Archived Closing Team Leader Help

[GSSUPREME]

I have only been in role for about a week and a half right now, but I am finding it really difficult to nail down my routines. When I come in for the day, the store seems to be in shambles. I am not even kidding when I say that there are pallets, uboats and flats of transition piled up in the back from two weeks ago still! It seems like the timing of these changes came at a really inconvenient time. None of the leaders in my building can get caught up and my SD does not seem to think anything of it. We walk by it and he just moves right on. On top of that most days we roll grocery uboats, multiple vehicles of infant hardlines get rolled, plus freight that should have been done during the day. I then am supposed to make a determination of what is most important and plan around that. I struggle to understand why my SD thinks it’s okay to not worry about all of the transition. The team has been so coddled by not having to make decisions for themselves so most of my night ends up being running around to help them fix their own problems. The issue goes much higher than the TM level in my store and I am just already over it. I’m sorry this is such a long winded post, but any sort of advice here would be really helpful. I am so stressed, and I feel like I’m always leaving a mess for the next day!

 

[NKG]

I'm not a closing TL but I've learned that they have to pick and choose what is important to maintain brand. Partner with the leaders in your store to find out their plans to finish their workload. If they brush you off or whatever go, go to their ETL and be like " this is what hasn't been pushed. This tl didn't provide a plan, what is a priority to you" I highly recommend huddles for tasks a tm couldn't do in 5 hours. Then focus on guest experience. My Closing TL pushes truck, completes tasks and collects abandon. Check the TMS work before they leave and have them fix zones that aren't brand. Hopefully you get TMS soon then they can focus on the rough patches around the store that didn't have the payroll.

 

[tholmes]

I have only been in role for about a week and a half right now, but I am finding it really difficult to nail down my routines. When I come in for the day, the store seems to be in shambles. I am not even kidding when I say that there are pallets, uboats and flats of transition piled up in the back from two weeks ago still! It seems like the timing of these changes came at a really inconvenient time. None of the leaders in my building can get caught up and my SD does not seem to think anything of it. We walk by it and he just moves right on. On top of that most days we roll grocery uboats, multiple vehicles of infant hardlines get rolled, plus freight that should have been done during the day. I then am supposed to make a determination of what is most important and plan around that. I struggle to understand why my SD thinks it’s okay to not worry about all of the transition. The team has been so coddled by not having to make decisions for themselves so most of my night ends up being running around to help them fix their own problems. The issue goes much higher than the TM level in my store and I am just already over it. I’m sorry this is such a long winded post, but any sort of advice here would be really helpful. I am so stressed, and I feel like I’m always leaving a mess for the next day!

Well, not a closing lead myself, but I have a few tips:
First, if any of your team closes consistently, start by working with them one by one to help them be self-sufficient. It takes time, yes, but it is worth having the TMs solve problems on the fly.
Additionally, if you haven't already, set down as many universal priorities for your team as possible. People tend to work better when they have a routine of any sort to follow.
Something else that might help is setting goals for the team that are attainable, then setting a challenge goal. For instance "Hey John, I need you to get through this u-boat in 45 minutes. Let me know how you're doing at X time." And keep that process up as they work throughout the night. Getting walkie updates instead of having to physically find them and check in helps you a bunch.
Having said that, though, I found when closing it helped to let the TMs just work for a couple hours without badgering them where possible. Then, when you come back from meal, check in with every single TM on the floor to get an update, put eyes on their work, and then adjust their goals/tasks accordingly.
When at all possible, keep a positive attitude for your team and see if you can find ways to help their morale like short huddles or specific recognition (like the You Make cards and such) that's tailored to that TM's preference. Take care of your team and they'll take care of you.
If your SD doesn't give a flying fuck that's his problem, not yours. Just cover your butt in the form of your relevant metrics in a way he and the other leaders can see, and work with them to set reasonable, consistent expectations for the close in their areas. For instance, my closing lead asked me to write up a checklist for the electronics team so he could follow up and so I could see what was/wasn't getting done and adjust accordingly.
Lastly, something you have to keep in mind is that you're only one person and you can only get so much done. I know you have a list a mile long, but be sure to split that list into pieces and tackle them one at a time. Seeing one massive long list that can't be finished will just make you more stressed.
Best of luck!

