fairly quickly. Everything you need is right there in front of you!

When Blocking the top levels of DISPLAYS on END-CAPS, the FAST-WALL or the EVZ, you may choose to either bring a full rank forward by reaching to its back and pulling everything towards you, or, to lift an ITEM or two from the back rows and place them into the gaps at the front. The determining factor is which way is both faster and neater.

TIP: Block Into Your Hand. Ideally you want Block using both hands at once. However, sometimes it's best to put up one hand as a backstop on the front edge of the SHELF or DISPLAY, and bring PRODUCT forward with the other until you feel it touch. Candidates? Glass jars, or things that are prone to topple forward, like tall, top-heavy or skinny boxes.

Blue Juice

n. A trigger spray bottle of blue-colored window-cleaner-style solution, used in various ways for light-duty cleaning. See also CLEAN-UP. Compare RED JUICE, SPITFIRE®.

Board

n. Short for CARDBOARD.

BOGO

BOGO
Shelf Tag Flag

BOGO
Item Sticker …

BOGO

adj. “Buy One, Get One (Free),” meaning a sale where you get two of the same ITEM for the REGULAR PRICE of one. Also B1G1.

NOTE: BOGO items are not half price. If you only buy one, you still pay full price.

BOGO ITEM SHELF TAGS are flagged with the distinctive “FREE” decorator you see in the photo, upper right. Individual ITEMS themselves may or may not have small BOGO stickers, as in the photo, lower right. Note the PERFORATIONS. Only the top part of the sticker has adhesive, allowing the bottom, printed portion of the sticker to be torn off once the SALE is over if the ITEM goes unsold.

TRUE STORY: It's embarrassing, but I've done it. I once picked up only one unit of a BOGO item that was on sale two-for-one. At first I didn't think I needed that much, so why take two? Checkout proceeded normally. After all, it's not against the rules to bypass an opportunity. Halfway home a little light in my head sputtered back on. “D'oh!” I said, as I smacked my forehead and drove back. I took my receipt to the CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK where the nice lady behind the counter smiled and then gave me permission to go and pick up the second unit that I'd actually already paid for.

Bonus Card

n. A plastic card or key chain tag used by CUSTOMERS to obtain on-sale discounts at the CHECKOUT REGISTERS, and which also provides the STORE with information on their shopping habits. See also STORE CARD.

Bonus Points

n. CUSTOMER loyalty program points that are accrued by using a BONUS CARD.

Bottle Dump

n. 1. A See BOTTLE RUN, below. 2. The recycling dumpsters outside the rear of the STORE where bottles are dumped.

Bottle-Race

n. A device on SHELVES in the soda AISLE having an inclined plane with anti-friction grooves on its surface and a series of parallel coated wire guides perpendicular to the SHELF FACE and separated by the width of a 2-liter soda bottle, used for holding same, and which employs a gravity feed to coax bottles flush forward to the SHELF FACE in good BLOCK. Compare CAN-RACE, SPRING-TRAY. See also BACK-TOPPLE.

Bottle Run

n. The task of taking rolling bins and/or barrels of redeemed deposit bottles and flattened cans from temporary storage at their drop point at the CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK to recycling dumpsters outside the rear of the STORE. Usually done by CART BOYS.

Bottle Trick

n. A method for conveniently carrying, e.g., soda bottle six-packs on the edges of a SHOPPING CART by straddling the edge of the BASKET so half of the bottles hang down inside the CART, and half hang down outside the CART, thus saving lots of room in the CART, and also preventing any ITEMS from getting squished by the heavy bottles of pop. See also BASKET TRICK.

Bottom

adj. The end of an AISLE farthest from the checkout registers: “It's at the bottom of aisle 13.” Also, BACK or BE; versus FE, FRONT. or TOP.

Box

n. 1. A CARDBOARD CASE. 2. The CARDBOARD packaging of a single ITEM. —v. To put into Boxes. See BOX UP.

Box Cutter

Box Cutter2

BOX CUTTERS: left-handed is red, right-handed, green.

