Working in Dollar General - Essay Example

One has been privileged to be part of Dollar General as a Category Supervisor in charge of organizing and managing the products offered at the store, monitoring inventory levels, determining vendor information, and projecting changes in demand and supply. Dollar General can be classified as a convenience store that makes shopping easier for consumers. Mo

Responsibilities continue to ensue until past closing time. Most of the time is spent on one’s feet, determining inventory levels and the need for re-order points. Interaction with personnel, suppliers, and customers needs to be reinforced and established with effective rapport and a sense of cordiality and respect to gain satisfaction and loyalty. Regular and accurate reports are expected by senior management in terms of the performance of product categories and the need for changes when significant factors in the environment impinge on either the demand or supply of a particular product. Thus, vigilance and discernment are expected in one’s role and the ability to scan both the internal and external environment.

One needs to regularly monitor the movement of products and the way personnel handles them. Depending on the saleability and buying behavior of consumers, products are re-ordered, modified in terms of order levels, or ultimately deleted. One’s recommendation for product movement has to be rationalized and justified using analytical management tools such as the SWOT analysis: evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; as well as PEST analysis: political, economic, social, and technological factors that affect the delivery and consumption behavior of various product categories.

In addition to these, price levels are always monitored and updated in terms of economic and competitive factors that affect them. If these complications are not enough, the most challenging task for far is to make shopping a convenient task and a pleasurable experience for consumers. Shelving products in proper classifications and indicating prices clearly and properly are ensured. Perks and promotional campaigns, though handled by another supervisor, need to be evaluated in terms of their effect on saleability and inventory levels.

All the intricacies must be hidden from the critical eyes of consumers. One’s responsibility is to ensure that products are perfectly presented and prepared in the simplest form, structure, style, amount, color, packaging, and price, despite the magnanimity of hard work that comes before these products are seen on the shelves ready for consumers’ shopping pleasure. It is one’s job to make consumers perceive that shopping is indeed so convenient, affordable, and easy at Dollar General.