 

[gsa4lyfe]

I just have a small tip for closing that both my STLs always told me. If you can’t get everything done (basically impossible lately) just make a very clear statement on something so people can tell what you did. Even if it’s something like you detail zoned 20 aisles or finished all the backstock. Just be 100% on one thing that is a statement of what you did. A lot of closers that I’ve worked with like to spread themselves out and help out everywhere and make sure a little zoning gets done and a little push and you did a little backstock because honestly it seems like you’re doing a ton of work but in the grand scheme of things it’ll look like you did nothing.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

I feel like the main objective is maintaining the brand. That has to be priority one. Transition in the back, the line being unpushed, that’s secondary because our guests don’t shop in receiving. Deliver good zones, and leave no reshop/abandons. Keep market full. Maintain endcap fill. Get those things dialed in, then you’ll have more wiggle room to fix other issues.

If your STL doesn’t care about the transition sitting around, they’re your boss, so it’s not your job to care about it.

 

[squirrely]

I think it's hard to have a closing routine, as priorities change daily. My suggestion, if you're getting no direction, is to pick what you can complete. Don't start stocking a pallet if you can't finish it, but if you know you can finish those grocery uboats, do those.

 

[CleanMyBackRoOm]

Closing TL here.. I try to come up with the best solutions to help out my peers to the best of my ability.

So what I would do is start taking inventory of what your situation is. Get with those leaders in those areas and see what the plan is. If they can't give you a clear answer than you need to partner with your SD and say "look this and this is an issue". If your SD seems not to care you have an SD problem... I honestly would not exhaust yourself with worry if other people are not taking care of their own stuff. People need to be owning their areas. I can't tell you how often I walk into my own back room and the docks are just full of pallets. I used to set the line every night before truck and help clean up the back room. Lately however it hasn't been possible because there's just stuff laying everywhere on my docks so guess what.... back room has lost my support until they fix their problems. I bring it to attention in the email and say listen guys we need to clear the docks we need to maintain brand in the back rooms it's just as important as the floor. If the team in that area doesn't want to fix their problems it's not your job to fix it. Your job as a closing TL is to bring attention to situations and follow up with routines on the floor to keep it together. I would be partnering with the SD on these problems.

 

[Planosss]

Endcaps and reshop .

 

[Malkiacera]

Our Closing TL partners with every leader that is there to get a game plan and follows up with any tm’s already there and coming in so we all know what to do. If your closers are dependable you shouldn’t have to worry too much about the tasks left for them. Aside from that our TL will just float, doing reshop, seasonal push, jump into flex, clean up the back a bit.

 

[unknown]

The team has been so coddled by not having to make decisions for themselves ...

Can't have it both ways. I was told by an ETL not too long ago that this was my job at Target, and I am quoting this verbatim, "Your job is to do, not to think."

And if I was making decisions, I certainly wouldn't be deciding to leave endcaps totally unsigned. Example, the very last pallet I unpacked for signing had the craft endcap signing on it for Mother's Day. It got set. No signing. I told the GM TL for that area about it. Guess what? Still no signing. Guess where that signing will end up? Unused. Money wasted.

So let's not say tms are "coddled" about not making decisions. Getting mixed messages doesn't help the situation.

 

[Sophia1]

Closing lead myself, I am in the same situation my backroom is spilling onto the floor . Tl do not know what there are doing, most of the time they don’t even have a plan for all the merchandise. I have to do miracles with my 6 closer that includes push, reshop and zone in 5 hours. My stl isthe only one that walks with me and more or less gives me some idea of what to work on. What I do is work the vehicles on the floor when the team arrive, then at 9:30 or so everybody is on zoning and reshop mode . That usually gives them at least 1 1/2 hours to leave a decent dept. my stl is happy for the good zones and no reshop I have been doing. I work the end caps myself if I find the mercy.

 

[copycopy]

My STL asks for a green zone and minimal reshop. We fill the endcaps. The experts are self sufficient enough to pull from the back to fill them, it even remerch if discontinued.
If we walk into a good zone, the team sometimes will support with residual push, but only if we have a green zone.
In the car if call outs, we will have the team wave at the end of the shift.
They reshop WHILE zoning.

 

[praisespot]

I’d have a conversation with your SD. My store director and I had a “check in” conversation about a month into me starting the position and I came in with a full list of notes. I brought up everything I saw at night that was causing us to fail or to succeed in each different area. He helped me get the resources moved into the correct areas and had conversations with our other leads and leaders to get them behind the changes and helping me.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

 

[keynesian]

This is probably the position that is the most different routine from store to store, based on the schedule.

