Archived Week #1 VMTL

[REDismycolor]

As a new VML, I'm curious as to what resources everyone is utilizing thus far. Aside from seeing all the dust and "hidden" reshops on my walk, I'm a little overwhelmed as to what exactly I can impact. I'll make it happen though!! Anyone have any suggestions or concerns??

 

[Captainzim]

Its easy far as the start. Fix the horrid zone that most stores have, bring a solid plan to keep the first two rows of all the clothing depts. maintained and full and to style/etc. For the home renovation keeping it full and to the style that is matching either to the left or right aisle or the one next to it.

 

[REDismycolor]

I'm trying to put together a solid routine. Any suggestions?

 

[Captainzim]

I'm trying to put together a solid routine. Any suggestions?

I'd recommend doing weekly/daily mannequin (and hurdles) audit as well as developing a daily plan on what you want to do for that day. It could be remerchandising one section of rtw/half of mens or coming up with new ideas to merchandise all the discontinued clothing that is about to go out of style.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

VM TL | The Break Room

 

[REDismycolor]

@Captainzim, thanks for your help. I'm looking for more of a total store out look, not just soft lines. I haven't even hit the carpet yet this week. Perhaps tomorrow though.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

The job is very new, some stores have no idea on what the vmtl does.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I still can't believe that they would bring in VML, after eliminating "Market Team Leader" as a position.

 

[RetailWorld]

3 weeks out, do you know what is changing in the store? From there, you should know what you can impact, what you need to purge, what support teams you need to partner with. What's going clearance, what has in-stocks opportunities. Every week from 3 weeks ago to Dec 7th had new seasonal plaid sets. Are they current?

Are your trend runs changing next week? Are your focals going PTM? When was your last mannequin set and are they current to your local trends? Are you "PLAID" everywhere? Is ISM signing up to date? Proper backer paper, did your over heads go up properly? How is your pets run? Those plaid dog beds were a pain to keep in stock, what did you replace them with? How well are the single serve PLAID coke bottles selling? Partner with your CTL to partner with Coke to strategize.

Does every mannequin have something plaid on it? Are the proper signs up? Do you have a nice, organize, "shop" of plaid in every department?

Halloween is in 2 weeks. What steps are you taking to really bring "Halloween" visually to your store?

I have one VMTL in the district who is redo'ing all the Halloween trends and setting up a "Halloween Shop" table at the front of the store. No price tags, no labels, just a cool table with a few lighting displays, some lawn ornaments, and cool pumpkin stuff. The goal is to get guests aware it's halloween and they need to get cool halloween stuff. Sure they're coming in for their shampoo and using a coupon for their tide and have to get toilet paper. But it's Halloween! Get some cool high margin halloween shit!

It's coupled with a pumpkin spice shipper that has starbucks and pepperidge farm product.

Think of what is current and deliver it.

(P.S. you should have some plans for thanksgiving and harvest already in the back of your mind)

 

[VMLwhatsthat]

Know what is mpg in your store along with what is in your back room. Walk the MPG report on Mondays and deal with any discontinued you can. Rewalk those aisles again later in the week.

Use your TWT and Adjacency calendar to know when things are getting reset to know how much time you need to spend ptm'ing. Don't get distracted but focal on visual impact areas. Get creative with prime real estate such as end caps and PTM aisles and stage away. Add to the basket count.

Mannequin audits daily, make sure the hurdles are stocked before the weekend.

Did they set you up with any training?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

@RetailWorld, can you send us a picture of the Halloween setup, pretty please?

 

[REDismycolor]

Thanks @RetailWorld & @VMLwhatsthat!, I like the way ya'll think ☺️ I was provided no training aside from what I can find on workbench. I have been with spot awhile and I'm familiar with most areas aside from pershiable depts. My STL wants me to provide a lot of training specifically around remerchadising and flexing. I know it'll be a challenge but totally up for it

 

[Bryantpp]

As a new VML, I'm curious as to what resources everyone is utilizing thus far. Aside from seeing all the dust and "hidden" reshops on my walk, I'm a little overwhelmed as to what exactly I can impact. I'll make it happen though!! Anyone have any suggestions or concerns??

Me Too! I just finished all my training and simply jumped right into the work, don't really use all those VA/ dogs I walk around the store and isolate areas that are drab, boring or can be vamped up and I do it, try mixing non-conventional things into the displays. Target brought us in to get a fresh perspective on style, I wouldn't pay too much attention to all that planogram crap. They wouldn't have created a new position to keep doing things the same old same old ways. Also try coming up with new cool style initiatives for YOUR store, talk about them with your manager, how can you bring more style to your target... Have fun with it, it is a fun job!

 

[Bryantpp]

3 weeks out, do you know what is changing in the store? From there, you should know what you can impact, what you need to purge, what support teams you need to partner with. What's going clearance, what has in-stocks opportunities. Every week from 3 weeks ago to Dec 7th had new seasonal plaid sets. Are they current?

Are your trend runs changing next week? Are your focals going PTM? When was your last mannequin set and are they current to your local trends? Are you "PLAID" everywhere? Is ISM signing up to date? Proper backer paper, did your over heads go up properly? How is your pets run? Those plaid dog beds were a pain to keep in stock, what did you replace them with? How well are the single serve PLAID coke bottles selling? Partner with your CTL to partner with Coke to strategize.

Does every mannequin have something plaid on it? Are the proper signs up? Do you have a nice, organize, "shop" of plaid in every department?

Halloween is in 2 weeks. What steps are you taking to really bring "Halloween" visually to your store?

