MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[Llamanatee]

well of course they can but they lack the system to do so or the willing less to make it. they are too busy splitting apart the move app they stuck autofills onto and taking sfs out of it which it was designed for so we have 1 more app to stuck "my" infront of. Have you seen myperformace? that thing is coded horribly, and greenfield looks like its going to be a hodgepodge of a system.

I’ve seen my performance. I use to look at my stats before they moved stuff around, gave limited access, and back when I actually cared.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Growing sales, huh? I've got a crazy idea that will grow sales an order of magnitude better than dumb ass gocards and CIHYFA. Let's take a look at two YUGE issues that most impact sales negatively:

1) product out of stock on the shelves because it is buried somewhere in a pallet from a rolled truck due to no payroll
2) long lines at the checkout because there are no cashiers scheduled due to no payroll

Basically corporate's focus on TMs growing sales is a kludge because they aren't willing to increase payroll (doing so would knock a few cents off TGT valuation). It's a way to cover up their own shortfalls by putting the burden on store teams who are constantly understaffed and have no hours. Guest comes in looking for a specific item that Target.com shows is in stock, but the shelf is empty. The item is in the store sure enough, but lo and behold it shows as 0 on floor, 0 in back, 12 on hand. It's buried somewhere on a pallet in the backroom and nobody can find it because the ETLs sent flow home right after the unload since payroll was tight. The sale is lost and the guest leaves empty handed. Really adds an extra dash of irony to CIHYFA, no?

cihyfs was found to put most guests in an awkward situation during the study HQ paid for. You aren't supposed to use that term anymore. I cannot figure out how there are stores out there that don't communicate a damn thing to their teams. You are supposed to strike up conversation with guests nearby as you are stocking. Teach them how the item they are looking at can benefit them, don't tell them what features the item has. (Not, that lotion comes with spf 50....spf 50 in that lotion will prevent your skin from getting cancer better than the spf 15.)

When you ask cihyfs the guest more times than not will say no and walk away...because you are giving the guest complete 100% focus and that makes them feel uncomfortable. Then they will walk away from you and ask someone else while they're doing something that isn't staring them down.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

No I won't.

Then honestly this job isn't for you and you possibly don't deserve the $12 an hour if you're not willing to do the basic fundamentals of the job.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Target could have massive sales increases if they were willingly to do what it takes- pay commission on sales.😂😂😂😂😂😂

 

[BoxCutter]

When you ask cihyfs the guest more times than not will say no and walk away...because you are giving the guest complete 100% focus and that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Soooo, we, as TMs, are to give guests our complete focus, but not make them feel like they are...?

 

[Black Sheep 214]

In the link that was posted:
That's almost triple your 1,000 estimate. If surveys and polls can't be trusted, where is Target getting their information? Where are you getting your information? Both Forbes and Reuters reference the study by the HRC in articles as well.

Again, when I walk down the aisle, the majority of people don't even make eye contact with me. That's not a subtle cue, that's a blatantly obvious signal that they do not want to have a conversation with me. They don't even acknowledge my existence.

People are moving away from personal social interaction. You can find dozens of studies online about that. They prefer their online interactions to personal, face-to-face ones. It's why Facebook took off, and why it's still popular. It's why Twitter is a thing, and Instagram. It's why malls are dying and people are ordering items online more and more -- why do you think Amazon is such a behemoth? Because people don't have to get dressed, drive to the store, and get harassed by other people. They can just order what they want in their underwear.

Most people do not want to be bothered. They don't want someone coming up to them and attempting to sell them something. And yes, Target is a discount retailer. Why do you think we have sale signs on almost everything in the store? Or why we advertise products being "priced right daily"? Because we're a discount retailer. We're on the same list as Aldi, Kmart, and Wal-Mart, for crying out loud.

This. 100%!