First, I would check in with your store director, if available. Always ask about attendance. Whoever the "mid LOD" is check in with them, and ask them about attendance as well. Any other leader in the building check in with them, even if only briefly, before walking the floor.

If you have an RDC truck that day, I would then head to receiving, and make a list of any and all remaining push. Write down each type of vehicle, and the type of product on it. This is very important for holding team members accountable.

Always check reshop at guest service and the fitting room within your first hour. If its a mess, get in touch with your leadership team before hand off. I have had my style lead come back at me the following day saying "we rolled too much reshop" when in reality she was there when it all accumulated.

One note on the lead check ins: you are the only person working mon-fri, everyone else gets 1 weekday off. If tuesday is when your style lead is gone, check in more closely with your style consultants. If Wednesday is the day when your consumables lead is gone, check in with your consumables experts.

Most important note: the closing lead does not come up with the plan for executing the day's tasks, but you do have to execute that plan. My first month was chaotic because I let my peers get away with not having a plan - or making an impossible plan then blaming me for things not going their way. Challenge your pers on their plan when they're wrong. I had a style lead tell me my 4 hour closer should be able to deep zone all of style and leave no reshop in 4 hours. This was clearly insane - but because I did not go to my SD with her insane plan immediately, she could get away with saying I accepted her plan.

Utilize your team, and audit your schedules: it is incredibly easy for other leaders to say "I dont need a closer, i dont work past 2, 4, or 6, its not my problem" if there is a scheduling gap at night, I take the lead on getting it covered - theres no reason for HR or the lead for that area to care if theyre not working at that time. Also, know that you can do what you need to do with your team. When I had two cashiers call off the Friday before mothers day, while I didnt like it, I pulled everyone on the floor up to the lanes for at least an hour. Did push roll? You bet, but we made sales - and believe me, nobody is picking up a friday closing shift for fun.

Don't get stressed. You are there to 1. Observe 2. Report 3. Secure 4. Teach 5. Train 6. Help guests. I spend about 50% of my time observing behaviors and correcting them. There is nobody else there at night, maybe one other lead until 7ish, if you do not correct bad behaviors, it wont happen. I spend probably 5% of my time with individual guests, another 5% securing the building, 5% communicating with other leaders via email, 10% in person, and 25% of my time evaluating/walking the zone (always with a 3tier for reshop). However, that balance can get blown up when I spend 50% of my own time at guest service because hours are tight and we're beating sales.

Early on, status with your SD alot, get a sense of his or her priorities. Once you get a feel of what they feel is important, your general rhythm will go lime this: focus on push on RDC truck days, focus on the zone on non truck days. If you have a truck everyday you work, I would focus on push for the first half of your shift, and the zone in the second half of your shift.

Lastly, every store, and every different day, will have its specific quirks. On Tuesdays I head straight back to SFS because their ETL is gone that day, and their TL leaves 30 minutes before I get in. I also check the 3pm cafs to make sure their assignments are being followed. On fridays I walk milk because it gets delivered right before I punch in. On monday I status briefly with HR to make sure we're on the same page for any potential corrective action or upcoming terms.

Phone numbers: get all the phone numbers you need to be an LOD into your phone. Alert one, fmoc, csc, stanley, your apbp, your pmbp. Also, you will likely never see your PML, I see mine only in passing - get their phone number just in case, PMs can know things about a building that nobody else will.

Lastly, as with every job with this company, dont take it personally - especially when you do not have a specific department reporting to you. Literally every other leader in the building is responsible for fixing their department. While you can help, you shouldn't and heres why: they will never appreciate it. My first month I thought I was helping so much by setting endcaps at night, then I realized I was just a crutch for a dysfunctional GM team. What happened when I stopped setting? They actually had to teach their team how to set. Think of yourself like a thinly spread security blanket for the whole store, you can stop bad situations from getting worse, and guide people in the right direction, but they have to make their own choices. You making those choices for them fixes nothing. Maybe for one night, but it ignores the underlying problems entirely. You are there for stability and security, and following up. You can help diagnose problems, but each department owner must fix it themselves - otherwise they wont grow as leaders as well.

 

[kimimpossible]

This is probably the position that is the most different routine from store to store, based on the schedule.

First, I would check in with your store director, if available. Always ask about attendance. Whoever the "mid LOD" is check in with them, and ask them about attendance as well. Any other leader in the building check in with them, even if only briefly, before walking the floor.

If you have an RDC truck that day, I would then head to receiving, and make a list of any and all remaining push. Write down each type of vehicle, and the type of product on it. This is very important for holding team members accountable.

