10 things you didn't know about what it's like to work in a Mega Image store

Mega Image is one of the most visible brands in the retail industry, a fact which is based in no small measure on their aggressive expansion campaign.

After opening 88 new branches in 2012, Mega Image increased its profit 3.5 times to RON 46.7 million (EUR 10.5 million) on the previous year, while its turnover rose by 44 percent to RON 1.75 billion (EUR 394 million), according to public data. At the end of September 2013, Mega Image, which is part of Belgian Delhaize group, launched a new retail brand in Romania, AB Cool Food, which sells exclusively frozen foods.

The latest store opening happened on February 13th 2014, when a Shop&Go unit opened its doors in District 1. In total, the Delhaize owned chain includes 168 Mega Image stores, 128 Shop&Go shops and 1 niche store (AB Cool Food) and it employs over 6,000 people.

What does it mean to work for Mega Image? Business Review talked to a Head of Department working in one of the chains’ units in the Capital’s District 2 (Obor area) to learn the secrets behind the Mega Image system.

1. Training

New employees go through a crash course of three days of training in all the Mega Image procedures and policies. The training system is a new development, only in place for the last two years. Previous to this, the head of department would choose older, more qualified employees to show the “newbies” the ropes, our source told us. The system however would take up too much time, which is why the “3 day” training course was established.

Procedures change quite frequently, and Mega Image also occasionally sends “integration leaders” in inspection in different stores to communicate with employees, find out their grievances and solve conflicts if they come up.

2. Shifts

Mega Image employees work in 8 and a half hour shifts: 6:00 – 14:30, 14:30 – 23:00. The head of the store is in charge of the employees’ schedules and programming their shifts. Working in the weekend allows you two free days during the week.

3. Employees pay for expired products

Heads of departments (fresh produce, food, non-food) are in charge of making supply orders. In some cases (fresh produce and food items) these orders need to be filled out daily. Heads of Department assign different sections to commercial workers. The workers are given a notebook for each section, wherein they keep track of expiration dates and product display schemes.

If the commercial worker is caught with expired products in the section that is under his or her management, they are required to pay for the products that expired “under their watch”.

4. No gum

There is a strict ban on chewing gum by Mega Image employees.

5. Clothing code

Mega Image employees are not allowed to wear “open footwear” such as flip-flops, slippers, or peep-toe flats. They are also required to wear pants during any time of the year (skirts and tracksuits are banned). Shorts, boxers or capris are prohibited.

6. No relations between employees

Mega Image management tends to thrown upon “office romances” or any kind of relations (romantic or familial) between its employees. While not always strictly enforced (it depends from store to store), the general theory is that employees who are involved romantically or otherwise may collaborate to commit thefts.

7. Smile

Employees are instructed to always greet their clients and wish them a nice day when they leave the store. This can lead to some awkward situations. Sometimes a client will have a question which they will blurt out since they are in a rush, but the Mega Image employee must first greet him and then answer their questions as per store regulations.

The procedure makes some clients feel offended, thinking they were subtly reprimanded for not offering a greeting in the first place.

If a client has a question about where a product is, the employee can’t just show the client and must personally lead them there. Once there, the employee must offer other options for purchases: “You know what works great with this pasta?” for examples.

Cashiers are required to make visual contact with the client, smile and always bag the products for them.

8. Employee dictionary

Planogram: the plan for product placements in the store.

Termogram: a daily overview of refrigerator temperatures.

FIFO/FEFO: “First in, first out”/”First expired, first out”, a method for organizing products so that the ones with the nearest expiration date can be sold the fastest.

“Making faces”: a way of arranging products on the shelves that makes the shelves look as full as possible (stacking products in height and not in length).

9. Wednesday, the day without promotions

Every other Thursday, a new brochure is issued that promotes sales and special offers available in Mega Image for a period of two weeks. Most of the offers end on a Wednesday, which earns the title of “day without promotions”. There are other offers available in the stores, but not from the brochure.

10. Three strikes and you’re out.

An employee caught stealing is fired on the spot. Other than that, there are different mistakes employees can make that warrant a report and after three reports, he or she is fired. Mystery shoppers are frequently sent to the stores to review the employee’s client management skills and know-how.

There are certain products that the store must always carry and have them stacked on the shelves at all times. These products are marked with a tiny colored dot on their labels. If the shelves are ever empty for these products it is considered a major oversight and the employee in charge of the section will get a report.

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