A Notice To My Customers -LCBO at Mavis/Dundas Mississauga

Ghost542 · Post by **Ghost542** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:07 am

I'm taking a shot here, so bear with me.
I know that some of my old customers are regulars here, so I am hoping to reach out to them.

My name is Brent, and I am the designated Beer person at the LCBO at Mavis/Dundas in Mississauga (The big guy). I have just as of Monday returned to the store after an 8 1/2 month leave of absence, and came back to find the once prided beer section there a complete mess and disaster. I haven't seen anything like it in any store I've worked at. Several of the good beers (in my own opinion), like Coopers, Salvator etc., were gone, and even Sgt. Major IPA was being cleared out delisted..wow.

I found that there has been quite a drop in sales since I've been gone, and the effort I put into the store in the previous 6 years is gone, but I did want to say that I am back in, and trying to rebuild it. It will not be as easy this way round, because for once, the store has a hands-on manager whom DOES notice what I'm up to when it comes to ordering/listing beers, but after spending my first week back trying to organize things, I have hope to bring in what people want. (If I don't have it, ask me, I'll get it for you). I will not be able to list everything and jam like I have in the past (some of my re-listings were questioned), and I have to stick to inane guidelines, but I will do everything in my power to accomidate anyone (as long as the product is available to bring in).

I hope to see some of my old regulars back soon...

Brent

cannondale · Post by **cannondale** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:38 am

Brent, glad you're back on the job. Thanks for posting and we'll see you soon.

Publican · Post by **Publican** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:40 am

Brent, I was at your store this Thursday to pick up some English ales to drink on St. George's Day. Glad to see more than a case of Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA on the shelf. Keep up the good work

scagooch · Post by **scagooch** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:00 pm

Glad to see you back. LAst time I was there everything was being de-listed.

Ghost542 · Post by **Ghost542** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:47 pm

I couldn't believe what I saw when I looked at the computer on Monday. I had been around a few times on t he leave, often sneaking onto the computer and adding brands where I could.

I finished setting up the general area Friday, barring mistakes I made ( I didn't realize we had St Ambroise Vintage Ale on hand till I found a case Saturday night!). Now it's got to stock and see where I am at, and if I can add some more brands.

By Tuesday, the Bitter and Twisted, Urbock23, Innis and Gunn Blonde will be in. Maudite will be back by Wednesday night, and Fullers ESB and the glueten-free Lakegrist(?) just got in on Saturday...

The biggest challenge is new listings..the manager is right on me if I do...I think the store's had some issues with over-sku. (It always has, but I'd always fix things)...so it'll take creativity and patience.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:09 pm

Y'know, I think I'm gonna bookmark this thread, so that the next time someone on this forum starts complaining about how every single person at the LCBO is an overpaid unionised stock monkey who knows nothing about beer, I can point them in this direction for a heapin' helpin' of STFU.

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:19 pm

GregClow wrote:Y'know, I think I'm gonna bookmark this thread, so that the next time someone on this forum starts complaining about how every single person at the LCBO is an overpaid unionised stock monkey who knows nothing about beer, I can point them in this direction for a heapin' helpin' of STFU.

Good idea Greg. There are some of us who actually care and try to do a good job, and work towards a greater good for beer. But what do I know? I'm an overpaid stock boy who knows nothing! Nothing I tell you!

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:58 am

SteelbackGuy wrote: There are some of us who actually care and try to do a good job, and work towards a greater good for beer. But what do I know? I'm an overpaid stock boy who knows nothing! Nothing I tell you!

It's true. I've heard Len talk about what he doesn't know, and he is very thorough and precise.

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:41 am

Hey ghost,

I was wondering about your manager. You said he's really tight on SKUs. We have a few like that in my area too, though my new manager (formerly from the woodstock store) is encouraging the sale of craft beer, and has allowed for an entire end aisle to be opened to season and ontario beers.

What is your managers reason for this? I'd like to hear it. I've heard all sorts of excuses in the past.

Ghost542 · Post by **Ghost542** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:15 pm

bear with me, I can't type today for nothing...

