[disantor]

Went to CVS 10 min after they opened, and about 5 people were checking out with their free supplies. NONE LEFT FOR ME!

When asking for a raincheck, I asked the clerk why the store had so little in the way of stock for the sale. She indicated that this happens EVERY WEEK.
They place the truck order BEFORE they see the sales circular, so they are never prepared for the "stampede" and are out within minutes.

Second, the clerk told me that the WAREHOUSE that ships the free items has had supply problems (low our out) lately.

I was dumbfounded.

So, every week, my CVS doesn't know the sale coming up when they place their truck order?

First, what kind of messed up business model is that?
Second, I wondered if we know (AFC) before my own store? How can that be? After leaving empty handed unless you count the rainchecks, I wondered if I should tell the manager about AFC!!

So, as others have found out -- the stores aren't prepared if there is a timing issue with when they place their order vs. when they find out the sale. It is indeed hard to stock for a sale if you don't know WHAT is on sale.

sigh... arrgh, so frustrating!

[HaroldS]

I don't know. It has to be the store manager. My store always has the sale stuff, and we read here about other stores having it. If we at AFC can get the sales notices weeks in advance, I'm sure the managers can too. Just makes sense to know what is going on sale to place the order.
We went to an Ace Hardware last week for some things in their ad. We didn't see anything from the ad, so asked a worker. He said, "oh we never order that sale stuff because no one around here buys it." There were a couple other things I would have bought - not on sale - but we just turned around and walked out.

[Basketlover]

I was there yesterday and they were out of filler paper, the binder and the pencils. Manager and Assis. mgr were both there. Manager told me the company orders the items for them and only sent 2-3 of certain items.
Last week they had all items on Sunday, by Tues, they were out of most.
Does not give much incentive to go there and shop.
Cashier did tell me they turn the sales on Saturday, so I am going Sat. this week as I want a LOT of Mentos.

[didie1]

I have 2 managers that ask me what things they need to order for upcoming sales (if I see them in time before they order on Tuesdays) They have the upcoming sale ads and will order from that, so that's not true what you were told. They will order up, but they aren't guaranteed that they'll get what they wanted, making it a warehouse isssue.

[bellsandbabies]

Here is the deal. My store always has the ads early, in time for the truck order day. I believe that the manager at your store that is doing the ordering is just being lazy and not checking the ads to order properly.

If you want to have your store try a little harder on the stocking issue, why dont you make a list of items that will be hot sellers before they order so that they are prepared.

Be aware, they will need to order the 3 day sale items 2 weeks in advance because most truck delivery dates are during the week, hence, past the 3 day sale. For instance, if they place their orders on Fridays then this Friday they will have to be ordering the 3 day sale items for 8/2. Its already too late for the 3 day sale for 7/26.

Also, it never hurts to ask them to order for you especially if you want a large amount of something.

I am blessed to have a great store. I e-mail my list on Thursday, he orders on Friday and I shop on truck day which is Wednesday here. So I rarely have stock problems. Of course, rainchecks are not at all bad. They never expire!

[jenniferd131]

i can't stand that stores have great sales and then don't have the stuff in stock, it is like they are just trying to get us in the store

[thenewmrsrue]

According to the manager at my store, she said that the store is on "auto" re-ordering, so they are supposed to send what they sell via the registers to replace stock, but if that's the case they should AUTOMATICALLY ship the upcoming sales stuff too. Neither store here even had a place for the vinyl binders, and the pencils were out because they only had TWO BOXES, with a limit of 2 per person...so one shopper a head of me and they were out and I got there 2 minutes after they opened. Fortunately though, I got a raincheck for the pencils and the binders, but I doubt they'll even get the binders since they don't even have a place where they were supposed to be. Even the employees were scratching their heads at where it was supposed to be....?!?

[QponClipper]

My CVS did not have any backpacks, nor even realize they were in the ad. They went in back and checked and said they saw a box way up high that said backpacks and they would have the mgr check into it when he came in at 1 and I should check back. I stopped back and talked to the manager who said he didn't have the space to put the backpacks out yet, and to be honest he had not even checked an entire pallet in back to see what else was on it......................... Very strange to not put out items that several of us had been looking for. I chose to buy my backpacks at Wal-Mart instead since they obviously had no interest in getting theirs out at CVS.

[scamelo]

I don't know anything about CVS and how they work, but as an ex employee of a major retailer who worked in electronics for 7+ years, I do know its not always the stores, or person who orders fault.

I remember many times when we would have major sales on say a low price VCR for Sunday morning coming up. We had plenty of stock and it was put out a few days earlier as it arrived. Problem was that many people did not care about the sale, wanted the product now, could not wait etc. Sometimes we would sell out of it at full price on Saturday night and have nothing left for sale on Sunday when the ad started. I have experienced this a few times. People would come in mad Sunday morning and I would try to explain we had 12 the night before and they all sold.

Again, may not have anything to do with CVS, but I do know there are lots of people who pay full price, don't care and don't want to wait.

As a note, we had no place to hide it in the back as electronics are large and our warehouse was tiny. That is why it was put out a few days before when it arrived.

I never realized this until I actually worked retail!!

[miralys]

My store did not have the binders either. I mean, they never had them, forget about being out of stock!

Thanks for all of the useful responses here. I had no idea about some of these facts.

[pprogram]

the CVS ordering system works weeks in advance (4-8)
the ad items are automatically ordered by the system and the manager has the option of increasing or decreasing the amount
the weekly ordering is used as a supplement to add items based on request or expected need - this ordering is hit or miss since the inventory at the warehouse is based on the initial ad ordering done weeks ahead - if they have more that has not already been allocated then those items get filled

the new raincheck policy is a way for you to sidestep the problem since they can now print ECBs associated with each offer at a later date. (timing issue +/_ for coupons) The downside to the raincheck policy unlike at Target is that the requests still need to be entered manually rather than automatically being entered into the ordering system - so if the manager is inept then the likelihood of him/her following through is reduced

[AshPriest]

I went to a store I don't normally go to last week and the clerk there told me that her manager is GREAT about ordering things for sales. She always orders plenty so they're not sold out. I went there yesterday for the school supplies and she was absolutely right. They had everything (minus the binders because they don't sell them) and plenty of it. It's not a tucked out of the way store either. It's on a major road and has plenty of traffic in there. I think that's going to be my new store