Back-Stock

Back-Stock

n., v. See OVERSTOCK.

Barricade

Barricade, Window

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

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.

Block

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.

Bottle Dump

Bottle Dump

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

Box

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

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.

Brand

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 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.

Broom

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.