Closing Manual

for 270 Kroger’s

Produce

Department

By: Garrett Hock

Table of Contents

Closing Manual for 270 Kroger’s Produce Department .......................................... iii

Introduction ................................................................................................................ v

List of Materials ...................................................................................................... v

How This Manual Is Organized ............................................................................ vi

Chapter 1 – Preparations for Closing the Department ............................................... 7

1. Stock Shelves .................................................................................................... 7

2. Straighten up Sale Floor ................................................................................... 7

Chapter 2 – Organizing the Department .................................................................... 8

1. Move the Displays into the Freezer Storage Area ............................................ 8

2. Move Berries into Freezer ................................................................................ 8

3. Put Produce in Proper Place ............................................................................. 9

4. Date New Produce ..........................................................................................10

Chapter 3 – Cleaning the Department ......................................................................11

1. Sweep Sales Floor ..........................................................................................11

2. Sweep Cooler ..................................................................................................11

3. Sweep Freezer .................................................................................................11

4. Clean Cutting Station .....................................................................................12

5. Wash Cooler ...................................................................................................12

6. Wash Freezer ..................................................................................................13

7. Take Trash Out ...............................................................................................13

Index .........................................................................................................................14

Introduction v

Introduction

The produce department is a large area to close, and cleaning it is very time

consuming. In order to close the produce department correctly and on time, you’ll

need to follow this step-by-step instruction manual. First, you will start with the

preparations for closing the department, such as stocking all shelves and

straightening the sales floor up. Next, the organization of the entire department will

need to be completed. These things include moving certain fruits to the freezer,

putting produce where it belongs, and dating the produce. Finally, the department

needs to be cleaned thoroughly before leaving for the night. This process takes

around an hour to complete, so plan accordingly.

List of Materials

Dust pan

Broom

Dust mop

Water hose

Floor squeegee

Marker

Trash can

Trash bags

(Floor Squeegee)

How This Manual Is Organized

This manual includes the follow:

Chapter 1 - “Preparations for Closing the Department”

This chapter tells how to stock shelves correctly and shows the employee how

to straighten up the entire sales department.

Chapter 2 - “Organizing the Department”

This chapter provides details on which fruits need to be moved to the freezer,

how to date produce boxes accordingly, and where certain produce belongs in

the cooler and freezer.

Chapter 3 – “Cleaning the Department”

This chapter describes how each area of the produce department is cleaned.

Chapter 2 7

Chapter 1 – Preparations for Closing the Department

The first task is making sure all shelves look plentiful before you starting

organizing the storage area and cleaning it. The appearance of the department is

very crucial. The following describe how to prepare to close department:

1. Stock Shelves

Start by look around to see if any produce items are running low in amount. If so,

fill the items shelf to maximum capacity. You do this by removing the older

produce, and placing the new produce on the table. Then you place the older

produce on top of the new produce, so the older produce sells before the new

produce. Double check because the rest of the time you will be organize and

cleaning the department and won’t have time to do this important step again.

2. Straighten up Sale Floor

In order to straighten up the sales floor quickly and effectively you will need to

start with the closest produce to table. First arrange the potatoes, garlic, and yams

individually so they are neatly stacked on top of each other. Continue to do this to

the entire produce department.

Chapter 2 – Organizing the Department

Organization is an important aspect of effectiveness in the produce department. So

every night the department needs to be looking its best on the sales floor and in the

storage areas. The following explain how to organize the department:

1. Move the Displays into the Freezer Storage Area

The first step of getting the department orderly is moving the fruit displays into the

freezer. There are three displays around Kroger. These displays are horse troughs

on wheels. Two of the displays are located in the produce department. The second

trough is inside at the very front of the store. The last trough is located in the meat

and seafood department. The meat and seafood department is right next to the

produce department. You will need to push them into the freezer one by one

because they are filled with water and need to refreeze overnight. Roll them to

their designated places next to the lecture racks in the freezer.

2. Move Berries into Freezer

There are places in the department where there are berries not in a freezer. These

berries include: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Allowing

these fruit to stay out overnight will cause them to expire quicker. Locate these

berries; they are next to the tomato table. Fill the sale floor freezer first, and then

place the rest of the berries in the storage freezer.

Chapter 2 9

3. Put Produce in Proper Place

In the hallway in the back of the produce department where the produce is placed

on pallets before it is brought to the sale floor, extra produce is usually still here.