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

See, but pretty much every plano TM helps guests, just not in the same way that a hardliner does. We may not circle around the floor harassing guests to buy more stuff, but I'm fairly sure that every plano TM ever helps guests who are trying to find items in an aisle that is going through a transition. Spot is just conflating "good guest service" with "harassing guests to buy more stuff they don't need".

I am a Plano tm so I feel ya.
I can tell you if the store embraces the changes, they work. My store is 14 percent up ytd. We were just told by our rvp that if we hit 20 percent by year end we will never have to wear khackis again.

 

[can't touch this]

Sales are up because the economy is up

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Soooo, we, as TMs, are to give guests our complete focus, but not make them feel like they are...?

Your tls and etls should have went thru training at the district office and brought the training back to the store. You can stock in an aisle and start conversation with a guest. Be observant but don’t stop what you’re doing.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Sales are up because the economy is up

No not everywhere. We experienced over 10 years of sales decreases in a row with 3 different stls running the store into the ground. We got a new stl that has a huge sales focus drive and acts and speaks to it every day. He rewards and recognizes tms every day when he sees sales driving behavior. It’s a contagious thing in our store. Those in price and Plano and flow that don’t jump on the bandwagon will be targets at some point. I don’t carry a gocard with me every day but you betcha I fill one out if I sold a tv, grill, patio set, etc.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

Before I started working for Target, I would be considered the typical Target shopper. When I shopped I knew where things were located and didn't need much interaction from a team member. I liked it that way. The only time I would require help was if the spot on the shelf was empty and I needed to see if there were more in the back. As a shopper, I hated having to hunt down a team member if there were none readily available.

 

[qmosqueen]

 

[can't touch this]

So, what's the best way to drive sales as a flow TM? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.

Keep in mind that flow's primary task is pushing the truck and getting it done as quickly as possible. There is specialization for a reason. I work with a bunch of children who refuse to stay more than 4 hours and seem to move like they're running on 5 percent battery, and they just stole one of the repack TMs and moved her to pricing. So that means that when I encounter a guest, I have to rush through the interaction as politely as I can because I'm in a hurry to get back to my workcenter. Even on days when I'm okayed to stay 8 hours, any time not spent pushing is more time that push stays in casepacks on a vehicle blocking the aisle rather than on the shelf where it will sell. I simply don't have the time to walk around and engage guests with suggestive selling, because a single interaction can easily run 20+ minutes especially in electronics, and that's just not a productive use of my time. I engage everyone who comes through my workcenter when I'm there, but if I have to step away I usually end up running back and forth so I don't get grabbed. It's only going to get worse as Q4 picks up because I'll be having to constantly help clueless seasonals as well as guests.

Yesterday was an example of how useless the emphasis on goals and selling is without an actual team to support one another. I happened to get stuck in electronics for about 30-45 minutes as I was headed back from the restroom, and it being a busy Saturday I was getting mobbed by 20 guests at once. I "sold" several TVs and PC accessories, but I sure as fuck didn't have time to grab a card and write everything down (I would've gone into OT if I had). I didn't ring the guests out myself and there's no other way to track the sales so as far as they know it was the electronics chick doing it all by herself.

If Target wants me to assume the role of store-wide seller while pushing the trucks, then they need to let me write my own schedule and approve unlimited OT every week. Do that and it's on baby, I'll fucking sell for 60 hours a week. Otherwise fuck off

 

[Times Up]

My store is 14 percent up ytd. We were just told by our rvp that if we hit 20 percent by year end we will never have to wear khackis again

Up 20%, show me the money!!!!

 

[gsa4lyfe]

I am a Plano tm so I feel ya.
I can tell you if the store embraces the changes, they work. My store is 14 percent up ytd. We were just told by our rvp that if we hit 20 percent by year end we will never have to wear khackis again.

It was announced at Fall national and it's only if the entire company all together does a 5% comp this year you can wear jeans everyday.

 

[BoxCutter]

We were just told by our rvp that if we hit 20 percent by year end we will never have to wear khackis again.