Steelback...I think it has to do with the same factor that we give so much to Ontario wines/VQA, a push for local products. The manager is tight on SKUS, but this comes from higher up the chain. He can be reasonable. I say he is tighter, because, the past few managers, for the most part, let me controll all the store SKUs, as long as I managed it responsibly, which I do (I take my job serious), and for the most part the past managers, had "better things to do"...it's just my new manager cares a little about the store. I have space, believe me, after re-mapping out the beer section, I have space for more stuff, but my count is still dead-on. What I DON'T like about all this, is that this includes the coolers/ciders/sake/party zone stuff....which I think detracts from the whole thing. That really hurts giving up beers for other catagories, even if I oversee them too...(Beers, Coolers, Ciders, Party Zone stuff, Sake/Asian Spirits, and Kosher Products)
One plan I hope to use, as long as the higher-ups don't look too closely, is keeping the Craft beers etc "delisted", as they are not ordered through the computer, but rather, by me on the phone, and thus, can still be brought back in, as long as I have room. It will free up some SKUs for other products, and thus let me have a few more products.
I LOVE the idea of having an end-isle for craft/seasonal, but our WOW leader took one for Ontario wines, and I do have one, but I need it to blockpile Corona/Heineken/Stella, since I sacrificed a lot of their fridge space for other products....I do have the power-aisle "pod" for craft though.

I still have some issues though, that will never change. I have a co-worker who refuses to do anything BUT beer, and cannot even run cash. He is a poor worker, has little to none people skills, and cares not for 90% of the product, and he appears to most people as the face behind our store's beer area which is pathetic. Little seems to be being done about him, but I am leaning on him HEAVY (not literally though, I am quite HEAVY though) to shape up, and getting him out into the store so I can work on things. I do have to work outside the beer area in the store, I will not neglect the rest of the store, and cannot be in there 24/7, but it's no excuse for him. If you encounter him, complaining to the shift leader helps

Thanks for the encouraging words, I feel driven and inspired now to go out and crank the section up a notch...Let's see what kind of trouble I can cause this weekend

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:40 pm

Ghost542 wrote:bear with me, I can't type today for nothing...

Steelback...I think it has to do with the same factor that we give so much to Ontario wines/VQA, a push for local products. The manager is tight on SKUS, but this comes from higher up the chain. He can be reasonable. I say he is tighter, because, the past few managers, for the most part, let me controll all the store SKUs, as long as I managed it responsibly, which I do (I take my job serious), and for the most part the past managers, had "better things to do"...it's just my new manager cares a little about the store. I have space, believe me, after re-mapping out the beer section, I have space for more stuff, but my count is still dead-on. What I DON'T like about all this, is that this includes the coolers/ciders/sake/party zone stuff....which I think detracts from the whole thing. That really hurts giving up beers for other catagories, even if I oversee them too...(Beers, Coolers, Ciders, Party Zone stuff, Sake/Asian Spirits, and Kosher Products)
One plan I hope to use, as long as the higher-ups don't look too closely, is keeping the Craft beers etc "delisted", as they are not ordered through the computer, but rather, by me on the phone, and thus, can still be brought back in, as long as I have room. It will free up some SKUs for other products, and thus let me have a few more products.
I LOVE the idea of having an end-isle for craft/seasonal, but our WOW leader took one for Ontario wines, and I do have one, but I need it to blockpile Corona/Heineken/Stella, since I sacrificed a lot of their fridge space for other products....I do have the power-aisle "pod" for craft though.

I still have some issues though, that will never change. I have a co-worker who refuses to do anything BUT beer, and cannot even run cash. He is a poor worker, has little to none people skills, and cares not for 90% of the product, and he appears to most people as the face behind our store's beer area which is pathetic. Little seems to be being done about him, but I am leaning on him HEAVY (not literally though, I am quite HEAVY though) to shape up, and getting him out into the store so I can work on things. I do have to work outside the beer area in the store, I will not neglect the rest of the store, and cannot be in there 24/7, but it's no excuse for him. If you encounter him, complaining to the shift leader helps

Thanks for the encouraging words, I feel driven and inspired now to go out and crank the section up a notch...Let's see what kind of trouble I can cause this weekend

We've got a few types like that in my store as well. In fact the "beer guy" doesn't give a rats ass about beer, doesn't drink the stuff, and has our 4 fridges filled with Old Mil, Lucky, Old Mil Ice, Schlitz, O.E, Corona, Coronita, Bud, Bud Light, etc. All the while, the craft and unpasteurized beer that says "please refridgerate" is on the warm shelf.

