Whereas in the past scheduled tasks in the newsagency were set for weekdays, today with seven day trading it is appropriate we allocate tasks for the full seven days.
To this end we have a set of tasks we allocate to Saturdays. This is assisted by one full-timer working Tuesday through Saturday, offering a carry over from the weekday activity.
Here are the top six things we allocate to Saturday tasks – I’d note the list is often longer:
- Re-stock traffic generating front of store display units. This involves setting the shop to ensure stands and displays on the lease line are full and reflect a best-practice approach for each brand represented.
- Re-set magazines, ensuring fresh titles are at the front with full face display and weekend popular titles are placed with newspapers.
- Pull down and completely reset at least one full side of an aisle side. This is ideally done by someone not in the business during the week – to provide a fresh eyes approach.
- Process magazine early returns. We so a separate weep on a Saturday based on a sales assessment of titles and return on space and other factors.
- Check stock levels for selected departments. We track sales, on hand inventory and work out what we should order over the next week.
- Re-set the behind the counter display. This is a weekly refresh to ensure a current offer.
While the task list will vary by business, having a list of weekend specific tasks is key to getting the best possible value out of weekend resources and for keeping the business fresh for regular customers and interesting for first time visitors.
This post is not as much about the six tasks I have listed as it is about having important regular tasks that are Saturday specific. I find the more you trust people who have been given good training the better the results.