Always check reshop at guest service and the fitting room within your first hour. If its a mess, get in touch with your leadership team before hand off. I have had my style lead come back at me the following day saying "we rolled too much reshop" when in reality she was there when it all accumulated.

One note on the lead check ins: you are the only person working mon-fri, everyone else gets 1 weekday off. If tuesday is when your style lead is gone, check in more closely with your style consultants. If Wednesday is the day when your consumables lead is gone, check in with your consumables experts.

Most important note: the closing lead does not come up with the plan for executing the day's tasks, but you do have to execute that plan. My first month was chaotic because I let my peers get away with not having a plan - or making an impossible plan then blaming me for things not going their way. Challenge your pers on their plan when they're wrong. I had a style lead tell me my 4 hour closer should be able to deep zone all of style and leave no reshop in 4 hours. This was clearly insane - but because I did not go to my SD with her insane plan immediately, she could get away with saying I accepted her plan.

Utilize your team, and audit your schedules: it is incredibly easy for other leaders to say "I dont need a closer, i dont work past 2, 4, or 6, its not my problem" if there is a scheduling gap at night, I take the lead on getting it covered - theres no reason for HR or the lead for that area to care if theyre not working at that time. Also, know that you can do what you need to do with your team. When I had two cashiers call off the Friday before mothers day, while I didnt like it, I pulled everyone on the floor up to the lanes for at least an hour. Did push roll? You bet, but we made sales - and believe me, nobody is picking up a friday closing shift for fun.

Don't get stressed. You are there to 1. Observe 2. Report 3. Secure 4. Teach 5. Train 6. Help guests. I spend about 50% of my time observing behaviors and correcting them. There is nobody else there at night, maybe one other lead until 7ish, if you do not correct bad behaviors, it wont happen. I spend probably 5% of my time with individual guests, another 5% securing the building, 5% communicating with other leaders via email, 10% in person, and 25% of my time evaluating/walking the zone (always with a 3tier for reshop). However, that balance can get blown up when I spend 50% of my own time at guest service because hours are tight and we're beating sales.

Early on, status with your SD alot, get a sense of his or her priorities. Once you get a feel of what they feel is important, your general rhythm will go lime this: focus on push on RDC truck days, focus on the zone on non truck days. If you have a truck everyday you work, I would focus on push for the first half of your shift, and the zone in the second half of your shift.

Lastly, every store, and every different day, will have its specific quirks. On Tuesdays I head straight back to SFS because their ETL is gone that day, and their TL leaves 30 minutes before I get in. I also check the 3pm cafs to make sure their assignments are being followed. On fridays I walk milk because it gets delivered right before I punch in. On monday I status briefly with HR to make sure we're on the same page for any potential corrective action or upcoming terms.

Phone numbers: get all the phone numbers you need to be an LOD into your phone. Alert one, fmoc, csc, stanley, your apbp, your pmbp. Also, you will likely never see your PML, I see mine only in passing - get their phone number just in case, PMs can know things about a building that nobody else will.

Lastly, as with every job with this company, dont take it personally - especially when you do not have a specific department reporting to you. Literally every other leader in the building is responsible for fixing their department. While you can help, you shouldn't and heres why: they will never appreciate it. My first month I thought I was helping so much by setting endcaps at night, then I realized I was just a crutch for a dysfunctional GM team. What happened when I stopped setting? They actually had to teach their team how to set. Think of yourself like a thinly spread security blanket for the whole store, you can stop bad situations from getting worse, and guide people in the right direction, but they have to make their own choices. You making those choices for them fixes nothing. Maybe for one night, but it ignores the underlying problems entirely. You are there for stability and security, and following up. You can help diagnose problems, but each department owner must fix it themselves - otherwise they wont grow as leaders as well.

This is such good advice. I have been doing Closing since around April. This makes me feel like things are in the right direction.

 

[Far from newbie]

TASKING is done DAYSIDE.

NIGHTS, Keep it SIMPLE:

1. GUEST assistance. 2. RESHOP. nuff said, night over.

If you have time to tidy a few endcaps on the racetrack, it will be noticed.

What is stressful about that ?

 

[gsa4lyfe]

I never understood the idea that zoning > stocking. The guest doesn't care that the bleach they want isn't on the floor, but only so long as the wall looks pretty? Is that it? Did we do a survey on that already?

