B

B

n. See B-ITEM, below.

B-Item

B-Item
Shelf Tag

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

1. Fill the SHELF, same as always, anytime you encounter a B-ITEM. The only difference is what you do with the leftovers...
2. 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.

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).

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.

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.