DAILY TASKING: The Key To Running A Successful Retail Store

TASKING

Being a Visual Merchandiser is not an easy job to perform and things can quickly spiral out of control, this is where tasking comes into play. You may or may not be in charge of a team of people or it may just be you but tasking in either scenario is one of those necessary evils in the retail business. It’s one way of staying on top of things that are happening as well as something tangible which you can show your superiors and I would suggest  filing these taskings per month.

DEFINITION

Simply put, tasking is walking around the store, making a list of things to do and then delegating them for execution or completing the work yourself as an individual. But how do you do this, where does one start?

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

You will need the following

·         A Pen

·         Notepad or book

·         Clipboard.

·         Mobile phone / Cellphone with camera

HOW TO DO TASKING

Everything in life has a starting point and so does the tasking. You will need your team of assistants with you or depending on your structure and job spec, just yourself to complete the tasking list. I would recommend informing your Line Manager before you start and inviting him / her to join you.

Start at your windows and store front. These are vitally important as they are essentially the drawcard and the first line of sight to the customer.

Ensure that everything in your windows are still clean and dusted and properly in place so that the windows continue to look as impressive as when you first changed them. If the windows are dirty ask a cleaner to clean them or alternatively clean them yourself. Also check your tiles and floor and ensure this is also clean and not cracked or broken. All lights need to be functioning.

Once you’ve completed your windows check then enter the store. If you work in a department store, the department checks are all basically the same except for jewellery, watches and cosmetics. The department checks goes as follows:

·         Are all visuals up to date? If not change them.

·         Is all signage correct and are signage holders clean?

·         Is the merchandising still up to company standards?

·         Are all garment correctly sized and on proper hangers i.e. If the garment is a size small then the hanger sticker should read small etc.

·         Are all the lights in the department working? If not report to relevant department to fix.

·         Check tiles and paint within department. Are tile broken and is the paint peeling?

Now let’s look to the other departments and examine what to look for in those.

Sunglasses, Jewellery and Watches

·         Check that price points for product are correct and all on the same side.

·         Are the cabinets housing the product clean?

·         Are the cabinet inserts clean?

·         Is all branding and collateral correct and with correct product?

Once you’ve completed all your checks and written down what needs to be done. It’s up to you to then hand out these lists and tasking each individual in your team specifically. I would then advise you to email a copy of this list to your Line Manager and whatever other superiors you may have.

Next, depending again on how your structure works, I would ask each and every member of your team to sign your original tasking copy so that they are bound to complete it. This can also be used for Performance Review purposes.

During the day, monitor your staffs completion of the tasking list, ticking off various items upon completion, It is again of vital importance that you complete and end of day walk through to determine any issues for the following day as well as any outstanding issues from the current day’s tasking.

I will add an example of a tasking list to aid you with this and give you some idea on how to implement this within your own store or business.