Its too bad you have to deal with the party zone shit. That stuff is weak ass. We just got about 40 new SKUS this week. Banatini, sparkletini, fruiti tutti sparkle fuit jiuce, sangria, sangria plus tax, sangria to the next level, sangria mo mia, blue juicy shitty crap. You name it, we got it. And then when I try to bring in a new 6 pack, I can't cause I'm told we have too many SKUs. I say we stop catering to these wild vines drinkers, and start getting serious abiout what we drink!

Ralphus · Post by **Ralphus** » Fri May 01, 2009 5:09 pm

I've never had to deal with SKU's - and have no experience in selling or stocking anything .. but for curiousity sakes, can you explain what the dilemma is with having too many SKUs?

Is it just that if there's too much variety there's more chance that any given product will stay on the shelf longer than expected?

Ghost542 · Post by **Ghost542** » Sun May 03, 2009 7:56 am

Basicly, a SKU is a product listing, and each store is designed to hold so many, for shelf space. Each store has to adhire to a "SKU count". which is the amount of product the store should carry to it's shelf space. If you are over, the theory here is that you are not giving your current product enough space to handle it's sales. This is all determined by folks downtown making far more money then I ever will.

I can hold around 230 "Beers and Coolers", plus in the summer I get an additional 32 seasonal "skus" to handle the influx of new coolers released. Basicly, they expect each store to carry X number of products, or else it gets crowded.

Believe it or not, beers have it lucky. You should see some of the wine sections and liqueurs, it's insane the turnover of products there.

Ghost542 · Post by **Ghost542** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:12 am

We've got a few types like that in my store as well. In fact the "beer guy" doesn't give a rats ass about beer, doesn't drink the stuff, and has our 4 fridges filled with Old Mil, Lucky, Old Mil Ice, Schlitz, O.E, Corona, Coronita, Bud, Bud Light, etc. All the while, the craft and unpasteurized beer that says "please refridgerate" is on the warm shelf.

Its too bad you have to deal with the party zone shit. That stuff is weak ass. We just got about 40 new SKUS this week. Banatini, sparkletini, fruiti tutti sparkle fuit jiuce, sangria, sangria plus tax, sangria to the next level, sangria mo mia, blue juicy shitty crap. You name it, we got it. And then when I try to bring in a new 6 pack, I can't cause I'm told we have too many SKUs. I say we stop catering to these wild vines drinkers, and start getting serious abiout what we drink![/quote]

It depends on how stongly you enforce the planograms really. The oh-so-wise people downtown feel the fridge should have approx. 20-30 facings of Corona in the fridge, I have 5. Some managers are better then others to let a little creativity in the plans. I have some craft beers on the shelf too, it's far from a utopia. Even I have to concede that no matter if I put them in the fridge or not and push the hell out of them, not all craft beers will sell, and I can't justify using up the fridges just to sit there.

My problem with this guy working in the beer, is that 1) NO Customer Service skills whatsoever, and he knows NOTHING about anything in the store, if anyone asks a question, he sends them to another staff member. He has some bizzare medical condition that enables him to slug cases and work the floor, but cannot work cash like even the shift leaders have to endure these days, so basicly hides in the beer section all shift. He does not follow orders and does what he wants and GETS AWAY with it. He resents me comming in and taking over the beers, which he assumes is HIS section. This is funny, because I have been in charge of the beer here since the store opened in 2002, I just was on a parental leave for 8 fricking months. He pestered the DM into transferring him to our store from the B store he was in, bumping some of our better casuals.

Be patient with the coolers, this is the seasonal influx of new products, it'll slow down soon and the board provides addtitional skus to cover them. You don't want to use the seasonal skus for beers, since you lose these at the end of the season. Can't you just use SPAR to weed out the low-sellers to get your new one in? I just did so to list the Lancaster Bomber Ale....

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Sun May 03, 2009 5:10 pm

I'm curious. I never noticed that these "coolers" had taken over the world. Are there any actually worth trying? They just look like sugar and vodka to me, but maybe I'm missing something. Is there such a thing as a craft cooler?

All right, all joking aside. How does pushing so much 'junk food drink' jive with the social responsibility message these guys are hyping all the time? If the government nutritional people can come down on garbage food, why aren't they asking a few questions about the LCBO pushing these gateway cocktails on casual drinkers? Is is just profit over standards?