I have one VMTL in the district who is redo'ing all the Halloween trends and setting up a "Halloween Shop" table at the front of the store. No price tags, no labels, just a cool table with a few lighting displays, some lawn ornaments, and cool pumpkin stuff. The goal is to get guests aware it's halloween and they need to get cool halloween stuff. Sure they're coming in for their shampoo and using a coupon for their tide and have to get toilet paper. But it's Halloween! Get some cool high margin halloween shit!

It's coupled with a pumpkin spice shipper that has starbucks and pepperidge farm product.

Think of what is current and deliver it.

(P.S. you should have some plans for thanksgiving and harvest already in the back of your mind)

Oh don't try and intimidate the person, it really isn't that serious. He/she should just be aware of what PPTL is setting and when, and fill in the gaps with style making sure not to step on anyone's toes. As long as everything looks great then the VML's job is done. I remember when I started and everyone tried to overwhelm me with all this extraneous information. not necessary at all. The VML is a stylist for the store.

 

[Bryantpp]

Know what is mpg in your store along with what is in your back room. Walk the MPG report on Mondays and deal with any discontinued you can. Rewalk those aisles again later in the week.

Use your TWT and Adjacency calendar to know when things are getting reset to know how much time you need to spend ptm'ing. Don't get distracted but focal on visual impact areas. Get creative with prime real estate such as end caps and PTM aisles and stage away. Add to the basket count.

Mannequin audits daily, make sure the hurdles are stocked before the weekend.

Did they set you up with any training?

It's weird, I'm VML, but my ETL said that I was NOT responsible for doing the end-caps, it is someone in Hardlines. It doesn't really make sense to me, I think VML should be responsible for ALL VISUAL in the store.To me VML should be an executive position...

 

[Bryantpp]

Know what is mpg in your store along with what is in your back room. Walk the MPG report on Mondays and deal with any discontinued you can. Rewalk those aisles again later in the week.

Use your TWT and Adjacency calendar to know when things are getting reset to know how much time you need to spend ptm'ing. Don't get distracted but focal on visual impact areas. Get creative with prime real estate such as end caps and PTM aisles and stage away. Add to the basket count.

Mannequin audits daily, make sure the hurdles are stocked before the weekend.

Did they set you up with any training?

Also, let me ask you, HOW am I supposed to know what is "MPG" or "PTM" in the store? That is the ONE thing I don't get...Do I just have to keep walking around asking everyone if it's MPG/PMT??

 

[Bryantpp]

The job is very new, some stores have no idea on what the vmtl does.

Also, let me ask you, HOW am I supposed to know what is "MPG" or "PTM" in the store? That is the ONE thing I don't get...Do I just have to keep walking around asking everyone if it's MPG/PMT??

 

[requiax]

MPG aisles should have a red MPG label on the bottom shelf in the first section of the planogram. You can also go on TWT and look at what is getting set soon. Partner with your PTL too, they will be able to help you figure out what is setting when.

 

[VMLwhatsthat]

Also, let me ask you, HOW am I supposed to know what is "MPG" or "PTM" in the store? That is the ONE thing I don't get...Do I just have to keep walking around asking everyone if it's MPG/PMT??

Use your resources on work bench. Learn your sales reports after all merchandising is based heavily on the numbers game. MPG report drops on Mondays. It's in online planographic under reports. It tells you all the transitional aisles of your store and what's going discontinued so you can get it on the sales floor before it go clearance. Use your TWT and adjacency calendars to learn when things resent to know how long you have to support MpG aisles. Merch update has a style huddle now. That's on Tuesdays. Friday's stock your home and trend runs for the weekend traffic. Boom. Routines.

 

[Bryantpp]

Use your resources on work bench. Learn your sales reports after all merchandising is based heavily on the numbers game. MPG report drops on Mondays. It's in online planographic under reports. It tells you all the transitional aisles of your store and what's going discontinued so you can get it on the sales floor before it go clearance. Use your TWT and adjacency calendars to learn when things resent to know how long you have to support MpG aisles. Merch update has a style huddle now. That's on Tuesdays. Friday's stock your home and trend runs for the weekend traffic. Boom. Routines.

See, I'm not arrogant, I said I needed help and asked. Thank you for the answer.

 

[VMLwhatsthat]

Thanks @RetailWorld & @VMLwhatsthat!, I like the way ya'll think ☺️ I was provided no training aside from what I can find on workbench. I have been with spot awhile and I'm familiar with most areas aside from pershiable depts. My STL wants me to provide a lot of training specifically around remerchadising and flexing. I know it'll be a challenge but totally up for it

they started adding in a style huddle in merch update for us to utilize for training and informing in huddles! Or the five tips to merchandising target has set up (presentation, composition, brand, color, hard/soft items) I also didn't have any training, but Once you get comfy target changes it up. Sounds like there will be new routines sent out the last week of October. We will see what extra comes with it! never a dull moment!

 

[VMLwhatsthat]

It's weird, I'm VML, but my ETL said that I was NOT responsible for doing the end-caps, it is someone in Hardlines. It doesn't really make sense to me, I think VML should be responsible for ALL VISUAL in the store.To me VML should be an executive position...

Really? You're not going to style prime real estate on endcaps? Just let them sell down? Stage them. Add extra flare. Is that not a VMLs place?

 

[Bryantpp]

Really? You're not going to style prime real estate on endcaps? Just let them sell down? Stage them. Add extra flare. Is that not a VMLs place?

My Manager said that the Hardlines Senior TL was going to do that. I didn't want to infringe on his responsibilities, I was just going to go by what they told me to do.

 

[VMLwhatsthat]

My Manager said that the Hardlines Senior TL was going to do that. I didn't want to infringe on his responsibilities, I was just going to go by what they told me to do.

You don't set them. You work with the lemons to remerchdise man. Stage and move things that otherwise wouldn't move.

 

[Bryantpp]

Ok, got it. Perhaps I'm just overthinking things.