So corporate has decided no more risers for some stores this christmas

[TwixVoy]

So today corporate has decided that many stores in the company won't use risers this year.

For those who don't know what a riser is - it's basically an extra high shelf (which requires a ladder to reach) in which extra product is stocked on the sales floor. They get installed on to every aisle during christmas and are taken down after the holidays. This accomplishes two things - ONE it allows for more room in the backroom for extra product, and TWO during the christmas madness it allows for product to be put back on the shelf much faster because you just have to get a ladder and move it down to the lower shelves instead of having to go and find it in the backroom.

I've asked another person I work with in management if he can remember us ever NOT having risers during christmas, and in over 15 years with the company he has never seen corporate instruct stores not to use risers.

This means corporate is planning for us to receive much less product this year, and expecting us to sell much less.

Now this isn't very surprising of course, but I find it interesting there is such a difference in the picture the media is painting about us and the reality inside. The media is saying we are one of the only retailers doing well (which has been keeping the stock price good...), yet corporate is constantly making cuts to everything. Sales are in the toilet, yet the media says everything is great. Very interesting.