I just got this email from Footprint. I deleted the huge spaces so it wouldn't take up so much room.

February 17, 2016
Dear Merchandising Team:
In 2016, Footprint was acquired by new ownership. The result of this change has been that our business has gained significant financial strength and we have invested in new technologies and new people as well. Our new financial partner is the strongest commercial bank in the world. The result is that we are a stronger company with more capabilities than ever. We expect 2016 to be a year of solid growth not only in our merchandising business but in other segments as well. In fact, the expectation is that the rapid growth in our other segments will lead to additional merchandising opportunities with the nation's strongest brands and retailers.
Recently, the parent of Jewel and Shaw's selected a new 3rd party merchandising provider for some of their work strictly on the basis of price. Though each of you may have an opportunity to work for the new provider, please keep in mind that Footprint will continue to be a leading provider of merchandising services nationally and on special projects at Jewel. We are committed to growing and we hope that you will grow with us. If night work turns out not to be for you, please keep us in mind and we will make every effort to give you as much work as possible. Thank you for all of the dedicated work and service and we look forward to a bright future.
Finally, a Footprint manager that will be in touch soon.
Sincerely,
Joe McGowan
Vice President Client Services
Footprint Retail Services

Is the "new merchandising company" Match Converge?

I work for Match Converge (I'm a lowly nobody) and they received the CVS cosmetic resets. Footprint is supposed to bring Neutrogena and remove the NYX cubes from the endcap. They removed the entire endcap, placing the cubes in their van.....um.....lol. Meanwhile, I'm busting arse scraping tags and applying new tags, by myself on Neutrogena and they have two guys bring in Physician's Formula endcap. Two guys, subcontracted by Footprint, bring in the endcap. One guy stands around the rest of the time while the other places the product and tags from in-line to the endcap. They didn't see her, but the District Manager for CVS was there at the time. I'm just saying.....

Quote: "Recently, the parent of Jewel and Shaw's selected a new 3rd party merchandising provider for some of their work strictly on the basis of price."

Last year I set some of those NYX cubes up in a few stores for CPM. You were never allowed to cart off with any displays, nor did you ever get help! The 300 lb. Milani fixture was a 1 person job (in their minds). People got hurt on that puppy, and ended up on short term disability from it. A small part of the reason I quit them. It sounds like Footprint has money to burn. I may just answer when they call if this is the way they do things. Easy money spends exactly the same as the cash you work your butt off for.
I feel your scraping tags pain. I just signed on to Match Converge. I can only work until noon, so I was hoping for blitz work, but, I will help in the mornings on the cosmetic resets.

Ohhhhhh CPM does some cosmetic stuff, interesting!

Yes, yes, when a company says publicly that they've sold or merged with a company that has great banking backing, well, heck sign me up! I'd recommend you sign up, you could be a lead probably.

In my area, even if someone can help in the morning hours would be awesome! Especially if it's someone who, when they don't get their way (because I'm telling them that the tag they just put inside the tray does not have a upc bar code and it should go on the outside of the tray as a price point label and stupid @#$%& like that), threatens to leave the job site and starts yelling at people and throwing things because they're frustrated because they don't know what the hell their doing and they broke their nails...lol

I just love working with the ignorant and insane. NOT. Add chronically lazy to that mix. The Queens of the nail salon shouldn't ever be hired for this kind of work. Seen them in supposed action. In my old age I have neither the stamina, nor temperament for stupidity, so that disqualifies me as a lead for the non performers. I would probably just shoot them to put them out of my misery!

See, I thought I was just discovering these people. I've never work with such a lot of lazy whiners! I promise you she was trying to remove the bullnose to get to the graphic and her nail broke right off her hand and she slammed the tray on the ground and then kicked all the little pieces!! It was a 12 pusher tray and pieces went flying everywhere. The worse part is, the part that's making me apply elsewhere, is that they text or call my area manager and she texts me and asks me to remember when I was new and to have patience with them. I don't / didn't behave like that, even when I was new! They're hiring them, can't read a pog, don't know what upc stands for (I swear).

One was working on Almay, trying to get the brackets (arms) off the 12x12 panel and was starting to sweat and make those funny body movements like they're hitting themselves, lol, so I walked over and said I can show you how to remove that. She says to me that our area manager already trained her (1 day 3 new people, not actual training) and she didn't need me telling her what to do. She said she wanted to set it, not according to any standard, but according to what is "aesthetically pleasing" to her. Can you imagine taking such liberties with a brand's pog? She then said, (took all of 1 minute 20 seconds for this whole thing to happen) that if I didn't leave her alone she didn't need this job and would hitch hike home. We were an hour and a half drive from home (she didn't have gas money so she rode with me.....turns out she doesn't own a car!). All in all, a 4 foot reset of Almay (and you know Almay hardly changed a thing) took her 15 hours and 20 minutes and I had to FIX that @#$%&!!

So I'm fixing it and, you know, for example a 12 oz product has a upc but then they put 25% more for free and, although it's the same product, but has a different upc, but goes in the same home. Well, she had put all of those in the discontinued bag. So I explained to her that Almay just put some samples or products into their carded mascaras, but that they were the same. She starts screaming at me, telling me to get the pog because they're not on there and she was doing that thing with her face and mouth like my dog does when she wants to kill a chihuahua! CVS told us to leave! I had to drive her home, and hour and a half at 10:00 at night. Blows! I'm calling all of my daughters today to tell them just how grateful I am because they are such wonderful people.

I'm going to apply with Footprint and let you know how it goes.

oh, it's awesome to vent. I apologize!

The bane of an experienced merchandiser, the newbie that goes freelance on the POG. I have not always agreed with changes the store manager wanted, but, it is their store so it's their fault. I just document the changes and move on. Did you leave her for dead on the side of the road on the way home? If not, you obviously are a much better person than I am. I hare bonus items. The crap already barely fits on the shelf, now you have to invent a way for 53 inches of product to fit on a 48 inch shelf. Magical abilities are now part of the job description. "Now, watch me pull 5 extra inches of shelf space out of my _____."
Rant away any time, there is so much to rant about.

You're hilarious! And so concise, I appreciate it!

I don't merchandise but you two are a hoot. Thanks for the laughs.

Oh yes, the joys of cosmetic resets! I took to training family members because I couldn't deal with some of the reps that I got stuck with.