PA

PA

n. 1. The STORE'S Public Address system. When not otherwise in use, a steady stream of MUS-ICK! issues forth, periodically punctuated by pre-recorded PROMOS. See also PAGE, below. 2. (Very rarely) a Performance Appraisal, or job review.

Packing Theory

Packing Theory

n. The scientific discipline that provides a mathematical basis for optimizing the arrangement and stacking of quantities of items within a given space.

NOTE: I acknowledge that this is the deep end, and that I don't know much about it. However, I do know that...

TRUE STORY: Packing Theory was invented by the British Navy, who back in the days of rigging and sail were desperate to maximize the number of cannon balls and kegs of powder stuffed into their ships of war. Seems that the last man, er, boat still shooting tended to win those engagements they kept having with the Spaniards, pirates, etc. Not to mention that resupply was often weeks or even months away.

Well, here in our present context we simply observe that there is often such a thing as A Better Way, but also acknowledge that cramming the most into a given space is not for us as desperate a priority as it was for those sailors way back then. Other things, like the appearance of neatness and visual appeal are equally important to STORE MANAGERS and CUSTOMERS alike, and deserve our diligent consideration.

For a little more about circle packing, with diagrams, see, e.g.,

^{http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CirclePacking.html}

Pad

Pad

n. The left-over cookie-sized punched-out center portion of a large circular FLOOR polishing or buffing machine insert used by the CLEANING CREW. See also CLEAN-UP.

NOTE: These things are mighty handy when used for various small cleaning jobs along with RED or BLUE JUICE. E.g., for the periodic cleaning the TAG rails fronting all of an AISLE'S bottom SHELVES, etc.

Page

Page

n. Any call or announcement made over the STORE'S Public Address system: “Did you hear that page?” —v. To make such a call or announcement: “Did you page me?”

NOTE: Some people seem to thing that talking incredibly fast and/or sounding impatient or cranky is the right way to make a Page. Uh,... no.

Consider what's playing over the PA before your Page interrupts: MUS-ICK! and the occasional PROMO with professional production values. The idea here is to provide an audio environment that soothes and informs the CUSTOMERS. To help encourage them to be happy shoppers.

Thus, your style of speaking when making Pages should likewise soothe and inform. For example: “Customer assistance to Captain's Choice, please. Customer assistance to Captain's Choice.” Friendly; good manners; that kind of thing.

HOW TO: Make a PAGE

1. Pick up the telephone handset.
   

Press and release the "Page" button on the body of the phone.


Speak into the handset receiver slowly, clearly, and loud enough to be heard.

Repeat the message, saying the person's name or department name and the place or phone extension they should contact twice.


Press and release the small rectangular "Release" button on the body of the phone to break the connection silently and avoid making a loud audible “clunk” over the PA system.

5. Hang up the telephone handset.

Repetition and speaking slowly is important because—like you—other ASSOCIATES and MANAGERS are busy, are sometimes in a noisy environment, or are in the middle of conversations, and so on, and may not immediately “tune in” to what you're saying. So, help them out: speak slowly, clearly, and give the important information twice. If nothing else, it cuts way down on those ridiculous: “Please repeat the last page...” Pages.

Paid Sticker

“PAID” Sticker

“Paid” Sticker

n. A special sticker applied to CUSTOMER PURCHASES at CHECKOUT which are either too large to be bagged, or such as food and drink ITEMS which are bought by ASSOCIATES and will be consumed or used personally within the confines of the STORE. Contrast SUPPLY. See also RECEIPT.

Pallet

Pallet

n. A low, roughly table-sized platform that supports and is used to transport STACKED CASES of various PRODUCTS: “Drop those pallets under the mezz.” See also CHEP PALLET.

NOTE: Pallets are typically made from either wooden ties with cross-laid slats or a single piece of heavy-duty molded plastic. Contents may be bound around the circumference in layers of wide plastic film WRAP to help add stability.

Pallet Board

Pallet Board

n. A large piece of CARDBOARD shaped to fit over the full surface area of a PALLET. Used to protect PRODUCT from splinters, nails, etc.

Pallet Corners

Pallet Corners

n. Long, thick strips of heavy-duty, usually white CARDBOARD that are bent in a 90° angle down their length, and which are placed vertically at each of the four corners of a PALLET before it is WRAPPED, in order to protect the contents against damage.

NOTE: A typical application might be a full PALLET of cereal BOXES intended for a DISPLAY.

Paper PALLET

Paper PALLET

n. One or more occasional, special PALLETS kept aside to hold CASES of paper towels, tissues, and other paper goods of various kinds and sizes. See also WATER PALLET.

NOTE: While technically BACK-STOCK, CASES on the Paper PALLET are typically not put in the GUN because they are high-turnover, and will not spend any appreciable time in INVENTORY. These PALLETS get worked every SHIFT or so, as often as necessary to keep the SHELF reasonably full.

Peekaboo Shelf

Peekaboo Shelf

n. Also as “Peek-a-boo...” See TIE-IN SHELF. Also JUMP SHELF.

