MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[PackAndCry]

Holy crap! What is your yearly sales? How many ETLs are you shedding?

Probably just the ETL-Logistics. My store is ULV and we only have two ETLs, ETL-SF/GE and ETL-Log.

 

[sigma7]

I’ve just got caught up on the thread and wow the corporate drones and shills populating this thread with double speak and Brave New World flag waving is amazing.

I did not think it was possible to drink that much Kool-Aid and still be functional so I applaud your conviction to a doomed cause. Because end to end has failed and a name change will not make this turd shine any better.

I used to be pretty active here on the forum (so I hope that counts for something), but I cut back posting once I got promoted to ETL. I’m not trying to sound like a fanboy when I post, but I’m telling you that modernization can work. You have to almost wipe your mindset of how we’ve ever done anything at Target. It’s all about team members owning their few aisles from the time Merch gets unloaded to the time a guest puts it in their cart.

My store is in a group that’s been unofficially implementing a lot of these operational changes over the past year. It was really tough at first. A lot of the stores in my district have TMs, TLs, and even a large chunk of ETLs who have been with the company for years (my first store had TLs and ETLs with 30+ years in). Changing the way we looked at things was the toughest part. And it also took us throwing mytime allocations out the window and really digging into the business and allocating our plan hours where we needed them. I’m telling you that this new pilot will never work on the schedules that myTime generates.

But once you get dedicated team members working each department of the sales floor, the results are impressive. Most everyone on my team that wants 30+ hours is getting them. The ones that want less are getting 15-25. They know what they have in stock, they know what’s been out of stock, they know when their new sets are coming up, they know their clearance levels, they can sell their Merch bc they work with it everyday, they can make smart merchandising decisions because they know what moves and they know their inventory...and one of the best things I can see from an HR standpoint is that they are proud of their department and their work each day.

In my group, there is not room on the team for team members or leaders who don’t want to adapt and don’t want to evolve. Stores modernization is the future and can be successful, but it is a radical shift from the way we’ve always done things. And the expectations and level of execution are through the roof. The new target is intense, but rewarding.

 

[nerdbear]

Holy crap! What is your yearly sales? How many ETLs are you shedding?

Low stores are less than $27m/year. That is what we are and we only have Store Director, GM Leader and HR leader.

 

[Yetive]

Did you add leads?

Probably just the ETL-Logistics. My store is ULV and we only have two ETLs, ETL-SF/GE and ETL-Log.

Same here, but it looks like they are adding leads by this chart.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I used to be pretty active here on the forum (so I hope that counts for something), but I cut back posting once I got promoted to ETL. I’m not trying to sound like a fanboy when I post, but I’m telling you that modernization can work. You have to almost wipe your mindset of how we’ve ever done anything at Target. It’s all about team members owning their few aisles from the time Merch gets unloaded to the time a guest puts it in their cart.

My store is in a group that’s been unofficially implementing a lot of these operational changes over the past year. It was really tough at first. A lot of the stores in my district have TMs, TLs, and even a large chunk of ETLs who have been with the company for years (my first store had TLs and ETLs with 30+ years in). Changing the way we looked at things was the toughest part. And it also took us throwing mytime allocations out the window and really digging into the business and allocating our plan hours where we needed them. I’m telling you that this new pilot will never work on the schedules that myTime generates.

But once you get dedicated team members working each department of the sales floor, the results are impressive. Most everyone on my team that wants 30+ hours is getting them. The ones that want less are getting 15-25. They know what they have in stock, they know what’s been out of stock, they know when their new sets are coming up, they know their clearance levels, they can sell their Merch bc they work with it everyday, they can make smart merchandising decisions because they know what moves and they know their inventory...and one of the best things I can see from an HR standpoint is that they are proud of their department and their work each day.

In my group, there is not room on the team for team members or leaders who don’t want to adapt and don’t want to evolve. Stores modernization is the future and can be successful, but it is a radical shift from the way we’ve always done things. And the expectations and level of execution are through the roof. The new target is intense, but rewarding.