The produce needs to be put up in the appropriate places. Most fruit and vegetables

belong in the freezer. Fruit belong against the back wall and on the right side of the

freezer. The left wall is reserved for vegetables and lettuce carts. Tomatoes,

potatoes, yams, all peppers, and bananas belong against the right wall in the cooler.

Potatoes and yams expire a lot slower than the rest of the produce items, so they

don’t need to be frozen.

4. Date New Produce

A date needs to be written on every single new produce box, so you know when

that certain box of produce was delivered to the store. With your marker, write

todays date on the front of the new box in the upper right hand corner.

Index 11

Chapter 3 – Cleaning the Department

The cleanliness is a huge factor in the produce department’s success, and it

prevents accidents from happening. The produce department must be clean since

we deal with food. The following steps are standards set by Kroger:

1. Sweep Sales Floor

Grab the duck mop and sweep the sales floor starting from the vegetable racks and

move towards the meat department. When you are finished, used the broom to

sweep the trash into the dust pan and throw the trash away.

2. Sweep Cooler

Pick up the cutting station mats, so you can sweep there. Put the mats outside the

cooler while you clean the cooler and freezer. Grab the broom and sweep the trash

from under the cutting station and sink. Then, grab the dust mop. Mop the trash

you just swept out from under the cutting station and sink and the rest of the cooler

into a pile. Use the broom and sweep all the trash into the dust pan. Throw the

trash away in the trash can.

3. Sweep Freezer

Use the broom to sweep trash out from under the platforms the produce boxes are

on. Next, grab the dust mop and mop all the trash into a pile. Sweep the trash into

the dust pan using the broom. Throw all trash away in the trash can.

4. Clean Cutting Station

Now that most of the solid trash has been thrown away, you can start cleaning the

cutting station. The cutting station is located in the back of the produce department

in the cooler. Unravel the hose. Turn on the water hose by pushing the knob

downwards, and rinse the cutting station off. The water hose is located between the

cutting station and the sink. After you’ve rinsed the station off and it is clean, push

the knob upwards to turn the hose off. You don’t have to worry about drying the

cutting station because it dries by itself quickly. Also, don’t role the hose up yet.

You’re going to need it for a couple more steps.

5. Wash Cooler

Use the hose again, and wet the entire cooler floor. Get the hose off the floor, and

wait one minute to let the water soak into the dirty floor. While you’re waiting, lift

the drains tops out of the drains. Move the drain tops with the floor mats, so

they’re out of the way. Grab the floor squeegee. Press firmly downwards with the

squeegee on the wet floor. Start squeegeeing the room from the edges of the cooler

room, moving the water towards the open drains. Squeegee the entire cooler.

Afterwards go get the drain top, and put them back on the drains. Then, go get the

floor mats, and place them back in front of the cutting station.

Index 13

6. Wash Freezer

The last thing to wash is the freezer. Use the hose again, and wet the entire freezer

floor. Get the hose off the floor, and wait one minute to let the water soak into the

dirty floor. While you’re waiting, lift the drains tops out of the drains, and move

the drain tops out of the freezer. Grab the floor squeegee and press firmly

downwards. Start squeegeeing the room from the edges of the freezer room,

moving the water towards the open drains. Squeegee the entire freezer. Afterwards

go get the drain top, and put them back on the drains. Now, put the squeegee next

to the sink and roll the hose up. Don’t forget to turn the water off.

7. Take Trash Out

The last thing that needs to be done is the trash needs to be taken out. The

dumpster is located behind the store outside. To get there, you’ll need to take the

trash cans out the back exit. When you’re at the dumpster with the trash can or

cans, open the dumpster lid, and pick it up with one hand by the handle and the

other from the bottom. Dump the trash out. Go back into the cooler, with the trash

can, and put a new trash bag in it. The bags are located on the top shelf to the left

when you walk in the cooler. Once this is done, the closing of the produce

department is completed.

Index

Berries, 8

Broom, 11

Cleaning, 11

Cooler, 11, 12

Cutting station, 12

Date, 10

Displays, 8

Dust mop, 11

Freezer, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13

Marker, 10

Organizing, 8

Sales floor, 7, 11

Squeegee, 12, 13

Stock, 7

Trash, 13

Water hose, 12, 13