Peek-Cut

Peek-Cut

v. To peek, or look into the interior of a CARDBOARD CASE while piercing its side with a BOX CUTTER and drawing the blade around the outside of the BOX to trim away its lid and a significant amount of its upper portion, thereby reducing its height. —n. Any cut so made. See also BASE-CUT, BOX CUTTER, H-CUT, LIFT-CUT, SHARK-CUT, STACK-CUT, TAPE-CUT, TOP-CUT, TRAY-CUT, WINDOW-CUT, X-CUT.

NOTE: The purpose behind cutting away the upper part of a partially full CASE is to save space on a SPECIALS RUNNER and/or OVERSTOCK CART. And clearly, the benefit of using a Peek-Cut to do it is that you see what the KNIFE blade is doing in the CASE'S interior, and thus avoid creating inadvertent STORE DAMAGE as you attempt to cut away as much of the unwanted portion of the BOX as possible without nicking or cutting the PRODUCT inside.

Yes, you can get all macho about it, “guess-timate,” and possibly make many successful cuts without looking or peeking inside, but why put contents at risk? Don't. Instead—take a peek. It works much better that way!

Perishables

Perishables

n. The Produce DEPARTMENT; that is, fruits, veggies, etc.

Phone List

Phone List

n. A directory of in-store telephone extensions.

NOTE: For example, these are the phone extensions I know about where I work.

By DEPT. NAME			By PHONE #
Bakery	264		227	Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping	227		231	Manager
Break Room	232		232	Break Room
Capt. Choice	238		233	Meat
Cheese	251		234	Produce
COC	299		235	Floral
CSM	301		237	Dairy
CSM Desk	300		238	Capt. Choice
Dairy	237		240	Service
Deli	250		242	Pricing
Floral	235		248	Unknown
Grocery, Floor	290		249	Unknown
Manager	231		250	Deli
Meat	233		251	Cheese
Mobile, Mgr #1	314		264	Bakery
Mobile, Mgr #2	315		285	Pharmacy
Personnel	308		290	Grocery, Floor
Pharmacy	285		291	Receiving
Pricing	242		299	COC
Produce	234		300	CSM Desk
Receiving	291		301	CSM
Service	240		308	Personnel
Unknown	248		314	Mobile, Mgr #1
Unknown	249		315	Mobile, Mgr #2

There's also an unused phone back in the Dairy/Frozen back hallway: x295. Plus, there's the series of “call parking” numbers mentioned above under PHONE FEATURES: x801, x802, ... and so on.

Occasionally you might hear a PAGE like, “Security, please call extension 804.” Since it's rare for the call parking lot to fill up beyond 802, for the most part, those are likely to be PAGES intended to spook a suspected SHOPLIFTER.

One last trick: If you need to talk to another STORE, and you know its STORE NUMBER, you can pick up any in-store phone and dial [6] + Store Number to be connected to that store directly.

Pick

Pick

v. To select something out of INVENTORY. —n. The item so selected. See also C&S TAG, MISPICK, PICK LIST, PICK OF THE WEEK, WAREHOUSE.

Pick List

Pick List

n. A daily, computer-generated list of BACK-STOCK ITEMS to be gathered and THROWN to the SHELF: “I'm doing the Pick List.”

Pick List CART

Pick List CART

n. A RUNNER of BACK-STOCK ITEMS that the computer “thinks” ought to GO to the SHELF: “Work the Pick List Cart next.”

Pick of the Week

Pick of the Week

n. 1. A weekly sales promotion of a usually small ITEM at the checkout registers. Abbreviated POTW. 2. CASES of the Pick of the Week ITEM received as part of the usual LOAD: “Where's my Pick of the Week?”

Pinwheel Fold

Pinwheel Fold

v. To close a BOX or CASE by laying flaps down in a clockwise or counter-clockwise order, and folding the last flap under the first to hold them relatively secure. —n. Any closure made in such manner.

Pinwheel Pack

Pinwheel Pack

v. To put PRODUCT into a BOX, CASE or CRATE by laying it down in a clockwise or counter-clockwise order, so that the same edge of the PRODUCT packaging is in contact with the outside edge of the container, regardless of the container's rotation. —n. Anything so packed.

NOTE: Wire MILK CRATES are the container of choice for ITEMS like 100-ounce plastic jugs of laundry detergent, and the Pinwheel Pack holds four of them nicely, with every label facing outward for ease of identification.

For pouches of rice or pasta side dishes, lay them on their backs in a pinwheel arrangement, possibly alternating head-for-toe in small STACKS so each composite STACK of STACKS in the pinwheel lies flatter.

As with all packing, the idea is to clearly show what's in there, plus (what may be a slightly competing objective, namely) to minimize the task of reorientation as ITEMS are later extracted.

Plan-O-Gram

Plan-O-Gram

n. A diagram or chart used by the RESET TEAM that shows the intended placement and arrangement of the HOLES for ITEMS on the SHELF.