MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[Ashfromoldsite]

I thought electronics and beauty were going to report to service and engagement etl? I saw the org chart for 30-70 range and it shows they report to specialty sales etl (Softlines). It doesn’t really matter but log etl having unload, Hardlines, and fulfillment...and a new etl ONLY has the front end??? Doesn’t make sense.

 

[band_rules16]

Cat and Jack clothes came in with Circo tags on them for months after launch.
A LOT of what Target has done that has been successful has been rebranding, interestingly enough.
A lot of the stuff that's failed hard has been the "new" stuff, like most of their limited partnerships, and getting into clothing lines that the demographic doesn't support (OU the best current example, and WF to a lesser extent. Every single Junk Food set.)
These are the kinds of things that worry me, as there's often a huge buy in to stuff that likely loses a lot of money.
It makes me think Target doesn't actually understand its demographic.
And, like people have said, after a half dozen trips to the store where the shelves are empty of the commodities that they came for, and they have to go to Walmart or the grocer, they're not going to show up to browse those high mark up categories.

Oh, gosh, I forgot about Circo.

Some of these resets I've been questioning...I worked HBA primarily my last two shifts, and I had people looking for Clearasil and Oxy. (Which I realize is in beauty, but our TM was at the service desk both times guests talked to me.) Beauty was reset a month ago. We don't carry Clearasil and Oxy in store anymore. You can order online, but what teen or college kid is going to order face wash online? I can point them to Neutrogena or whatever, but if we don't have that item, we don't make that sale. (I'm in a college town, and we're the only Target between two cities with at least 4 campuses.)

It goes along with the empty shelves. I feel like I constantly put out product of things we have plenty or way too much of. Maybe I don't understand the system, but if we're out of something and have been for weeks...it's lost sales.

 

[can't touch this]

just got promoted to ETL-Baler with a phat signing bonus. Looks like my knowledge of the esoteric art of balemaking has proven more valuable than I ever expected!

 

[seasonaldude]

just got promoted to ETL-Baler with a phat signing bonus. Looks like my knowledge of the esoteric art of balemaking has proven more valuable than I ever expected!

That would for reals make you the most useful executive at the store if true.

 

[Overadecade]

That would for reals make you the most useful executive at the store if true.

C'mon, there's nothing more useful than having half the available staff standing around at the bailer while the ETL with the key sits around in Starbucks and ignores them for 1/2 hour, because they've been told they're not allowed to move on to other tasks and leave their trash around... Especially with all the payroll we've been getting!

 

[band_rules16]

just got promoted to ETL-Baler with a phat signing bonus. Looks like my knowledge of the esoteric art of balemaking has proven more valuable than I ever expected!

I REALLY want to be an ETL-Baler.

 

[band_rules16]

C'mon, there's nothing more useful than having half the available staff standing around at the bailer while the ETL with the key sits around in Starbucks and ignores them for 1/2 hour, because they've been told they're not allowed to move on to other tasks and leave their trash around... Especially with all the payroll we've been getting!

You guys aren't allowed baler keys? If we had to sit around and wait for someone to run the baler...I can't even...

 

[oath2order]

You guys aren't allowed baler keys? If we had to sit around and wait for someone to run the baler...I can't even...

My store, we just keep the baler key (not attached to anything else) in the baler.

 

[qmosqueen]

My store, we just keep the baler key (not attached to anything else) in the baler.

Just super glue it in I guess

 

[can't touch this]

In today's episode of "I'm Trying to Do My Job But The Company Won't Let Me", thank you Lawd Jesus that my leadership isn't petty enough to stick to the baler/compactor key rules...the store would literally screech to a halt if we did that. Why would you even want to, like have you seen the price of being honest these days? Yikes.

ETL-log showed me a sneaky trick to use when we're having a DTL visit...she can get rekt because all you need is a small piece of thick cardboard to use as a shim so the bolt in the compactor door lock can't engage, while still appearing closed and locked. Heh heh heh.

