Our store sales are down $1.1 million dollars compared to last year. The store manager keeps preaching that the store is profitable and making money. I'm just not seeing it. Part timers went from 25 hours to 20 hours to 10 hours. Some even have 5 hours a week. I'm not seeing where the damn money is going. If we so profitable why did we let go a ASM and a full time employee ? Why are some people getting 5 hours and others are getting 10 ? I know my store manager saving money because people who are scheduled 1 day don't even show up. Alot of other just call out. I could go into details about this store,but we've been there and done that. Something fishy is going on with this store and this company.
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One day, during a Corporate inspection, our store manager was discovered to have worn mis-matched socks. On the following day, the Store was notified of a scheduled closing.
While there had been no profitability at the Store for years, and shrinkage of inventory was through the roof with employee theft mostly to blame, it just goes to show where there are real issues.
Bottom line: It is absolutely necessary to organize your sock drawer and make the best effort to match blue to blue, black to black, etc. Unless, you're Chinese. In that event, just wear what you'd like at any time.
The loss of employees such as an ASM or Lead is determined 100% on sales. There are certain thresholds that determine your staffing levels. A year ago I had 3 ASMs and 4 leads, I now have 1 ASM and 2 leads because of the sales decrease. You can be down in sales and remain profitable of your store does a good job for example; keeping with your payroll % to sales and selling items profitably with PAs, credit, and not reducing the price of the item to protect margin. Go into Gameon and click store info on the left, go to financial, change the drop down menu to annual. You can get your stores last 10 years of info here including EBITDA. If your store has been negative EBITDA then yes be concerned. I look at quite a few of the stores that close with this tool and they are always negative for 2 previous years. You can't expect to stay open if you lose money.
Just because you have no shows or call ins doesnt mean you are on budget for hours. I know for a fact that my store manager schedules hoping some people don't show up/call in. We are NOT allowed to replace call ins under any circumstances!
Has inventory levels been reduced?
And my comments were taken in a different way than I thought. I value store managers. When I said the associate should talk to the store manager, I meant to hear what she has to say. I dont have anything to do with scheduling store hours. Many years ago, I worked in a store, and I did the scheduling. Yes I was given the hours by corporate, but there were reasons why I did the scheduling how I did. That is all I was saying.
@hak, are you a corporate plant? Because what you posted is straight nonsense. I'll answer for the manager. Hours are cut because you folks in corporate give me only so many hours for each department. The number of hours you give me keeps decreasing. It's a little better know than it was 2 months ago but you have reduced staff on me and if I try to overschedule the remaining positions even by a few hours, per your ever decreasing payroll demands, you harass me. I wish had enough hours to approach properly managing a place of business that deals with the public.
Cost of inventory year to date is 2.6 million. Sales are at 5.7 million compared to 6.8 million same time last year. Shrink was a negative 400,000 (So they say). Sales on average are down at least 5,500 a day.
Cost of inventory year to date was 2.6 million
hak: Is right there are other things that go into play. Look at the P&L.
What you're not seeing is the fact that managers have to say whatever they can to keep unrest down. That's literally what their job is.
Remember the scene in Animal House where the parade breaks into a riot and there's one guy urging everyone to "Remain Calm" ?
That's your store manager.
All of this of course inevitably leads to an even worse shopping experience the next time our members come into the store given they can't get the service they are looking for, product can't be found, or no one to ring up their sale which will lead to another $1.1 million decline in sales...and on and on until the end...
Sears is trying to show a profit by cutting deep to the bone all hours in every store have been cut, all training has been cancelled.. the market leaders have a travel ban so expect them to be cut SOON why have them if they don't travel to stores ... my guess it will happen next week , was told this week but was bumped but will be done before then end of the quarter show they again can show a profit, to keep investors in the dark as what is actully going on inside the company
Store Managers lie. They are just trying to hold onto their job, by keeping the train on the track as long as possible. If the truth comes out, panic sets in, and the store will close that much faster. It is inevitable, of course.
You can't tell the profitability of a store ONLY from the sales. You would have to see cost of inventory as well as expenses of the store. I don't think anything "fishy" is going on. The store manager probably didn't have a choice as to whether or not to keep the ASM. You would have to ask your store manager why she is scheduling as she is.