Corporate greatly over-estimates the magical power that blue jeans have over me. The company will go all blue jeans because it will make it easier hiring the type of person Spot wants as TMs.

 

[RTCry]

I always am a broken record on here, BUT...if Target truly wants to fundamentally transform itself into a guest-centric selling culture, it has to put its money where its mouth is and put in the payroll to support that. It also has to fix logistics. You cannot sell what’s not on the shelf, even with “free shipping”. The vast majority of the guests coming in the store want what they want and they want it NOW.

Also, management needs to embrace this selling culture. TMs feel conflicted bc while they are supposed to be 100% focused on guests and sell, sell, sell...they are also being pressured to complete tasks with timelines that do not seem to take into account selling, fast service, or cart runs.

I think Target should get back to what it was years ago...cleaner, friendlier, and more chic. The antithesis of Wal Mart. The average guest didn’t know the ins and outs of how thestufftheydidn’tknowtheyneeded got on the shelf. They came in, and there it was. There were also plenty of dedicated and focused TMs there to help WHEN you needed it. TMs who were there during shopping hours seemed to want to be there. IDK. I loved Target when it was like that. Maybe I am romanticizing it a bit, but when I was a guest years ago I really loved Target.

 

[Flow Warrior]

In the link that was posted:
That's almost triple your 1,000 estimate. If surveys and polls can't be trusted, where is Target getting their information? Where are you getting your information? Both Forbes and Reuters reference the study by the HRC in articles as well.

Again, when I walk down the aisle, the majority of people don't even make eye contact with me. That's not a subtle cue, that's a blatantly obvious signal that they do not want to have a conversation with me. They don't even acknowledge my existence.

People are moving away from personal social interaction. You can find dozens of studies online about that. They prefer their online interactions to personal, face-to-face ones. It's why Facebook took off, and why it's still popular. It's why Twitter is a thing, and Instagram. It's why malls are dying and people are ordering items online more and more -- why do you think Amazon is such a behemoth? Because people don't have to get dressed, drive to the store, and get harassed by other people. They can just order what they want in their underwear.

Most people do not want to be bothered. They don't want someone coming up to them and attempting to sell them something. And yes, Target is a discount retailer. Why do you think we have sale signs on almost everything in the store? Or why we advertise products being "priced right daily"? Because we're a discount retailer. We're on the same list as Aldi, Kmart, and Wal-Mart, for crying out loud.

I'm not going to have an argument with over this. Believe what you want.

3000 people is not a large enough sample for a company the size of target. Its good enough for 1 target. You want an accurate sample for the whole company try 100000.

And I know why amazon is a behemoth? Because Bezos figured out what people wanted and how to deliver it to them without cutting into profit. he started wuth books and moved on.

Sloth, I was there for Facebook. I remember when it was introduced for the first time outside of Yale. I was there for Twitter. I have over 100000 posts on it and I launched my account in 2007. My Gmail name I got when I had to get an invite for it in 2004. I have a brother who works in Google at the austin office. I had a myspace page. I know why social media works and why its crippling society now. And that has NOTHING to do with shopping. I have the cred to edit wikipedia and can easily go in remove target for the list and get it approved. Wikipedia is not an authoritize source. Its a cliff notes encyclopedia maintained by an elite group that feels good about collecting knowledge. they are hard left and proud. However, they respect those who make them bones before eternal september.

I am not going to continue to argue the point that you don't get, dont have the experience to back up and want to keep justifying your unwillingness to do what is needed in the final years of Spot. If Spot wants to be Bergdorfs, then let them and you will be purged sadly because you don't seem to be willing do that.

That how is neither here nor there from my point. Target is not Wal-mart. Target is not Aldi. Target was never Kmart (nor was Kmart a discount retailer). And having sales doesn't you one either.

I am not eating any more time with this. I am not waste any more space in this thread on your cognitive dissonace. You do you.