This coming from an ETL. In the past year, my position has been demoted to entry level, while seeing others (Who have to deal with way less), get promoted titles, and better pay, yet these same people called on me constantly for help.

I have worked for Target for 6 years as a Perishables Assistant and Signing TM, what has my hard work"rewarded" me for, after the Group team recognition/District recognition?. Nothing

I don't get a bonus.

 

[Bosch]

I want to know if Target thinks it can last another 5.10,15 years making stupid changes like this.
End 2 end was a pretty spectacular failure. In my store electronics, beauty, and market were all e2e as of this past week when I left. And the brla was terrible in those 3 departments. One week the market team had 333 errors. The rest of the backroom had 6.
Eliminating the backroom might be the dumbest thing I've heard well it was until I heard about getting rid of price/plano.
There are some team members that are a lot better at logistics than they are at guest service.
This seems like a restaurant getting rid of dishwashers because everyone should wash their own dishes after use. That would fail in about 8 seconds flat

Nope it won't last.

and to Sigma7 it could work but all stores are not run by people who will actually put the time and support into it. And right now even the minor changes that are happening are straight up killing my store since no one cares to support anyone else. Actually no fucking cares about anything except keeping themselves looking good no matter how they screw other teams.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Headcounts have posted and this is my favorite so far. One leader.

You are in a reaaaallllly low volume store!! I have one just like it nearby.

 

[RhettB]

I think we can survive without plano. Instead of setting 8 housewares/toys/storage/domestics.... salesplanners, you set 32' of inline. All have backer paper, fixtures, and so on. The team is not as critical as they are being made out.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

This coming from an ETL. In the past year, my position has been demoted to entry level, while seeing others (Who have to deal with way less), get promoted titles, and better pay, yet these same people called on me constantly for help.

I have worked for Target for 6 years as a Perishables Assistant and Signing TM, what has my hard work"rewarded" me for, after the Group team recognition/District recognition?. Nothing

I don't get a bonus.

What??? Perishable assistant is not an ETL.

 

[sigma7]

This coming from an ETL. In the past year, my position has been demoted to entry level, while seeing others (Who have to deal with way less), get promoted titles, and better pay, yet these same people called on me constantly for help.

I have worked for Target for 6 years as a Perishables Assistant and Signing TM, what has my hard work"rewarded" me for, after the Group team recognition/District recognition?. Nothing

I don't get a bonus.

I get it. I was a TM when we had start rate increases and I got no benefit after being told Target was going to take care of us. I also work 50 hours/wk at a minimum and usually closer to 60. I get no OT, so yeah a bonus is nice, but I made more in OT as a TL. I haven’t gotten pay increases when TM pay has increased. A large percent of my team has benefited from these raises. I’ve actually doled out $2 pay raises as an ETL-HR and had those TMs still not think they’re getting a fair raise ($2 at 40 hours is roughly 4K/yr which is what these people would’ve been getting...meanwhile my last raise wasn’t anywhere close to 4K).

Yeah...new TMs will be starting $15 in 2020, which might be at the same pay rate as someone who’s been there for 15 years. Do I think it’s right? No. But do I think all our current team members should make more than the base rate if they’re not willing to do the extra work? Also no. I think the way we do base pay increases leaves something to be desired, but no one is taking pay from anyone unless they are demoting.

There are too many leaders who aren’t holding their teams accountable and managing poor performers. What chaps my hide is terrible team members making the new base and not being far behind TMs who’ve earned their merit raises. I have very mixed feelings about start rate increases, but honestly it’s just part of the game and it has been for at least the 10 years I’ve worked for Target. So it’s honestly something that I had to get over a long time ago.

Jobs I had before target didn’t even do merit raises...so you got what you got. End of story. So at least Target employees can expect some sort of annual raise. And I hope it’s not earth shattering for me to say that in my 10 years with Target, the substantial pay increases have always come with promotions, not from annual merit raises. Ain’t nobody shouting hallelujah for a 23 cent raise. And I’ve gotten those wonderful 17 cent raises in the past too.

