Shelf Tag

Shelf Tag

n. An ITEM'S PRICE TAG, affixed to the shelf supporting it, at the leftmost edge of the ITEM'S HOLE. See also DANGLER.

NOTE: There are many different types of Shelf Tags, including the REGULAR PRICE tag, SALE PRICE tag, DISCONTINUED tag, and so on.

If the Shelf Tag you need to look at is missing, take the ITEM in question to PRICE CONTROL to SCAN its UPC with a GUN in order to get the STORE CODE, and to perhaps also learn whether or not the ITEM is currently ON SALE (although one of the STORE'S in-AISLE PRICE CHECK SCANNERS may be able to tell you that). You may or may not be instructed to leave the ITEM you brought, in order for PRICE CONTROL to make a replacement Shelf Tag.

Moving Shelf Tags is a no-no. You only do it if you've previously gotten instructions and/or permission to CUT IN a new PRODUCT or to expand one HOLE at the expense of another.

DETAILS: Shelf Tag ANATOMY. OK. Fair warning: this is the deep end of the pool. At one time I wondered what are all of the things that make up a Shelf Tag, or, what would the definition of a Shelf Tag look like? So, I tried to write one. And that's what you see below: the results of my research at one particular point. (Doubtless Shelf Tags will continue to change over time, so please just take this as a demonstration of principle.)

Now, if the definition happens to look a little strange, that's because it's written in computer-ese. More specifically, I used what one might call a loosely written modified Extended Backus-Naur (BNF) form with POSIX and GREP extensions.

Say, “Eh?” Well, the overall idea is simply that you have to define things as you go, taking absolutely nothing for granted. For instance, as you'll see below, even a single “LETTER” must be defined, here as one thing selected from the list “[ ]” of capitals and lower-case A through Z. Likewise, “*” means “zero or more;” “+” means “one or more;” “|” means “or,” and so on. In just a few moments, you can probably get the hang of it.

   

• Shelf_Tag =
  
  • , Retail_Price_Info =
    • , Item_Name = Manufacturer_Name, Blank, Product_Name ;
      
      • Manufacturer_Name = Character_String ;
        
        • Character_String = [ Letter* | Symbol* | Digit* | Blank* ]+ ;
          
          • Letter = [A-Za-z] ;
          • Symbol = [!"#$%&'()*+,-./:;?@\[\\\]_`{|}~^=<>] ;
          • Digit = [0-9] ;
          • Blank = [ \t] ;
      • Product_Name = Character_String ;
    • , Size_or_Quantity =
      
      • , Quantity = Integer {, ".", Integer }? ;
        
        • Integer = Digit {, Digit }* ;
      • , Units =
        
        • [ ( "CT" | "COUNT" )
        • | ( "OZ" | "OUNCE"{"S"}? )
        • | ( "FOZ" | "FLUID OUNCE"{"S"}? )
        • | ( "LB" | "POUND"{"S"}? )
        • | ( "SQF" | "SQUARE ", ("FOOT" | "FEET") )
        • ] ;
      • ;
    • {, Count_per_Case}? = Integer ;
    • {, UPC_Numeric_Code}? =
      
      • , Digit
      • , "-"
      • , Digit{5}
      • , "-"
      • , Digit{5}
      • {, "-", Digit}?
      • ;
    • {, Week_Number_Tag_Posted}? = [1-52] ;
    • {, Retail_Code = Commodity_Code, " - ", Store's_Stock_Code}? ;
      
      • Commodity_Code = Digit{2|3|4|5} ; (* For ordering TAGS by an entire section *)
      • Store's Stock Code = {Digit,}? Digit{5} ; (* Usually 6, but 5 digits if omit leading 0. *)
    • {, [ UPC_Bar_Code | "DSD" | (Discontinued_Date, Pull_Date) ]}? ;
      
      • UPC Bar Code = (* Pattern of Thick and Thin Vertical Bars *)
      • Discontinued_Date = Month_Number,"/",Day ;
        
        • Month_Number = [01-12] ;
        • Day = [01-31] ;
      • Pull_Date = Month_Number,"/",Day ;
    • , Retail_Unit_Price =
      
      • , ["UNIT PRICE" | "Unit Price without Bonus Card"]
      • , Price = [ Dollar_Price | Cents_Price ] ;
        