Left- (top) and
Right-Handed
Box Cutters1

Box Cutter1

Box Cutter

n. 1. A special utility knife for STOCK CLERKS that's a required and indispensable tool for opening BOXES or other packaging. The standard-issue version comes in both right-handed models, and has a preset stop at the appropriate depth for opening many CARDBOARD CASES without (usually—be careful!) damaging the contents. A compartment in the handle can hold extra BLADES, which are sharp, double-ended trapezoids. 2. A non-standard, all-metal “push-up” style device that uses regular, rectangular single-edge razor blades. These are against STORE policy, as they are less safe and by improper use are also far more likely to create accidental STORE DAMAGE. See also BASE-CUT, H-CUT, LIFT-CUT, PEEK-CUT, SHARK-CUT, STACK-CUT, TAPE-CUT, TOP-CUT, TRAY-CUT, WINDOW-CUT, X-CUT.

Box Up

v. To put loose quantities of PRODUCT (e.g., such as previously put into SHOPPING CARTS or left on RUNNERS after KILLING a DISPLAY) into MILK CRATES, BANANA BOXES, or other containers, usually as a preamble to putting it into BACK-STOCK.

Brand

n. 1. An identification between a product or service, its manufacturer or provider, and an associated perception or value in the mind of the CUSTOMER: “I'm sorry, Ma'am. We don't happen to carry that brand.” 2. A logo, trademark of other means of promoting such an identification or association. See also STORE BRAND.

NOTE: Branding, and the building up of what's called Brand equity is a multi-billion dollar industry, involving marketing, advertising, PRODUCT placement, positioning, and so on.

For example, when you think of a facial tissue, you probably think “Kleenex®”, and when you think photocopier, you probably think “Xerox®.” Those are Brands.

TRUE STORY: Kleenex® and Xerox®, among others, are in fact such powerful national brands that the companies that own them pay big bucks to put ads in Writer's Digest and similar magazines to plead with writers not to use their Brand names as generic words. If a Brand name ever becomes generic, anyone can use the word, and the owner looses both a huge marketing advantage and a huge financial investment. For example, did you know that “zipper” was once a Brand name owned by B.F. Goodrich? Not anymore!

For more information on lost Brand names and trademarks, see, e.g.,

^{^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks}}

Break

n. 15 minutes of time off to rest and relax. Two Breaks allowed per 8-hour SHIFT: “I'm going on break.”

NOTE: NIGHT CREW typically takes their Break all together at the same time, whenever the CREW CHIEF calls it on the PA.

DAY CREW generally take Breaks individually, to allow one another to COVER incoming calls, cashier PAGES for PRICE CHECKS, CUSTOMER questions, etc.

Break Down

Break Down2

Break Down

v. 1. To flatten, as CARDBOARD BOXES: “Break it down so more fits in your (shopping cart) basket.” 2. To take the nightly LOAD as off-loaded from the TRUCK on PALLETS and redistribute it by CASES onto appropriate RUNNERS for the NIGHT CREW to THROW onto SHELVES by AISLE. Usually performed by NIGHT CREW FOREMAN or CREW CHIEF before NIGHT CREW arrives. —n. The task of Breaking Down LOAD: “Who's doing break-down?”

NOTE: To break your BOXES down or not, that is the question. It takes time to do, but gives you more working space on your RUNNER and may save time because you can stuff flattened BOARD vertically between the high handle on one end of your RUNNER and some as yet un-WORKED CASES or CASES of MARKED OVERSTOCK and thus make fewer trips to the BALER.

However, if you have a RUNNER with a lot of LOAD to THROW, take along a SHOPPING CART, break down your BOARD, and toss it into the CART. It'll help keep you from going crazy. Same plan generally goes for Dairy/Frozen work, which is farther from the CRUSHER, has small CASES, and high TURNOVER.

If your WORKING SPECIALS RUNNERS, it's a judgment call. You'll seldom need a SHOPPING CART. If you do need room, you can usually just break down the BOARD and stuff it filing cabinet-wise between a heavy BOX and the handle on the end of your RUNNER.

However, if space is not an issue, you often won't need to. Just set the whole BOX aside and later toss it in whole, open-side-down, and let the CRUSHER do it's thing.

Break Room

n. Where the TIME CLOCK is, and where EMPLOYEE LOCKERS and coat racks are located, along with tables, vending machines and entrances to the EMPLOYEE rest rooms.

Broom

n. 1. A push broom. I.e., a long, angled-handle, wide-swath cleaning implement with bristles. 2. A regular broom. That is, a straight, medium-handled cleaning implement with bristles, which, by implication, is usually paired with a long-handled DUSTPAN. See CLEAN-UP.

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