All I’m saying is that these changes can make a store run really smoothly and increase sales. Again, my team is getting the hours they want/need and the morale is better. We’re increasing sales and guest survey scores and the team is happier about what they do. And as the pay increases the expectations increase too. We parted ways with some long term TMs and leads because they didn’t want to adapt. But we all as a store had to realize that if we wanted to stay working that we had to adapt, and those unwilling to adapt couldn’t be the reason we weren’t going to be successful with rollouts. It’s not an easy road, but it’s worth it.

Sorry for the novel.

 

[sigma7]

Can anyone imagine a store that doesn’t use shopping carts for TMs or breakout repacks (other than softlines and combos) being successful? That’s my group. We don’t use shopping carts. The team hated it at first, but it’s so much better now. It drives me crazy to see stray carts or cardboard carts or freight carts just sitting around stores now.

 

[jenna]

But once you get dedicated team members working each department of the sales floor, the results are impressive. Most everyone on my team that wants 30+ hours is getting them. The ones that want less are getting 15-25. They know what they have in stock, they know what’s been out of stock, they know when their new sets are coming up, they know their clearance levels, they can sell their Merch bc they work with it everyday, they can make smart merchandising decisions because they know what moves and they know their inventory...and one of the best things I can see from an HR standpoint is that they are proud of their department and their work each day.

And this sounds like how it used to be back when there were plenty of actual team leads on the sales floor. Each one doing their own Research, and setting their own endcaps. The Good TL's ran their areas well, and were aware of the needs of the business and the guests.

I remember a TL of company space. Wasn't my area, but I do remember when TL's only had like 1-2 areas of the store. Toys. Sporting Goods and Luggage. HBA. each had their own TL.

 

[sigma7]

Nope it won't last.

and to Sigma7 it could work but all stores are not run by people who will actually put the time and support into it. And right now even the minor changes that are happening are straight up killing my store since no one cares to support anyone else. Actually no fucking cares about anything except keeping themselves looking good no matter how they screw other teams.

That will be the death of some stores. Leaders and teams have to work together and support each other to be successful.

 

[sigma7]

And this sounds like how it used to be back when there were plenty of actual team leads on the sales floor. Each one doing their own Research, and setting their own endcaps. The Good TL's ran their areas well, and were aware of the needs of the business and the guests.

I remember a TL of company space. Wasn't my area, but I do remember when TL's only had like 1-2 areas of the store. Toys. Sporting Goods and Luggage. HBA. each had their own TL.

Honestly, we’re looking at team members to have the level of investment TLs had 10 years ago. But we’re also paying them more than we were paying TLs 10 years ago.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I get it. I was a TM when we had start rate increases and I got no benefit after being told Target was going to take care of us. I also work 50 hours/wk at a minimum and usually closer to 60. I get no OT, so yeah a bonus is nice, but I made more in OT as a TL. I haven’t gotten pay increases when TM pay has increased. A large percent of my team has benefited from these raises. I’ve actually doled out $2 pay raises as an ETL-HR and had those TMs still not think they’re getting a fair raise ($2 at 40 hours is roughly 4K/yr which is what these people would’ve been getting...meanwhile my last raise wasn’t anywhere close to 4K).

Yeah...new TMs will be starting $15 in 2020, which might be at the same pay rate as someone who’s been there for 15 years. Do I think it’s right? No. But do I think all our current team members should make more than the base rate if they’re not willing to do the extra work? Also no. I think the way we do base pay increases leaves something to be desired, but no one is taking pay from anyone unless they are demoting.

There are too many leaders who aren’t holding their teams accountable and managing poor performers. What chaps my hide is terrible team members making the new base and not being far behind TMs who’ve earned their merit raises. I have very mixed feelings about start rate increases, but honestly it’s just part of the game and it has been for at least the 10 years I’ve worked for Target. So it’s honestly something that I had to get over a long time ago.

Jobs I had before target didn’t even do merit raises...so you got what you got. End of story. So at least Target employees can expect some sort of annual raise. And I hope it’s not earth shattering for me to say that in my 10 years with Target, the substantial pay increases have always come with promotions, not from annual merit raises. Ain’t nobody shouting hallelujah for a 23 cent raise. And I’ve gotten those wonder 17 cent raises in the past too.