        • Dollar_Price = "$", Integer {, "." Digit{2}}? ;
        • Cents_Price = Digit {, Digit}?, "¢" ;
      • , "PER"
      • , [ Units | Quantity ] ;
    • , Retail_Price =
      
      • , ["RETAIL PRICE" | "Price without Bonus Card]
      • {, Quantity, ("FOR" | "/")}?
      • , Price
      • ;
    • ;
  • {, Dangler_Info}? =
    • | On_Sale =
      
      • , Sale_Price_Info =
        
        • , Sale_Unit_Price =
          
          • , ["UNIT PRICE" | "Unit Price with Bonus Card"]
          • , Price
          • , "PER"
          • , [ Units | Quantity ] ;
        • , Date_Sale_Ends = "Thru:" Month, " ", Day, {" TPS"}? (* TPS = “Temporary Price Savings”*);
          
          • Month = [JAN-DEC] ;
          • Day = [01-31] ;
        • {, "WITH BONUSCARD"}?
        • , [ Sale_Price | Deal] ;
          
          • Sale_Price = Price (* < Retail_Price *)
          • Deal = "BUY ONE GET ONE FREE OF EQUAL VALUE" (* E.g. *)
      • , Savings_Info = "Bonus Buy Savings", "Save", Savings_Amount {, Requirements}? ;
        
        • Savings_Amount = Price (* I.e., = Retail_Price - Sale_Price *) ;
        • Requirements =
          
          • [ "WITH BONUSCARD"
          • | "ON", Quantity {,"WITH BONUSCARD"}?
          • | "Must Buy ", ["Quantity" | Quantity]
          • ] ;
    • | New_Item = "New Item", "GOOD THRU", Date
      
      • Date = Month_Number, "/", Day, "/", Year = Digit{2}
    • | New_Low_Price = "New! Low Price"
    • | Extra_Rewards = "EXTRA REWARDS"{4}, Message, "EXTRA REWARDS Savings!"
      
      • Message = "Buy 2 THRU ", Date," GET A CHECKOUT COUPON FOR $1.00 OFF YOUR NEXT SHOPPING ORDER", "MINIMUM $1.00 PURCHASE REQUIRED" (* E.g. *)
    • | Store_Brand =
      
      • | Tout = ((* Store_Logo *), "Top Quality, Lower Price.")
      • | Generic = ("GV", "Guaranteed Value", "Good Quality.", "Everyday Low Price.", ("Exclusively at", (* Store Name *) ) ;)
      • | Health_&_Beauty = ("CareOne(TM)" ;)
      • | Laundry_&_Cleaning = ("Pure Power" ;)
      • | Pet_Products = ("Companion(TM)", Pet", "Your Trusted Friend(TM)" ;)
      • ;
    • | Compare_and_Save =
      
      • , "SAVE UP TO", Price, "Compared To"
      • , {STORE, Price, "Price Checked on ", Date }+
        
        • STORE = Character_String ;
      • , "GOOD THRU " Month_Number", "/", Date ;
    • | Discontinued = "Discontinued Item", {"SALE Clearance SALE"}?, "While Supplies Last"
    • ;
  • ;

For more about BNF, see for example:
^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backus-Naur_form#Variants}

Swell Allowance

Swell Allowance

n. A VENDOR-issued credit to the STORE, which is issued in advance as a percentage of each ORDER, and against which the STORE may internally deduct losses for such things as goods received in damaged condition, goods which go OUT-OF-DATE before they're sold, and so on. Compare RECLAMATION.

NOTE: This is not an issue that STOCK CLERKS normally deal with. RECEIVERS do. But it's interesting, nonetheless.

VENDORS like a Swell Allowance, because they issue the fixed percentile credit based on the size of the ORDER, and that's that. They don't have to worry about any further niggling. From the point of view of the STORE, however, a Swell Allowance isn't really all that “swell.” That's because the STORE would much prefer to receive full credit for any such losses. On the other hand, such a carte-blanche credit issued in advance does pose an opportunity for the STORE to make additional profit—for instance, should an entire LOT be received in good condition, and then MOVE before any of it goes OUT-OF-DATE. Plus, it does mean less paperwork (i.e., time, trouble, and expense) for both parties. So, a Swell Allowance is a compromise, and represents a delicate balance among and between the various cooperative and competing interests of both parties.