What's the bare minimum of employees and hours an average-sized Sears store would need to still be able to (somewhat) function?
Judging by my store, it's obvious that Eddie is trying to figure out that very same thing. I'm just wondering what you think is the line that can't be crossed?
Dont worry when your store closes, and it will, there will be unlimited hours for everyone. They will also hire new help to make your job easier, its great!
@oue Sounds like my store, and it's a two story "A" store
We ran MOA location during the holiday season with less than 40 people for three levels. It was like the other person stated. One for Appliances with occasional HL cashier, one SL cashier, one jewelry person occasionally who was the default back up cashier and one cashier upstairs in Men’s. Kids was left empty so anyone could just walk out to the parking ramp with whatever they wanted. At least three times, they forgot to lock the door and it was awkward as people walked in hours before the store opened the next day.
This is how it is working out today at our B-sized Sears store. The first two people let themselves in at 8, unlocked the doors at 10, the doors will lock at 7 and the last two closing people will let themselves out at 7:30. This is what our schedule looks like:
The OA from 8 to 11. She opened the store, along with softlines and store support.
Myself in appliances, from 9:45 to 6:30. Someone comes in at 3:45 and leaves at 7:15.
One person in tools, from 9:45 to 3:45 (I cover his lunch and break, he covered mine already!), then another from 3:45 till close at 7:15.
One person in softlines, from 8 to 4 (I covered her lunch!). Another came in at 12 and will close with the softlines zone supervisor at 7:30.
One store support from 8 to 4. The other will come in at 4 and close at 7:15.
The softlines zone supervisor, from 11 to 7:30, who will close the store this evening.
I'm taking lunch right now. Tools is covering my department (appliances and mattresses) as well as his own, so there's only ONE person in all of hardlines, if you don't count store support. Two people are in softlines, one on the register and the other (the supervisor) putting freight away.
Hardlines zone supervisor was off and the store manager is off on vacation. This is what our typical schedule looks like. We all have the entire store schedule for the week. It gets real interesting when everybody's five hours approaches for the required meal time. Usually most people are hungry before then but it is still difficult to plan around lunches and breaks.
It is frustrating. I can deal with it on dead days, but weekends or busier days raise my blood pressure. We might have an extra person per shift on those days, but that person works a short shift and you're all alone for two or three hours when it's the busiest.
Depends on if you just want a store to stay open and have a few people who do nothing but stock shelves with the little items we get, sign people up for credit cards and SYW.
Or do you want to stock shelves and give great customer service and have a clean store and have things organized, have registers open to check people out so they don''t wait too long?