 

[Flow Warrior]

I always am a broken record on here, BUT...if Target truly wants to fundamentally transform itself into a guest-centric selling culture, it has to put its money where its mouth is and put in the payroll to support that. It also has to fix logistics. You cannot sell what’s not on the shelf, even with “free shipping”. The vast majority of the guests coming in the store want what they want and they want it NOW.

Also, management needs to embrace this selling culture. TMs feel conflicted bc while they are supposed to be 100% focused on guests and sell, sell, sell...they are also being pressured to complete tasks with timelines that do not seem to take into account selling, fast service, or cart runs.

I think Target should get back to what it was years ago...cleaner, friendlier, and more chic. The antithesis of Wal Mart. The average guest didn’t know the ins and outs of how thestufftheydidn’tknowtheyneeded got on the shelf. They came in, and there it was. There were also plenty of dedicated and focused TMs there to help WHEN you needed it. TMs who were there during shopping hours seemed to want to be there. IDK. I loved Target when it was like that. Maybe I am romanticizing it a bit, but when I was a guest years ago I really loved Target.

"Also, management needs to embrace this selling culture. TMs feel conflicted bc while they are supposed to be 100% focused on guests and sell, sell, sell...they are also being pressured to complete tasks with timelines that do not seem to take into account selling, fast service, or cart runs. " Thats because they are being penalized for failing both. I only penalized for failed assignments that I knew could be done. Other wise this is the actual solution. It wont be implmented because it requires retraing of the managment. Like Gordon said above, Target needs a clean pan. (no I wasn't directing it entirely at Sloth)

 

[Flow Warrior]

Your tls and etls should have went thru training at the district office and brought the training back to the store. You can stock in an aisle and start conversation with a guest. Be observant but don’t stop what you’re doing.

And then they dont do huddles or anything other than post a sign on the wall. You need one on one time with your team. 90% wont. Not cant. Won't. Its part of the reason why this place exists. Because TL and ETLs dont share the info they learn.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Target used to be classier than Walmart and Kmart, but at this point my store has the empty shelves and horrendous mess that a local Kmart had just before it was closed. It’s really sad how fast it’s going downhill.

 

[RTCry]

And then they dont do huddles or anything other than post a sign on the wall. You need one on one time with your team. 90% wont. Not cant. Won't. Its part of the reason why this place exists. Because TL and ETLs dont share the info they learn.

So true. TBR has helped me more than almost any leader. This place is a goldmine of info. So thank you all for that.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

And then they dont do huddles or anything other than post a sign on the wall. You need one on one time with your team. 90% wont. Not cant. Won't. Its part of the reason why this place exists. Because TL and ETLs dont share the info they learn.

ETLs don’t always tell TLs much, either. Can’t figure out why everything has to be such a big secret. We need that info to do our jobs, and we can’t pass it on to the team if it’s kept from us. I learned way more from tbr about changes coming than I ever heard from my ETL.🙄

 

[oath2order]

Then honestly this job isn't for you and you possibly don't deserve the $12 an hour if you're not willing to do the basic fundamentals of the job.

So exactly how much is corporate paying you to shill for them?

I am a Plano tm so I feel ya.
I can tell you if the store embraces the changes, they work. My store is 14 percent up ytd. We were just told by our rvp that if we hit 20 percent by year end we will never have to wear khackis again.

Wow! You get to wear blue jeans on the 8 hours a week you get to work! Congratulations!

 

[can't touch this]

y'all still out here acting like 12 bucks is still a big deal in Anno Domini two thousand and eighteen...plot twist this isn't the fucking 90s anymore folks

my dad still pulls this "I have no idea what inflation and cost of living is" when talking about wages. Last time I talked to him he asked how much Target is paying me, I said $12 and he's like "shit son why are you bitching, my first real job started me out at $9"

($9 in 1981 = $26.08 😂😂😂)

Wallyworld was paying me $8.60 in 2008, which is $10.30 now. So being at $12 now at Target, that works out to a "raise" of $1.70 in real dollars over one decade, thank you corporate for your bountiful generosity!