Stores and restocking

 So many stores are now implying that restocking shelves is more important than customers shopping. We have been going into stores and finding it is difficult to shop because either aisles or shelves are being blocked with boxes of merchandise. I can see if it is the very end of the day and staff stay late to restock, but these are boxes that don’t even relate to the aisle they have been left in. The aisles are just being used as storage space. I do know that a lot of stores don’t pay for staff to stay after close to do the restocking of the shelves must be done during store hours. If you need to restock shelves during store hours, please try and limit the number of boxes that are out in the aisles all at once.

In some cases, the items that I want to buy are blocked with a stack of boxes, so I can’t even see the selection. I have mentioned this to some staff members and have been told that they need to get the boxes out of the back and onto the floor. I can see getting the boxes out of the back if you are going to be stocking the shelves right away, but not just getting the boxes out of the back and blocking aisles.

In one case I was in a craft store and found boxes and boxes of frames, etc., blocking the yarn and cross-stitch aisles. I was unable to find what I was looking for and told the staff and left and shopped elsewhere. The aisles in stores aren’t big enough to be used as storage as well as for customers to shop with shopping carts.

I am wondering if it’s a case of company policies being that stock cannot be in the back very long and must be on the sales floor, not thinking that stock should only be going onto the sales floor when there is room on the shelves for it.

Yes, we all understand that there are challenges especially during the busy season trying to keep the shelves stocked but during the slower times to keep customers in the stores we need to be able to find what we are looking for. If you are someone that works in a store, please remember that the customers are the ones that help pay everyone’s salaries and if we cannot find something because we can’t see it, we may go somewhere else, and not contribute to your pay.