Okay, so you know how most stores have those employees only doors?
Yeah.
I feel like we never really stopped to think about what's going on back there.
Right.
But this article from Multimedia Plus about backroom management
really got me thinking about it in a whole new way.
Yeah, it's a whole other world back there, isn't it?
Like most of us, we just see the sales floor.
Exactly.
The shelves, the checkout lines.
Right.
We don't think about the fact that the backroom is kind of like the
heartbeat of the whole operation.
This is such a great way to put it.
So for those of us who've never stepped foot back there,
what's actually happening that's so crucial to a store's success?
Well, I think it really comes down to efficiency.
You know, we're talking about everything from receiving shipments to processing all that inventory,
organizing the stock room, all that stuff that has to happen before a product even makes it to the
shelves.
Yeah.
You know, this article actually called it the operational backbone of a store.
And I think that's a really good way to think about it.
So if there are delays back there that translates to empty shelves out here.
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah.
I mean, think about it.
Empty shelves equal frustrated choppers.
Made sense.
And frustrated choppers, they're not buying anything, are they?
Right.
If I go to buy something and it's not there because of some, you know,
backroom snafu, I'm probably just going to buy it online.
Exactly.
You hit the nail on the head.
Yeah.
I never really connected those dots before.
It's all connected.
Yeah.
And it's not even just about speed, you know.
Oh.
It's about accuracy too.
Oh.
Inventory management is a huge part of what makes a backroom run smoothly.
Making sure the right products are in stock, the right quantities,
everything's in the right place at the right time.
And this article mentioned something I thought was interesting.
It's a technology called RFID that's becoming more and more important in all this.
RFID.
I'm not familiar with that.
It sounds very futuristic.
Yeah.
Fill me in.
Yeah. So RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification.
Okay.
And basically what it is, it's these tiny little computer chips that they attach to products.
Oh, interesting.
And it allows stores to track their inventory in real time using scanners and software.
Wow.
Okay. So instead of like someone manually counting boxes, they can just like scan and see immediately.
Precisely.
Wow.
Yeah.
It's pretty amazing.
Yeah.
And that real time data, that's what makes all the difference.
That's how you keep those shelves stocked.
Right.
And it really cuts down on theft and loss too.
Yeah.
Oh, that makes sense because they can track it so closely.
Exactly.
Yeah.
That's really interesting.
I never would have thought about all that that goes into it.
Yeah.
But it sounds like a lot for, you know, just the people working back there to manage.
Sure.
What does this article say about the human element of all this?
That's a really good point because it's not all about the tech, right?
Yeah.
You got to have good people back there.
Yeah.
Yeah. The article really stresses that having a well-trained backroom staff is absolutely essential.
Makes sense.
People who are organized, detail-oriented.
Right.
And able to adapt, you know, because things change all the time.
Yeah, for sure.
New systems, new processes.
Right.
It's not just like moving boxes around back there.
No, it's not.
You got to be on top of things.
You got to have some skills.
Yeah.
And think about it, they're dealing with valuable inventory.
Right.
They're probably driving forklifts, potentially dangerous equipment.
Right.
And on top of that, they have to be comfortable with all this technology, you know, from basic
scanners to complicated inventory software.
Yeah.
It's a lot to ask.
Yeah.
So it makes sense that training is so important.
For sure.
And actually, speaking of training, the article mentioned something called insight.
Oh, yeah.
What is that?
So insight, that's actually a really cool solution they highlighted.
Okay.
It's a mobile training platform, and it's designed specifically for retail workers.
Interesting.
And it seems like it's making a big difference when it comes to keeping
backroom associates, you know, up to date on everything.
So instead of pulling everyone off the floor for hours of, you know,
classroom style training, exactly, they don't have to do that anymore.
With insight, employees can just access these bite-sized training modules.
Oh, wow.
And videos right on their phone or their tablet.
I love that.
Whenever they have a few minutes.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah.
It's like you're learning in the flow of work.
Exactly.
It's so much more engaging that way.
Makes it relevant.
Yeah.
And probably sticks with you more too.
I would think so.
Yeah.
I bet that makes a huge difference.
Yeah.
But does it actually like translate into better performance?
Yeah, that's a good question.
And the article actually gives this really interesting example.
Okay.
Talks about this major retailer.
And they are having all these problems with long checkout lines.
Oh.
Especially during like their busy times.
You know.
Right.
And it turned out that a lot of it like really came down to back room stuff.
Interesting.
Things weren't getting to the shelves fast enough.
Right.
Cashiers were having to like call around for price checks.
I've been there.
Yeah.
Total mess.
Yes.
Stuck in that line.
Exactly.
So what did they do?
Well, they actually brought an insight.
Okay.
As part of their training program.
Okay.
And they really focused on inventory management and product knowledge.
Smart.
And you know what?
It worked.
Really?
Yeah. They saw way shorter checkout times after that.
That's impressive.
The customer satisfaction went way up.
Wow.
So it's true then.
Yeah.
What happens in the back room really affects the entire store.
100%.
It's all connected.
It's wild.
And it's not even just efficiency.
You know, like we were saying.
All right.
The article also talked about how insight can help with loss prevention.
Oh wow.
Even employee safety training.
Really?
Yeah.
It's pretty comprehensive.
It's like you're giving those back room workers all the tools.
Right.
All the knowledge they need to succeed.
Empower them.
Yeah. Exactly.
And then when they succeed, the whole store succeeds.
Precisely.
I love that.
Okay. So we've covered a lot of ground here.
Yeah, we have.
About the back room.
What's the like key takeaway that you want listeners to walk away with?
You know, I think the biggest thing is just awareness.
Okay.
Like we were saying before, most people don't even think about what's going on
the back of the store.
Right.
But there's this whole hidden world back there.
Yeah.
And has a huge impact on what our experience is like at Shoppers.
It's true.
I'm definitely going to be thinking about those employees only doors a little differently now.
Like next time I'm at Target, I'm going to be like, hmm, what's going on back there?
Exactly.
And maybe we should all like give a little nod to the people back there.
Yeah.
The unsung heroes.
Is for working hard.
Making sure we can find what we need.
Exactly.
Who knows?
Maybe they just ace their latest Insight T quiz.
Yeah, maybe.
It really is a whole ecosystem, isn't it?
It is.
Back there that we don't even think about.
Totally.
And it all has to run smoothly for, you know,
Right.
For us to get what we want.
Exactly.
And when it does, everybody wins.
Well, this has been fascinating.
I feel like I learned so much today.
I do.
About like a part of shopping that I, you know,
Rare.
Literally never think about.
Yeah.
It's easy to forget about.
Yeah.
So thank you for taking us on this deep dive.
Of course.
Thanks for having me.
And for our listeners out there,
next time you see those employees only doors.
Yeah.
Maybe give them a little nod.
A little salute to the back room.
Exactly.
Appreciate those folks because they're working hard back there.
Absolutely.
They are the unsung heroes of retail.
They really are.
Making it all happen.
That's right.
All right, everyone.
Until next time.
Happy shopping.
See you.