I have to admit, Its one job I haven't done. Someone please satisfy my curiosity. What's involved other than putting product on the shelves? How do you start out the night? How many trucks? How many members on the stock crew and what type of schedule do you keep? What paperwork (key retailing?) is involved. How are you treated in relation to day stock? Any interaction with management/grocery manager or are you on your own? Thanks for any feedback.
Hey...so I started working at Kroger, about a month ago...on night shift..recently they switched me to days. But this is how my experience went. When they started me, the person in charge gave me an aisle or two that I would do every single night. I'd walk in, condition the aisles(which means to make them all neat and straight, pull two items forward...to make it all look full and stuff) There was a person in the back unloading everything, and putting them on carts, that were seperated by aisle. I'd go in, grab the carts for the aisle, cut open the boxes and then stock them. I'd then condition the aisle once more to make sure it was straight. Then I'd continue to hit up the next aisle. Not once did I have to do key retailing paperwork. Not once. It was kind of fun at night, I liked it better than working on days.
I hear that a lot at my store (that nights are better than days), but then I see a lot of negativity about it here. Hoping to find out what's really involved. Thanks for the good info.
I haven't stocked overnight, but I did work Self Check Out over night and I got to know the stocking guys pretty well. The work is physical..really physical. Lots of lifting, bending, working on your knees, reaching over your head, etc. If I were younger, I would rather work night crew. It's sort of like when I was in the Army...physically hard, but there's a lot of camaraderie. There aren't many customers and there is a lot of joking around between the stockers. You can talk more and goof around more than you an during the day with all the customers in the store.
Prior to your arrival, trucks arrive and put pallets in the back with all the new-stuff-for-the-next-day. Upon your arrival (11:00 pm to 1:00 depending on your schedule) you and the other night stockers take all the stuff off the truck pallets and put it on "aisle pallets". One pallet for aisle 4, another pallet for aisle 5, another pallet for aisle 6, etc.
After breakdown of the truck pallets is complete, then you all take the pallets out to each aisle and commence to stock shelves. You are given one or two aisles as "yours", depending on how much is on the pallets. After you complete stocking, then you condition the aisle, and your job is complete. If you finish "early" you can help someone on another aisle.
At my store, we have a GREAT night crew. A lot of esprit de corps. We genuinely work as a team. It's like a second family. We work hard and joke a lot too. Our night crew leader is actually outstanding. He leads by example -- works harder and faster than any of us, has good strategies for the occasions when a couple of folks have the night off, and gives feedback to management that (if followed) would remove roadblocks to our efficiency.
The only thing I don't like is stupid co-managers. At my store, we have a great general manager. And, we have three co-managers -- one great one, one so-so, and one co-manager who is as smart as a fencepost, but thinks he's a great leader. The good thing is that we only have to deal with them for the first half hour of our arrival... then they go home.
Thanks for the great info. Still like to know what kind of paperwork has to be done by the lead, and how the ordering works. Does everyone order an aisle or soes night lead order, or is it the grocery manager (day shift)? Thanks again
We used to order every night for 30-45 mins. Then, our team leader spent a few weeks going aisle by aisle and fixing the balance on hands with mins and backstock to custom custom custom computer order each of our aisles. He did such a great job, we seldom order anything anymore, and our backstock has been cut in half.
Other than that, I don't know what paperwork our lead does. We mere stockers don't have to do any paperwork at all.