 

[Overadecade]

We used to leave the key in the bailer, but we had a known visit from a BP, and of course they left it in there.
So now, nope, it's ETLs only.
And the "backroom" lead chews you out, like literally screaming at you, if you walk away and leave your trash there while waiting for that ETL.

 

[Stocker]

If you take a hit in expenses, then the return should be substantial along with the environment. Think about digging a ditch by hand versus renting equipment to do it. Yeah, you take a hit on the cost right away, but your done in a couple of hours versus a couple of days and heading off to the next job. You made more by spending the money up front and your overall expenses decrease each additional ditch you dig.

We did not see any relief or movement in any way. It got a whole lot worse. It took a seasoned TL 4 mos to implement. How much more time are they going to spend managing it? As soon as that TL moves on the next one takes over, it will most likely take a substantial step back.

As for Sales, we basically stayed/moved in a somewhat neutral way. Were we competitive or the benefit of a strong economy? If you ran a ROI (Return on Investment) on this, it would yanked immediately as it would trend negatively.

This why you take snap shots of the business at predetermined intevals of the implementation. That away you can stop the bleeding before it drains the body.

This what I've been saying about us not measuring this thing at the store level and reporting back. We should have incremental objectives that all of us are aware of and working towards attaining. Measurements should be going up the ladder for reporting back to the group that is responsible for this new program.

It was very short sighted of our leadership not to roll this out in a lower volume district and perfected it first before pushing it company wide. We would be in a much better position company wide. Too many problems of the same nature being reported on this board. A bad sign for all of us struggling to make this work.

It would have been really interesting to see how well this Modernization process went in a profit way, if it was a bad economy. Also if they already have GM team members doing 10 different things at $12 how much more will they do when we make $15. I have been on vacation so have not heard about the ETL changes yet I have read on here but it should be very interesting at our store......

 

[Times Up]

asants. Every store has a different clientele. Compared to the condition of my store 3 years ago, our guests are eating this up. They love all the changes. We finished last year with a 22% increase over the previous year. And last year we finished around 15% more than the year before. Our guests love the hand holding and guiding them to the right purchase. They don’t all need it, but they return again and again instead of going to Best Buy or Walmart across the street.

How did your store manage? If you're comping 20% higher for the whole year, you don't get the higher payroll level (in it's entirety) until the following year.

 

[seasonaldude]

In today's episode of "I'm Trying to Do My Job But The Company Won't Let Me", thank you Lawd Jesus that my leadership isn't petty enough to stick to the baler/compactor key rules...the store would literally screech to a halt if we did that. Why would you even want to, like have you seen the price of being honest these days? Yikes.

ETL-log showed me a sneaky trick to use when we're having a DTL visit...she can get rekt because all you need is a small piece of thick cardboard to use as a shim so the bolt in the compactor door lock can't engage, while still appearing closed and locked. Heh heh heh.

Foruntately, our DTL doesn't care about that. The key stays in the baler at all times. All TMs, minors excluded, are expected to know how to safely operate the baler. No, most won't actually bother to squish or make a bale when needed because they are fucking lazy, but they are supposed to know how. I personally like making bales. It's easy and it's a get out of jail free card:

SrTL: Why aren't these Uboats done?
Me: I made the bale.
SrTL: Carry on.

 

[unknown]

I don't see why people are so ecstatic to have target fail. And don't be a condescending ass you know good and well I was referring to our brand launches such as project 62, stars above and colise which all have been performing well not to mention partnerships like H&H.

I'm not ecstatic to see Target fail. That's my paycheck. I'm also not ecstatic to see them fail by foolishness either. A new line of intimates is great, those little tiny bins for underwear .... not.

Foruntately, our DTL doesn't care about that. The key stays in the baler at all times. All TMs, minors excluded, are expected to know how to safely operate the baler. No, most won't actually bother to squish or make a bale when needed because they are fucking lazy, but they are supposed to know how. I personally like making bales. It's easy and it's a get out of jail free card:

SrTL: Why aren't these Uboats done?
Me: I made the bale.
SrTL: Carry on.

