Kohl’s Manual for Processing &

Stocking

Written By Conor Vanek

Table of Contents iii

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................. v

Getting Familiar .......................................................................................... 3

Team Roles ................................................................................................ 3

Primary Roles........................................................................................... 3

Secondary Roles ....................................................................................... 3

Supplies & Equipment .................................................................................. 4

Z-Rails .................................................................................................... 4

Carts ...................................................................................................... 4

Containers ............................................................................................... 6

Where to Begin ........................................................................................... 9

Types of Freight .......................................................................................... 9

Soft Lines (Clothing): ................................................................................ 9

Hard Lines: .............................................................................................. 9

Other Types: ........................................................................................... 9

Preparing the Dock .................................................................................... 10

Equipment to have ready for Hard-Line Freight: ......................................... 10

Equipment to have ready for Soft-Line Freight: .......................................... 10

Tips: ..................................................................................................... 10

Processing ................................................................................................ 13

Unloading ................................................................................................. 13

Unloading Tips: ...................................................................................... 13

Cut-Sorting .............................................................................................. 13

Cut/Sorting Tips: .................................................................................... 13

Processing Hard-Lines ................................................................................ 14

Stacking Tips: ........................................................................................ 14

Accessories Tips: .................................................................................... 14

Bed & Bath, Housewares, Home Décor & Seasonal Tips: .............................. 15

Processing Soft-Lines ................................................................................. 15

Hanging Tips: ........................................................................................ 15

iv

Folding Tips: .......................................................................................... 15

Hard-Tagging............................................................................................ 16

Trash/Cardboard Compactors ..................................................................... 16

Tips for Regulating Trash/Cardboard: ........................................................ 16

Taking Breaks ........................................................................................... 17

Stocking & Back Stocking .......................................................................... 19

Stocking Tips: ........................................................................................ 19

Back-Stocking ........................................................................................... 19

Back-Stock Tips: .................................................................................... 19

Finishing Up .............................................................................................. 23

Index ......................................................................................................... 24

Introduction v

Introduction

This manual is for Kohl’s associates to refer to for highly practical unloading,

processing, and stocking methods.

The job of unloading 1500 to 2000 boxes from a semi-truck should not have to be

difficult or stressful. How associates communicate with one another; organize dock

& merchandise; and maintain a continuous flow throughout dock and floor are

factors that greatly influence how difficult the job is, and how long it takes.

In most cases this manual is organized by the chronological order in which the

information is likely to be needed. It begins with preparing the dock, and ends with

cleaning up and locking everything.

This manual is not a definitive set of rules which must always be followed. The

purpose of this manual is

to prepare and inform new or inexperienced associates so that they can think

critically

to provide tips that will help to prevent accidents and keep every team

member ‘on the same page’

to help the team work smarter, not harder

Chapter 1: Getting Familiar

Chapter 1` 3

Getting Familiar

Before the team begins unloading, supplies and equipment must be accounted for

and organized. A specific place for every type of freight should be prepared. This

section will introduce most of the Key Points, Roles, and Types of Equipment that

every associate should be familiar with.

Team Roles An ideal truck unloading team consists of at least 11 people, including the

supervisor.

Your supervisor may ask you to do many things which are not included in this

manual, but certain primary roles and secondary roles must be done every single

truck day. These roles include, but are not limited to:

Primary Roles (Done by exclusively

assigned associates)

1 Unloading

1 Cut/Sorting

2 Soft Lines Processing

1 Hard Tagging

1 Shoe Processing

3 Hard Lines Processing

1 Back-Stocking

Secondary Roles (Done continuously

alongside Primary Roles)

Trash/Recycling Regulation

Processing

Stocking

What to Wear

Business casual; Dress in clothing that looks

presentable, but doesn’t compromise your ability to work easily and comfortably

Wear comfortable shoes

Avoid loose clothing as it is

more likely to get caught on

something and tear while moving around the dock

4

Supplies & Equipment

Z-Rails

Carts

Retractable

Conveyor Belt

Wheeled on top and

bottom. Used to roll all merchandise from the truck to the dock and to

separate Hard and Soft lines (Discussed further in

next chapter).

Long Z-rail

(2-row)

Used the most out of all z-rails.

