5 Easy Steps for Reducing Shrink in Your Perishable Departments

1. Order Smart – Ordering smart is key to reducing perishable shrinkage. Department and store managers need to understand their own customers’ buying habits, stock on hand, order in progress, and projected sales as a guide to the amount of stock they will need to order. AirFlo displays are flexible to help you manage your floor inventory on our merchandising equipment.
2. Coding Storage Cooler – A coded storage cooler will ensure that products are displayed on a first-in, first-out basis. Department supervisors and managers must ensure that codes are adhered to on a daily basis. Perishable shrinkage needs to be on the checklist of store managers as they conduct their stores throughout the day. Merchandising systems that make it easy to rotate product ensure maximum profitability.
3. Smart Display Space Allocation – In an attempt to capture attention, many store and department managers prefer large/massive displays of fresh produce. While this may seem like a smart idea in the short-term, if not properly managed, it could lead to product spoiling. Example: freshly displayed red peppers are attractive to look at and be tempting to customers. However, piling new peppers on top of old products will shorten the life of new and old products. Managers therefore need to find a balance between enticing customers and maximizing product shelf life. Creating the illusion of a full display by utilizing appropriate fillers and dummies is one of the many ways merchandising displays can accomplish this.
4. Correct Handling – The vast majority of shrinkage in a perishable department is the result of incorrect product handling. The following are strategies for improving handling procedures: good receiving policies and procedures, strict cooler and display rotation policy, and reducing price as soon as possible on products that are close to expiring. Another way to minimize labor in handling products is by using self-facing merchandising display equipment.
5. Refrigeration and Storage – The majority of perishable goods should be stored in a temperature-controlled environment. Refrigeration must be checked daily in your cooler and refrigerated display cases to ensure that temperatures are maintained at an acceptable level. Although refrigeration slows down the growth of food spoilage bacteria, we must ensure that coolers, storage areas, and refrigerated display cases are regularly cleaned and sanitized to kill any bacteria and prevent cross-contamination. AirFlo’s display fixtures, made of anodized aluminum, help maintain temperatures and, due to the anodization process, will not chip, flake, or peel.

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