Retail Life

How many times in the week does Walmart, Target, Price Chopper, Hannafords, the mall come into mind for a few items? Probably more than you would really think. Shopping is very simple; you commute to the location, walk in, search for all the products you desire to purchase, pay, and walk out with your items. Shoppers have it easy, why is that? When it comes to retail service, businesses seek to make it easier and welcoming for the customers or guests to come in to receive everything they need. This is where we all take advantage and forget all the work put into it. I’m not vouching that these jobs deserve 30 or 40k a year, but the importance of knowing what comes into play with retail and how fortunate we have quick access. Here are five points to remember.

1. Fast Access

Amazon, online sites are retail providers like the one’s above, growing as our technology becomes more relied on. Shipping is the struggle. We’re all guilty when we want something, we really want it now and online shipping isn’t there yet with instant deliveries. It is very convenient when you live near a store that you can drive to pick it up and you're happy. Need milk, no problem, quick drive and boom. These businesses seek to be in areas of high demand of consumers. Not only for the needs for basic living, but to have the necessities for our enhanced lifestyles.

2. Organized

It is obvious to know milk belongs in the refrigerated department and TVs in the electronics, but stores break it down to allow the customer to have the a subcategories to where their desired product could be sitting on the shelf at. Along with this, these businesses keep up with the new releases of the new products and finding room that is relevant to the other products. You wouldn’t find the new Harry Potter book in with the toothpaste aisle.

Along with organization of products on the shelf, the employees are required to put back products that are misplaced from the customer whether they chose not to buy it, can’t afford, or just out of spite. Re-shopping is never fun for the employees as the store is left unorganized and a mess, but the customer themselves can’t find the product they need when it is found in a different aisle.

3. Fulfill needs of the customer/guest

The idea, “the customer is always right” concept still plays in retail. Sometimes missed marked sales or left up old sales or even just wrong location of the product happens. Most times if these are the case, the business will agree with the guest and thank them for finding the error leaving the customer happy. These businesses follow this trend to encourage the customers to come back and shop again. By going to a friend’s house and having a bad encounter, would you want to go back? Very unlikely, same goes for the business. The customers are the number one priority. Certainly is a priority as if one line at the registers is long as Target, the team leaders ask for the sales floor employees to make “fast access” for the customers so they don’t have to wait in lines to pay for their findings.

4. Retail Employees are Customers/Guests

We all are human, we all have basic needs, and we all have wants. Some of us are fortunate to have high paying professions, easier income, etc. Some people enjoy the life of retail, manual labor, and being around the public in a public setting. Each employee in retail are there to help customers find what they need, assist in any way or help understand what they need or what suggestions they would encourage the customer to know. Most businesses try to put employees of certain backgrounds and expertise in the right departments.

Retail stores are not not just money bag giants that seek to take everyone's earnings, but to provide the needs in a fast, welcoming, organized environment. Employees are not there just there to ring out customers or stock the shelves but to provide expertise, assistance and organizers. You'll be thanking them when you need a late evening run to the store and you need that box of cereal you forgot last time shopping, aisle G34, three shelves in on the left.