I spent a few minutes and read some of the pros and cons about the site. Just think what we have just done. We have just given Sears/Kmart our time by being on this site. They have just advertised by the web at a small cost to them. I believe a mailer may cost 25 to 35 cents and an email cost about 3 cents to do.They are on the tip of our tongs and in our thoughts. The power of free advertising. I believe the site is for real. I have read some of the comments of current and former assos. Whether right or wrong, the information in the comments relate to my experience with Kmart as an hourly asso. asst. manager, a merchandise manager and then a Store Manager. Retailer do use sites as well as forum groups to change their processes etc. By doing this, the retailer, hopes to become more customer friendly and drive customer traffic thus increasing sales and profits. As far as the standards of a store,the standards are a reflection of the GM. I can rememebr transferring into some real ruff stores and having to clean them up. Once the assocaites get use to your new standards, they will either rise to the occassion and develope pride in their store,leave or be asked to be leave. As far as the merchandising, I am not sure of how it is now since I have been out of the company a while but when I started we ordered goods by the MSI machine, hand wrote orders and mailed them out US mail . Before I left, we started the CMAR process in departmet 6, smalls, and then for all departments. We still had the ability to buy goods as well as adjust Return Sheets, Call for Orders, and GOs.etc.We still bought our Check Off Sheets for the most part as well as adjust our Department 43 plant orders. We were merchants. I would buy about 40 to 50 ends in Sept. to be delivered in late Nov./early December of high gross goods to go out as the Christmas goods sold down. We also bought the additional goods for the seasonable flex counters in addition to what the buyers bought for us. These were goods that I sold day in and day out so there is no liability as far as markdowns.
Stores that are out of stocks on basic items may be still able to adjust thier mim/max numbers if the store still has control over this to increase their levels of a sku of an itme on hand/on order. Not sure if they can still do this or have a cat. review of department by corp.
Coming out of Christmas and into January stores may see in certian departments a few more outs due to inventory control measures at year end. There were items in certain departments there were A,B, or C itmes and C itmes were cut off until sold out and B items were trimmed back until Feb.of the next year. This way one has less slower inventory in stores to pay taxes on at year end.as well as carry cost of the item. Stores may also see a lot of PLC taking some items up in price to increases ones Gross percent for Jan's year end.
This may not still be done but use to be done each year and prices taken back down in Feb.
As we know you have to have 2 of the following 3 itmes to make any money, SALES, GROSS, EXPENSES. You have to control 2 of the 3 to make money. I never lost money in a store in January. Why, because the amount of your sales times your gross % that you own the goods a,t minus your expenses is your profit. If you load your self up with above average hight gross goods in December, you go into January with an above average gross thus making money.
I believe the site is real and will continue to put my 2 cents in from now to then for what it is worth.
Merry Christmas
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