All I’m saying is that these changes can make a store run really smoothly and increase sales. Again, my team is getting the hours they want/need and the morale is better. We’re increasing sales and guest survey scores and the team is happier about what they do. And as the pay increases the expectations increase too. We parted ways with some long term TMs and leads because they didn’t want to adapt. But we all as a store had to realize that if we wanted to stay working that we had to adapt, and those unwilling to adapt couldn’t be the reason we weren’t going to be successful with rollouts. It’s not an easy road, but it’s worth it.

Sorry for the novel.

Right now, as a Signing TM, I am setting POGs, Clearing SFS, before the SFS team actually arrives (By Myself), Helping Backstock the truck.......... and Literally doing ALL POG signing myself (including Displays, and all of this in one day), because we have always worked two weeks ahead, while for the past 8 months, I have received my Signing/Fixture Pallets, only a week prior, so guess who that falls on?

What pisses me off, is that Target is going to eliminate my position, and then probably have my Leaders forced to ask me to keep it up, while I am thrown back into some other random work center, that I also NOW find myself having other responsibilities.

You may work 70 hours, but you are not forced to do 70 hours of work, in 40. And then chastised when it isn't completed. (Or even given recognition, when you do).

Ontop of this, they will spread the responsibilities, and create clusterfuck of inefficiency.

 

[sigma7]

Right now, as a Signing TM, I am setting POGs, Clearing SFS, before the SFS team actually arrives (By Myself), Helping Backstock the truck.......... and Literally doing ALL POG signing myself (including Displays), because we have always worked two weeks ahead, while for the past 8 months, I have received my Signing/Fixture Pallets, only a week prior, so guess who that falls on?

What pisses me off, is that Target is going to eliminate my position, and then probably have my Leaders forced to ask me to keep in up, while I am thrown back into some other random work center, that I also NOW find myself having other responsibilities.

I think signing actually needs to stay as it’s own position, especially for CSE, overheads, operational signing, seasonal shipper builds, ad prep, etc. But a signing TM should never be setting pog signing or front of store stanchion stuff etc for other team members. My pog teams have always set their own pog signing.

Sounds like you do a hell of a lot phish and are probably under appreciated. But you are also the type of TM who would thrive in a fully modernized store. You would definitely be an asset to any store.

 

[Switch23]

Oh boy my district is a pilot I can't wait

 

[Mrlogistics]

I have a very similar experience to sigma7. Once a team member, then years later an ETL, so I understand the day to day of a team member and team leader. I am also in that group who has been doing this for over a year now. It really is similar to the TL position when I started. Except with the stocking of the truck added onto it. The most difficult part is finding the amount of great team members needed for this system. It can work, but just takes time to hire and train great new team members and to retrain or performance out the old team members. It’s the little things that will take the most time. A large portion of our store still doesn’t really understand research and pricing workload is usually way behind because no one has time for it will all of the stocking, setting end caps, helping guests, etc.

 

[Formina Sage]

Expert, you say? I used to work for Asplundh Tree Experts back in the late 70's.

been there, done that, still have a couple orange tee shirts

I always say it in my head as ass-plunder

 

[Rock Lobster]

More title tidbits from my store. Most TL in my store had received their new titles and roles today. One such change for example, I work in a Super Target. Before the change, the food side had the following TL:

Market TL #1 - Dry Grocery
Market TL #2 - Paper/Chem/pet
Product TL
Deli TL
Bakery TL
Meat TL
Dairy/Frozen TL
Starbucks TL

After the change its just:
Food and Beverage Lead #1-6 (All the individual TL before are now responsible for each others departments. Everyone gets a LOD like rotation)
Food Service Lead - Separate from everyone

So, just to be clear on how the food org chart is working... All of food minus service (Food Ave/Starbucks) are in charge of food side as a whole without a distinction between them? You appear to be a larger ST from the amount of TLs, so I am curious how far down they go with some of us that run with 5 TLs total on that side instead of 8 like you do.