This is exactly why I sometimes make bales. I'll watch Meggie load it full, hit the button, and it goes down I inch. I put one piece in, make a bale.

 

[Times Up]

We don't carry Clearasil and Oxy in store anymore

Huh? Reason to run to Walmart.

 

[DavidorJared]

You guys aren't allowed baler keys? If we had to sit around and wait for someone to run the baler...I can't even...

My last TL made every backroom tm a baler key and now i have 3 sets just in case, in addition to 3 wave keys. Idk if you can buy baler keys online but i always advise new backroom tms or anyone who uses the wave to invest in a wave key, small time investment to save a shit ton of headache

 

[seasonaldude]

Huh? Reason to run to Walmart.

Nah. That's a completely different demographic. Target guests don't get zits. On the rare chance they do, they would never ever buy something as pedestrian as clearisil or oxy. They want to be upsold on the more expensive brands that have the same ingredients.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

How did your store manage? If you're comping 20% higher for the whole year, you don't get the higher payroll level (in it's entirety) until the following year.

When the store is always making sales you don’t have to kick team members out at shift end. We are always adding payroll when we need it based off guest traffic and huge trucks.

 

[can't touch this]

My store sells the fuck out of Clearasil

 

[band_rules16]

My last TL made every backroom tm a baler key and now i have 3 sets just in case, in addition to 3 wave keys. Idk if you can buy baler keys online but i always advise new backroom tms or anyone who uses the wave to invest in a wave key, small time investment to save a shit ton of headache

We have baler keys and then equipment keys that have baler and wave/stacker keys on them. Hardlines is supposed to have baler keys (not enough for everyone to have one). I started getting equipment keys as a hardlines TM because it was a waste of time for me to find someone who had wave keys for a guest request. And it's a waste to have to wait for a BR TM or a TL/ETL to come with keys. I'll just do it myself if it requires the wave.

I personally like making bales. It's easy and it's a get out of jail free card:

SrTL: Why aren't these Uboats done?
Me: I made the bale.
SrTL: Carry on.

^ Exactly this.

*additional cashiers button goes off*
GSTL: Can I get a backup at the lanes?
Me: I'm making a bale.
GSTL: Softlines, is anyone available?
😂

My store sells the fuck out of Clearasil

It makes ZERO sense to not have Clearasil or Oxy anymore, but then again, how do I know? I don't work beauty. Maybe it wasn't selling at our store.

 

[Digi_E]

I already make more than $15/hr, but thanks. That isn't what I was saying.

Why didn't corporate take feedback from the pilot stores to ensure a smooth rollout? It's a legitimate question. If you posed this same scenario in business school, you'd flunk out. So why did they go about it this way? Why rollout half a process in the meantime as well? None of it makes any sense.

The point of the pilot was to get feedback on what worked and what didn't as well as what tools needed to be rolled out to align with the tasks. Not to make it a easy 1 day transition. Your moving from tms knowing now to do 1 function a day to doing several and owning a department. There will be growing pains.

 

[REDcardJJ]

So, is this a pilot, or part of modernization?

it's a very limited pilot

 

[Tainted Kool aid]

The point of the pilot was to get feedback on what worked and what didn't as well as what tools needed to be rolled out to align with the tasks. Not to make it a easy 1 day transition. Your moving from tms knowing now to do 1 function a day to doing several and owning a department. There will be growing pains.

But they didn't take feedback. I know what the point of a pilot is. But target threatened to fire people during the pilot for questioning anything about the pilot. Questioning why something is not working or how it works during a pilot good feedback. It shows there may be something wrong. All the pilot did was see how low each store could push hours and still get by. If they actually cared about a guest first approach or to make sure this new process worked they would support it at least at roll out.

 

[Anelmi]

It makes ZERO sense to not have Clearasil or Oxy anymore, but then again, how do I know? I don't work beauty. Maybe it wasn't selling at our store.

It’s your store. My store still carries these brands and they get shopped hard.