Store visits give convenience store district managers and other multi-unit managers a glimpse into challenges store-level employees face on any given shift. If your convenience store is open 24 hours or late into the night, it’s important to conduct store visits at night. This gives you an opportunity to meet different members of the team, audit work assignment efficiency, and observe adherence to nighttime safety guidelines.
A successful store visit at night starts with a plan. You should know before you leave for the store what you want to observe, verify, communicate, and document. Use the following questions to create a checklist for your store visit that ensures you’ll accomplish your goals.
Outside the store:
- Are there loiterers in the parking lot?
- Are fuel prices correct and well-lit?
- Are all lights working and at proper levels?
- Is the lot and landscaping neat and free of litter?
- Is the view into the store open and brightly lit?
- Is the fuel island clean, stocked, and ready for business?
Inside the store:
- Are employees busy with customers or other tasks?
- Are employees adhering to appearance standards?
- Is the store clean and inviting?
- Are merchandising displays orderly and well-stocked?
- Are the coolers full and fronted?
- Are the coolers, cases, and freezers at proper temperatures with no signs of leaking?
- Are the lights in the cooler and freezer working with no dimming?
- Are there any safety concerns such as low displays causing a tripping hazard?
- Does the cash amount in the drawer adhere to company standards?
- Is all equipment properly working?
- Are self-serve areas clean and well-stocked?
- Is the bathroom clean and maintained?
Be Supportive in Your Store Visit
Just as important as your checklist is your interactions with staff during your visit to the store. You are there to support them and work with them to create solutions to any problems you uncover. You can’t do that if you don’t spend time talking with them. Don’t make the mistake of conducting store visits with the objective of finding all the things the store employees are doing wrong. Instead, approach you visit as an opportunity to find out what the company can do to improve operations at the store level.
Online District Manager Training
Designed specifically for multi-unit supervisors, our District Manager online training curriculum addresses the unique challenges that come with a district-level position. Included in this program is the Conducting an Effective Store Visit at Night module designed specifically for convenience stores. Click here to watch a preview learn more.