 

[myDevice]

Do your deliveries come on a busy day of the week or something? Ours arrives in the middle of the day on Tuesdays, and the receiver pushes it up to Starbucks. The TM works on it in between guests. Freezer items from the food truck get put on a tub in the freezer in the backroom, and they go get it whenever they have time.

Yeah. We are a ULV store, but we have the only starbucks within 80-90 miles of the store. To say the TM's are busy is an understatement. 9 times out of 10, they have guests right up until closing time, and the STL wants them to continue serving the guests who were already in line before they close. For lack of a better term, its a giant shit show.

 

[Bosch]

Honestly, we’re looking at team members to have the level of investment TLs had 10 years ago. But we’re also paying them more than we were paying TLs 10 years ago.

Exactly but only giving them half the hours.. I haven't had a full shift since Christmas eve.. I am sorry but you want me to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, give me the time to finish the work you want done.. 15hrs does not and will not ever get you 40hrs of work done.

 

[Leonhart621]

Promoted as a Flow TL, losing my team in a year.

That’s good to know.

85% of my team are the hardest working TMs in my store. They get 16 hours per week.

4 fucking hours per day.

It’s a damn joke when I compare their hours to other TMs in the store. When I make that schedule, I’m wondering how the slowest TMs in other workcenters get 30+ hours.

This is why I avoided becoming a TL, so I don’t have to see everything. Sickens me I have to rely on other teams to help us finish our trucks because I can’t get shit done with my team.

 

[sigma7]

Exactly but only giving them half the hours.. I haven't had a full shift since Christmas eve.. I am sorry but you want me to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, give me the time to finish the work you want done.. 15hrs does not and will not ever get you 40hrs of work done.

Yeah read my posts and you will see that to be successful we had to completely reallocate hours. We no longer have a pog team (they still all come back together to assist with big sets). But we literally rewrite workcenter schedules from top to bottom with hours redistributed for each workcenter by me (HR) and my STL based off sales mix, workload, group standards, brand minimums, past learnings, upcoming events and holidays, etc. I’m not asking anyone to do 40 hours of work in 15. I’m asking TMs to deliver results in their department while they’re there...and I’ve already said that a majority of my team is getting 30+ if they want it.

Promoted as a Flow TL, losing my team in a year.

That’s good to know.

85% of my team are the hardest working TMs in my store. They get 16 hours per week.

4 fucking hours per day.

It’s a damn joke when I compare their hours to other TMs in the store. When I make that schedule, I’m wondering how the slowest TMs in other workcenters get 30+ hours.

This is why I avoided becoming a TL, so I don’t have to see everything. Sickens me I have to rely on other teams to help us finish our trucks because I can’t get shit done with my team.

We absorbed all of flow into sales floor except for the actual unload. They’re now the morning sales floor team. So they still are the ones stocking truck, but they’re expected to get their zone done, outs shot/pulled/worked, then push truck freight, backstock, investigate remaining outs, and zone throughout their shift. Most TMs scheduled for 6-8 hours most days. Non truck days have less coverage, but same idea. Stores modernization entails a different operating model than the one that all our current best practices you can find for reference.

 

[Flow Warrior]

Promoted as a Flow TL, losing my team in a year.

That’s good to know.

85% of my team are the hardest working TMs in my store. They get 16 hours per week.

4 fucking hours per day.

It’s a damn joke when I compare their hours to other TMs in the store. When I make that schedule, I’m wondering how the slowest TMs in other workcenters get 30+ hours.

This is why I avoided becoming a TL, so I don’t have to see everything. Sickens me I have to rely on other teams to help us finish our trucks because I can’t get shit done with my team.

Having worked in flow and still work with them on occasion (apparently I will oversee Driveup now in april. Oh joy! ) I know two things. Fast doesn't equal hard. Focused and effective get the job done.

Yes flow gets crap hours. We are literally to the point that the people who are flow are either crosstrained and stay or use us as a second job that works as a gym that pays you. Those are the ones that bother me.

So talk and see how many of your hardest working can get crosstrained to get 2 more hours a day.