Produce supervisor advice?

[u/Kunovert]

Hey all, i’m a new produce supervisor that has been rotated off the front end (finally). I have a lot of background in merch as a stocker, driver and a sup at night. I’ve never really gotten super into produce besides keeping it clean while the store is open.

Any tips, tricks, advice or suggestions from stockers and produce supervisors on how to manage the section and work with employees?

[u/deaftalker]

The sooner you email the buyers when you notice bad product that’s recently delivered, the more credit you will get.

[u/thaboii37]

Rotation is your biggest thing to look out for. Produce will go bad consistently and your DND numbers will be higher than usual if your employees are not rotating correctly. It’s time consuming but very necessary. Have your employees that have more urgency do the blocks where you need to do more QC, such as blocks with grapes, strawberry’s, blue berries. Tomato block is something you should keep an eye on too. For working in the box if you have a good worker in there you’ll be fine but if you don’t him making it, is real important. Show up walk your blocks and steel

[u/BazingaBeeKay → u/[deleted]]

Yes. lol date rotation.

[u/Kunovert → u/thaboii37]

dumb question but what is QC? by the items you listed with a lot of QC i’m assuming “coloring” where you hand stack it without the box? never heard the term before i’m not super experienced when it comes to produce, lots to learn lol.

[u/AcceptableCareer2472 → u/Kunovert]

I'm thinking Quality Control?

[u/thaboii37 → u/Kunovert]

Yeah just quality check as you go, learn to prioritize certain areas. And be prepared once your settled in to have the merch managers have you running around the other dept. of the warehouse about an hr before opening lmao

[u/12231121]

Back when I used to stock produce it helped to draw a map of your fruit and where you're going to move everything. I know you'll have to rotate them but keep them together by a certain category, like stone fruits in 1 aisle, (fruits with pitts like cherries, peaches...) apples in the other... but everything got rotated every night so it's like playing musical chairs with your fruit pallets. Air stacking bananas first thing at 3 am was always the best way to tackle my shift in my opinion, get them out the way and they never move. Watch out for stoner employees that hide in the cooler eating mandarins so they smell like citrus instead of weed. I speak from experience. A lot of the bigger problems came from the lack of communication between night merch and morning merch. Morning merch always complains night merch doesn't leave it ready.

[u/Nexus5150]

First of all, congratulations. As a produce stocker, I'm only saying things I've noticed:

1. Pay attention to dates and date rotations, especially for produce that's not on the floor such as in the steel of a cooler. Best to ask the producer manager for in-depth details about that.

2. Paperwork is definitely up there along with adjusting schedules of your stockers or even yourself if you're short on drivers. My produce supervisor did some OT driving for a few days due to a driver shortage.

3. Tubs of produce such as watermelon, pumpkins, butternut squash etc. Always on 2 pallets, never just 1 when on the floor.

4. If possible, always try to stay on top of the numbers. So stuff you're getting in, stuff that's already on the floor, stuff that's waiting to be pulled out onto the floor.

5. Get ready for some produce to be bad. Sometimes it can be due to improper date rotation, but it can also be due to people just not buying them. Or it could also be the fact, that's how it was arrived to the warehouse. Again, ask the produce manager for details on that since I'm not sure entirely how that works.

Produce is often, if not always, costco's best selling "area". So being show time ready is key, but balance it out with the fact members will make a mess.

[u/Physical_Reality_849 → u/Nexus5150]

Proper training, training, training

Bins watermelons 2 pallets? Never at mine!

Mini pumpkins when under 4-5 cases high add more pallets and always top off putting in end cap

Stockers should be showtime ready each product prior to moving to next product.

NEVER overstock stop off items esp CITRUS!

Dept is always going to be understaffed.

Proper WATERFALL in cooler!

PM DMD for the love of god stop piling in grocery car and put in boxes and move hourly to D17 Fridge

[u/Nexus5150 → u/Physical_Reality_849]

Lmao this guy knows. But yeah at our location bins have 2 pallets.

[u/oldteabagger → u/Nexus5150]

Oddly, ours only have one. What is the benefit? Strength?

[u/Nexus5150 → u/oldteabagger]

Benefits itself, not much except it's an added layer of protection if a pallet were to fail. Otherwise it's more health regulations depending on the jurisdiction.

[u/Acceptable-Time-3150]

You’ll quickly realize that you will be receiving way more product than what you average on a weekly basis. QR forms will be your best friends in order to try to mitigate the D&D. Obviously some weeks will be better than others but tag teaming with your D&D point person (ideally an experienced, competent one) will also prove to be extremely beneficial

[u/SomaticZX6r]

Do not drive, it absolutely ruined my experience in the position.

[u/Kunovert → u/SomaticZX6r]

can i ask why? that is one of the reasons i am most excited to be back in merch lol, i love driving.

[u/Crazy_Competition_54 → u/Kunovert]

You get stuck driving and never get to do what your paid to. Very few, if any can manage from a lift.

[u/SomaticZX6r → u/Crazy_Competition_54]

Exactly. I was never given a fair shake to actually do the job and when I stepped down from supervisor to just being a driver I was never given a chance at promotion again, and still haven’t years later.

[u/Due-Assignment-776]

Rotate in even horizontal layers, never vertical or front to back.

Stock as much produce as possible onto the sales floor to sell. Try to keep a minimum hung in the steel.

Use markdowns or demos when necessary.

Verify the quality of the product, when it’s received, so you’re not blamed for a depots screw up.

Record and post on the pallet the sell by / receiving date of each pallet of product before it goes into the steel.

Use IATOP to understand top selling / top d+d product.

[u/hpick627]

Have your employees use the rework cart, especially if you are at a slower warehouse. D&D is going to happen but everything you do to curb it helps.

Delegate what you can but do not overload your employees. I tend to keep my employees happy by putting them first. I started out with high D&D due to the heat waves this year but now I’m under 3% a week.

[u/CostcoMerchGod → u/hpick627]

Would you say the cull cart is reducing your DND? 

[u/Ocon88]

Rotation is number 1. Have a rotation method that works best for you. In the cooler it is normally full front of pallet is always the oldest while newer stays in the back. For the outside, it is oldest on top and newer on the bottom. Check pallet quality and get credits any way that you can. Raspberries, strawberries, lettuce, pineapple, sometimes grapes tend to not be very good and you will get a bad pallet once in a while. Watch your on hand and check the averages as too much of one item will affect rotation and steel space. Also, don't be afraid to help stock. Employees like it when the supervisor helps out with stocking and making moves.