Guests can be assisted while the floor is being stocked. My Closing TL focuses on clearing U-boats, but at a slower pace than the Food/GM team because she zones while she stocks. She also does reshop to clear GS. Those were the priorities. GS is to be clear by morning and as many U-boats as possible need to be empty for unload, or else the store ends up using Inbound hours to push freight, which is a no-no.

It’s really a fine balance. Guest won’t shop a messy store but they also can’t shop if there’s nothing there. Zoning is important

 

[gsa4lyfe]

Certain guests won't shop a messy store. Thrift stores are always a mess, but they get a ton of traffic still and manage to make a good amount of sales.

No guest will shop a store that doesn't have what they want though. So while both are important, stocking is more important than zoning.

You must have forgotten the type of clientele target attracts. People shop at target over Walmart for the sole reason it’s cleaner and to avoid trashy people. Totally agree stocking is important but zoning is super important too. 70% of our sales come from none essential items like softlines and home. These areas need to be zoned or no one will shop regardless of how full it is

 

[seasonaldude]

Zoning, if done properly and not half-assed, also ensures that everything is stocked in the correct place. Cuts down on guest price challenges, flex fill asking DBOs where stuff is every five minutes, and takes less time to assist guests find what they are looking for. It's also much faster and easier to stock a well-zoned section than a pig sty with shit all over the place. Helps keep counts accurate as well, which would seem to be important with one for one pulls becoming a thing.

Finally, there is the TM embarrassment factor. If you're helping a guest and taking them to an aisle that looks like 4th quarter toys on a Saturday night except it's not 4th quarter toys on a Saturday night, it's sheets on a random Tuesday in June, it's embarrassing if the area is a mess with product all over the place except where it's supposed to be.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

People shop at Target over Walmart (and vice versa) because it's closer. We are still a discount retailer. No one comes to Target to see our VM areas. They come to Target because they need bleach or cereal or pet food, but end up buying more because they see more on the floor as they walk the store. Our bread and butter are impulse buys -- that means product absolutely has to be on the floor. And yeah, it'd be nice if it were zoned, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. If I see a nice pair of pants that some guest tossed in the toy section, I might them buy still. I don't care that they aren't folded nicely (by brand, color, size, whatever) in the men's department.

From my own personal experience, stocking is far more important. I have driven to Target to buy something and left because it wasn't on the floor. I didn't ask a TM to look in the back or try to find something else. I just straight up left having purchased nothing. That's a lost sale because something wasn't stocked. I didn't care how nice the store looked.

9 times of out 10, zoning consists of moving product from one location to another in the same general area. Toys are still with toys, shoes are still with shoes. They just aren't in the exact right spot -- but guests don't know the exact right spot to begin with. They only know the area. So having a nerf gun two sections down from where it's supposed to be doesn't affect the guest at all. If they want it, they will buy it. There's a reason why we have scanners located around the store, and this is it. If everything were always zoned and signed properly, why would we need scanners?

Either your store is not the norm or you really don’t understand targets clientele. Yeah sure come people come because it’s closer or they just need some tide but the majority of people that shop at target come because it’s “target” not because it’s a retail store. Target has a brand and a reputation that people know and appreciate. Majority of people aren’t going to dig through a messy table of shirts to see if they like something. They’re going to walk right by it. You can argue one way or the other and there will always be a guest that will still shop a messy store and always be a guest that will Impulse buy if the stores out of their favorite tide. I’m talking about the majority of guests that come to target as a destination. The ones that drive an extra 5 minutes so they don’t have to go to Walmart, the ones that come to check out the new hearth and hand, and the ones that like targets owned brands on softlines. People shop at discount retailers because they’re cheap. Target is consistently more than the majority of discount retailers but our guests pay the higher prices to shop at Target

 

[seasonaldude]

Work the service desk. It's a daily thing for guests to come up and ask if we have something only to be told no. They routinely say that they'll have to go to Wal-Mart then and let us know how much they hate going to Wal-Mart. People come to Target because of its reputation and image as being better than the blue store. (Yes, it would all work if we could just tell the guest that we had the item, that's stocking. But, we also need to have the item in the right place so the guest can find it. If they can find it, they'll still have to go to Wal-Mart.)

Also, there is a deep-running public perception that Target's clothing is of superior quality to Wal-Mart's. I'm not a fabric expert, so I don't know if it's true and I've never purchased clothes at Wal-Mart. But, people absolutely do go to Target because they think the clothes they are buying are better.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

It really differs store to store. My team and I don’t touch truck, unless GM leaves it strewn about all over the sales floor. Then we drag it back to receiving. This new process has cost us too much in terms of brand, and GVPs are being told to crack down on zones and reshop again.

