Checklist template

Perishable shrink control for grocery stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 101 items in 6 sections, covering Ordering, Production, Markdowns, Known loss recording, Receiving, Results. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 101 Items
  • 78 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 108 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Ordering 18 items

  1. Each fresh department has a named employee who writes its orders Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Each fresh department has a named backup who has written at least one order in the last 30 days Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The produce order is written from a walk of the sales floor and the cooler, not from the office Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Back stock in the produce cooler is counted before the produce order is written Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Suggested quantities from computer-assisted ordering are adjusted for ad items before the order is sent Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Quantities for the weekly ad come from the ad forecast or the same ad's sales history Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The meat order is built from the cutting list and last year's sales for the same week Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Frozen dough and par-baked bakery orders match the bake plan for the coming week Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Holiday orders (turkeys, hams, berries, cut flowers) are compared with last year's sales and leftover quantities Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Fresh items selling less than one case a week have been reviewed with the buyer or category manager Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Standing orders from direct vendors (bread, milk, floral) were reviewed in the last 30 days Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Fresh orders were sent before the warehouse cut-off time on each of the last 7 days Yes / No 1 pt
  13. No perishable back stock is sitting outside refrigeration for lack of cooler space Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The oldest received date on cases in the produce cooler is within the days of supply set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Days of supply on hand in the produce cooler at the time of the visit Number
  16. Cases of bananas on hand at the time of the visit Number
  17. Out-of-stock fresh items counted on the sales floor during the visit Number
  18. Match between fresh orders and sales in the departments walked Rating
    • Orders track sales closely 5 pts
    • Some overstock or out-of-stocks 3 pts
    • Heavy overstock or many out-of-stocks 1 pt

2. Production 18 items

  1. The deli has a written production plan for today listing the quantity to make per item Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The bakery bake-off follows a daily sheet with quantities by item Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The meat cutting list is prepared from a count of the case before cutting starts Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Rotisserie chickens are cooked in staggered batches that follow the hourly sales pattern Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The last rotisserie batch of the day is reduced according to the production plan Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Cut fruit and vegetable trays are produced to a daily par level Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Product nearing its date is used in value-added items (cut fruit, kabobs, salad bar, soup) where company policy allows Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Recipes with stated yields are available at the deli preparation station Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Tare weights programmed in the scales match the trays and containers in use Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A sample of 5 store-packed items weighed during the visit showed no overpack beyond the company tolerance Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Trim standards for meat cuts are posted at the cutting station Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Usable meat trim goes to ground product or sausage rather than to the bone barrel Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Produce with minor defects is trimmed or re-crisped before it is discarded Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Slow-selling produce displays are dummied or reduced in size to match sales Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Older product is brought to the front or the top when fresh displays are refilled Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Service case portions (deli salads, seafood) are pared down in the last hours of trading Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Rotisserie chickens unsold at closing yesterday Number
  18. Production planning in the fresh departments Rating
    • Written plans followed in every department 5 pts
    • Written plans exist but are not followed 3 pts
    • No written plans 1 pt

3. Markdowns 16 items

  1. Each fresh department has a written markdown schedule stating the days before date and the reduction Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Packaged meat reaching its markdown day was reduced before the store's peak hours today Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Day-old bakery product is moved to a designated reduced-price rack Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Markdown labels are printed from the scale or a handheld so the reduction is recorded by item Yes / No 1 pt
  5. A marked-down package scanned at a register during the visit rang at the reduced price Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The markdown label covers the original barcode Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Only employees authorized by the department manager can print markdown labels Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Employees do not mark down product for their own purchase Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Ripe bananas and blemished produce are bagged and sold at a reduced price per company program Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Short-dated dairy is reduced on the schedule rather than left to expire on the shelf Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A second markdown is applied only where the schedule allows it Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Marked-down product that does not sell is recorded as known loss on its last day Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Product eligible for the food bank program is donated instead of discarded Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Out-of-date packages found on sale in the fresh departments during the visit Number
  15. Markdown amount last week as a percentage of fresh sales (%) Number
  16. Timing of markdowns in the departments walked Rating
    • On schedule in every department 5 pts
    • Late in one department 3 pts
    • Late or missing in several departments 1 pt

4. Known loss recording 17 items

  1. Each fresh department has a working handheld or a log to record discarded product Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Product is scanned or written down before it goes into the trash, organics bin or compactor Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Known loss is recorded by item with its quantity or weight, not as a department total Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A reason code is entered for each record (out of date, damaged, quality, temperature) Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Product to be discarded is held in a marked tote or cart until the department manager has seen it Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Known loss is entered on the day the product is pulled Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Transfers between departments (produce to the salad bar, meat to the deli) are recorded at cost Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Product used for sampling and demos is recorded as store use Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Food bank donations are recorded with a separate reason code Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Receipts showing the weight of fat and bone picked up by the renderer are on file Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A check of the trash or organics bin during the visit found no unrecorded saleable product Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Product returned by customers at the service desk is recorded before it is discarded Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Loss from a case or cooler breakdown is recorded as a separate event Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The store manager initials the weekly known loss report of each fresh department Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Known loss recorded last week in the produce department (dollars) Number
  16. Known loss recorded last week in the meat department (dollars) Number
  17. Completeness of known loss records compared with what was seen being discarded Rating
    • Everything recorded 5 pts
    • Some product not recorded 3 pts
    • Recording rarely done 1 pt

5. Receiving 15 items

  1. Perishable loads that arrived above temperature in the last 4 weeks were refused or claimed for credit, not absorbed as shrink Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Bananas, tomatoes and other chill-sensitive produce are stored out of the cold cooler, at the temperature the supplier recommends Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Cases of berries, bagged salads and leaf lettuce are opened and inspected at receiving Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Produce refused or claimed for quality is photographed for the claim Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Dates on dairy and packaged meat are checked at receiving against the minimum remaining shelf life Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Short-dated product from the warehouse is claimed for credit Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A sample of catch-weight meat cases is weighed and compared with the invoice weight Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Cases are marked with the received date before they go into the cooler Yes / No 1 pt
  9. New stock is placed behind or under older stock in the walk-in coolers Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The color stage of bananas received matches the stage ordered Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Fresh cases billed but not delivered on the last load were listed and claimed before the claim deadline Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Cut flowers are put in water within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Cases of fresh product refused at the door in the last 4 weeks Number
  14. Credit claims submitted for fresh product in the last 4 weeks Number
  15. Receiving of perishable loads as a shrink control Rating
    • Inspected, dated and claimed when short or poor 5 pts
    • Inspected, but claims are missed 3 pts
    • Not inspected 1 pt

6. Results 17 items

  1. Total store shrink for the last period (% of sales) Number
  2. Produce shrink for the last period (%) Number
  3. Meat shrink for the last period (%) Number
  4. Deli and bakery shrink for the last period (%) Number
  5. Shrink results by department are posted where department managers can see them Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Each fresh department manager asked could state the department's shrink target Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Fresh department inventories are taken on the company schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Date of the last fresh department inventory Date
  9. Inventory counts are spot-checked by a second person before they are submitted Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Gross margin by fresh department is compared with budget each period Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Each department above its shrink target has a written action plan Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The ten items with the highest known loss in each department are reviewed weekly Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Retail prices of 5 scale-labeled items sampled matched the price file Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Corrective actions from the previous shrink review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Name of the store manager Short text
  16. Overall control of perishable shrink Rating
    • Ordering, production, markdowns and recording all controlled 5 pts
    • One or two of these areas need work 3 pts
    • Most of these areas are uncontrolled 1 pt
  17. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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