So with all of the happenings going on in the world, journalists/columnists still find time to write about grocery stores. And what I find surprising is that, it is considered news. Why?
Well, I guess, for one thing it is the outcry of the consumers.
There is an article circulating on the web that gives the impression that consumers are unhappy with the products being sold at one of the major retailers who, has added a full line of groceries to their business. You know, that one-stop shopping craze.
The main topic to this article centers around the perishable departments, more to the point - Produce.
It seems that shoppers are upset with the fact that the produce they purchase is going bad within a day or two; cost increases were also mentioned.
With all due respect, this should not be a surprise at all. Perishable product; product that continues to perish over a short period of time.
When you work in a perishable department, such as Produce, you find that not all product that comes in, is fresh. After all, imagine the time from harvesting to the time of delivery. And even though that case of apples just arrived, you might just find a bad one in the case when stocking. The same holds true for all produce. Each case of product has to be checked and when stocking, the product has to be rotated. And the work doesn't stop there. Every day, the displays have to be culled in order to pull any of the produce that might be going bad.
The leaf lettuces have to be crisped prior to being stocked on the floor and it takes a keen eye to notice when the produce may be looking a little wilted (Broccoli, Celery, Greens etc.) ; a sure sign that the coolers are not working properly.
Then there are the dated products; fruit cups, bagged salads etc..
When you take everything into consideration these perishable departments take a lot of work. And in order to maintain the work load, it takes a staff to not only do the work but care about the work that they are doing.
So when grocery shopping, here are some things to take into consideration:
1. Is the store understaffed; remember companies look at the bottom line.
2. Do the employees take pride in their job; this is hard for a company to attain if their employees
are not earning enough wages to sustain or getting enough hours to make it worth their while.
3. Is groceries a business that the company is known for; or is it just an after thought?
Keep in mind that nothing is perfect and try as we may, some things get over looked. And the other thing to take into consideration is that prices will continue to go up. This is something that is out of every one's control. So, we need to tighten up on the spending habits and take advantage of the sales because complaining won't help a thing.
But, one of the smartest things a consumer can do is to shop at a grocery store when getting groceries.
As in our store, the manager has knowledge on the products, knowledge attained after many years of working in a grocery store. And the guys who work the department, not only work hard at maintaining the department but take a personal interest in the product as well as the customers.
So, as consumers, what do we want? Do we want something we can count on or would we prefer to take a chance on the products that we purchase every time we shop?
The choice is ours!
Talk at ya later!
Well, I guess, for one thing it is the outcry of the consumers.
There is an article circulating on the web that gives the impression that consumers are unhappy with the products being sold at one of the major retailers who, has added a full line of groceries to their business. You know, that one-stop shopping craze.
The main topic to this article centers around the perishable departments, more to the point - Produce.
It seems that shoppers are upset with the fact that the produce they purchase is going bad within a day or two; cost increases were also mentioned.
With all due respect, this should not be a surprise at all. Perishable product; product that continues to perish over a short period of time.
When you work in a perishable department, such as Produce, you find that not all product that comes in, is fresh. After all, imagine the time from harvesting to the time of delivery. And even though that case of apples just arrived, you might just find a bad one in the case when stocking. The same holds true for all produce. Each case of product has to be checked and when stocking, the product has to be rotated. And the work doesn't stop there. Every day, the displays have to be culled in order to pull any of the produce that might be going bad.
The leaf lettuces have to be crisped prior to being stocked on the floor and it takes a keen eye to notice when the produce may be looking a little wilted (Broccoli, Celery, Greens etc.) ; a sure sign that the coolers are not working properly.
Then there are the dated products; fruit cups, bagged salads etc..
When you take everything into consideration these perishable departments take a lot of work. And in order to maintain the work load, it takes a staff to not only do the work but care about the work that they are doing.
So when grocery shopping, here are some things to take into consideration:
1. Is the store understaffed; remember companies look at the bottom line.
2. Do the employees take pride in their job; this is hard for a company to attain if their employees
are not earning enough wages to sustain or getting enough hours to make it worth their while.
3. Is groceries a business that the company is known for; or is it just an after thought?
Keep in mind that nothing is perfect and try as we may, some things get over looked. And the other thing to take into consideration is that prices will continue to go up. This is something that is out of every one's control. So, we need to tighten up on the spending habits and take advantage of the sales because complaining won't help a thing.
But, one of the smartest things a consumer can do is to shop at a grocery store when getting groceries.
As in our store, the manager has knowledge on the products, knowledge attained after many years of working in a grocery store. And the guys who work the department, not only work hard at maintaining the department but take a personal interest in the product as well as the customers.
So, as consumers, what do we want? Do we want something we can count on or would we prefer to take a chance on the products that we purchase every time we shop?
The choice is ours!
Talk at ya later!
No comments:
Post a Comment