Really, as Closing TL your biggest priority is going to be whatever your STL sets for you. Mine wants zones and green FF metrics. That means long lines sometimes up front because I don’t allow for much backup, and zero help for the truck process. But guess what? When the DTL asks why OPU was red, they can look and see my team missed none between 3:30-11:30. If a visit drops in at open, they’ll see clean zones. I’m not going to throw myself under the bus so GM looks like they’re doing better than they are, what does GM do for me? Certainly not a single piece of reshop between 8am-3:30pm.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

Work the service desk. It's a daily thing for guests to come up and ask if we have something only to be told no. They routinely say that they'll have to go to Wal-Mart then and let us know how much they hate going to Wal-Mart. People come to Target because of its reputation and image as being better than the blue store. (Yes, it would all work if we could just tell the guest that we had the item, that's stocking. But, we also need to have the item in the right place so the guest can find it. If they can find it, they'll still have to go to Wal-Mart.)

Also, there is a deep-running public perception that Target's clothing is of superior quality to Wal-Mart's. I'm not a fabric expert, so I don't know if it's true and I've never purchased clothes at Wal-Mart. But, people absolutely do go to Target because they think the clothes they are buying are better.

I was GSTL for almost 3 years so I’m very familiar with this. I also agree target might not actually have higher quality products but they have that perception and therefore people come to target for the brand, and the target experience more than they come just because it’s cheap and quick. Target is truly a destination for most people

 

[happygoth]

Certain guests won't shop a messy store. Thrift stores are always a mess, but they get a ton of traffic still and manage to make a good amount of sales.

No guest will shop a store that doesn't have what they want though. So while both are important, stocking is more important than zoning.

Either your store is not the norm or you really don’t understand targets clientele. Yeah sure come people come because it’s closer or they just need some tide but the majority of people that shop at target come because it’s “target” not because it’s a retail store. Target has a brand and a reputation that people know and appreciate. Majority of people aren’t going to dig through a messy table of shirts to see if they like something. They’re going to walk right by it. You can argue one way or the other and there will always be a guest that will still shop a messy store and always be a guest that will Impulse buy if the stores out of their favorite tide. I’m talking about the majority of guests that come to target as a destination. The ones that drive an extra 5 minutes so they don’t have to go to Walmart, the ones that come to check out the new hearth and hand, and the ones that like targets owned brands on softlines. People shop at discount retailers because they’re cheap. Target is consistently more than the majority of discount retailers but our guests pay the higher prices to shop at Target

As a life-long shopper and a retail worker since I was 18, I can say that a messy store is absolutely a turn-off. I have been a loyal and enthusiastic Target shopper for a couple of decades now, and there are a few things about Target that, in the past, I have always loved: One, that they were ALWAYS clean and well-organized; Two, that they did not have the center aisles cluttered with all kinds of crap and displays, and that it was very easy to navigate your cart down the aisles; Three, that they had cool home decor nicely displayed and at good prices; and Four, that while we may not be as cheap as Walmart on some things, we are a lot cheaper than the grocery stores and drugstores in the area on most household and food items, usually even cheaper than their sale prices.

Sadly, only three and four still apply for the most part. Stuff as been creeping into the aisles, and zoning is certainly not what it once was. But, we still carry nice stuff and our prices still beat most of the competition. I have always been more than willing to pay a bit more for some things rather than go to Walmart, which, with its crowded aisles and lackluster visuals, does not provide a fun retail experience. I've always loved the atmosphere at Target and always pretty much loathed the atmosphere at Walmart.

Now, all of that being said, I have also been frustrated by not being able to find an item I was looking for, and discovering via the zebra that said items were chilling on a shelf somewhere in the back. And not just one or two, but five or six or more. I can definitely understand how being out of stock on things can be a frustrating experience, especially for a grab 'n go customer. One of the things I used to impress upon my Footwear team at my old company was the importance of size representation. Many people, if they can't find their size in something, will just keep on walking instead of asking a salesperson for help. Having all sizes available represented on the floor is a win for everyone: the customer can try on their size without having to ask a sales associate, which means less time having to go in the back to get stuff for guests, as well as a satisfied customer and a potential sale for the store. A well-stocked sales floor is indeed very important.

TL;DR: Zoning and stocking are both very important!

Oh, and Target absolutely has a better reputation and a higher standing than Walmart; it's referred to as Tar-zhay for a reason!