Long Z-rail

(3-row)

Has an extra row and less vertical

space. Used to hang intimates & infants clothing.

Short Z-rail Holds a small amount of clothing.

Useful for hard-tagging or other soft-line tasks that involve small amounts of clothing.

U-boat Used to wheel out most stackable hard-line freight. Has six wheels and turns at the center

Shelved

U-boat

Just like a regular U-boat, but with 3 steel

shelves. Used to carry small, awkwardly shaped items which cannot be efficiently or

safely stacked on a regular U-boat.

Chapter 1` 5

Clothing Cart Used to carry folded clothing items.

Flatbed Cart Used to transport small boxes, such as jewelry

6

Containers

Box Used to deliver most merchandise. Every box should be opened with a box-cutter

and all merchandise inside should be processed. Boxes are disposed of in the

cardboard compactor. Sometimes re-used for miscellaneous purposes, such as holding loose plastic.

Plastic Tote

Ideal for transporting purses, children’s accessories, or other small objects.

Cardboard Tote

Shoes often arrive in these. Sometimes contain merchandise from several

different departments which needs to be sorted.

Each Cardboard tote should have a lid and should be collapsed and stacked safely in a designated place when not in

use.

Storage-Display

Box

Small boxes opened on the top and front. Used to organize Accessories, including:

socks, packaged underwear, pantyhose, sunglasses, hats, flip-flops, etc.

Plastic Be prepared to un-wrap a lot of plastic.

Remove all visible plastic before

merchandise is stocked in the store, unless it is used to display the brand. (Ex.

Bed pillows should stay in plastic)

Chapter 2: Where to Begin

Chapter 2 9

Soft Lines (Clothing): Young Men

Mature Men

Misses Classic

Misses Updated

Juniors

Boys

Girls

Infants

Intimates

Children’s Accessories

Infants Accessories

Where to Begin Every associate should have something to do from the moment he/she enters the

Dock. First, all equipment should be effectively organized and the conveyor belt

should be assembled and ready. Then, the supervisor will unlock the truck and the

team will begin Unloading & Processing.

To avoid confusion you should become familiar with all types of merchandise.

Types of Freight The Conveyor Belt splits off and divides merchandise into two general types: HARD

HARD LINES and SOFT LINES

Hard Lines: Men’s Accessories,

Women’s Accessories

Luggage

Toys

Housewares

Bath

Bedding

Seasonal

Home Décor

Other Types: Shoes: Shoes are different from soft-lines because they are sold in boxes, but

unique to hard-lines because they are worn and need to be hard-tagged.

Kohls Cares for Kids (KCK) Merchandise: Boxes are labeled1 99 and often

contain children’s books and stuffed animals. You may need to ask your

supervisor where he would like them.

1 Every box is labeled with a “Zone Number” according to which department it belongs in. Pay close

attention to Zone Numbers and label all Rails and U-boats according to Zone Number. Leave no room for things to be put in the wrong place. Make sure every associate knows where every kind of merchandise goes.

10

Equipment to have ready for

Soft-Line Freight: 2 THREE-BAR Z-RAILS

labeled Infants, Intimates

7 TWO-BAR Z-RAILS

labeled Boys, Girls, Juniors,

Young Men’s, Mature Men’s,

Misses Classic, Misses

Updated

1 SHORT Z-RAIL for hard-

tagging

7 CLOTHING CARTS

labeled Infants, Boys, Girls,

Juniors, Men’s, Misses

Classic, Misses Updated

Plenty of hard tags

Equipment to have ready for

Hard-Line Freight: 6 REGULAR U-BOATS

labeled Toys, Purses,

Luggage, Bedding,

Decorative Rugs/Pillows,

Housewares

7 SHELVED U-BOATS

labeled Housewares, Misses

Accessories*, Men’s

Accessories*, Bedding, Bath,

Seasonal/Home Décor,

Shoes

1 FLATBED CART for

Jewelry

All extra shelved carts for

shoes.

* Men’s and Misses Accessories should be

organized on shelved U-boats using Cardboard

Storage-Display boxes.

Preparing the Dock

Tips: 1. Space all carts and rails evenly and leave room to safely reach them so they

can be easily maneuvered.

2. If there are not enough shelved carts, you may need to transport two

different types of items on one cart. Only do this with items that are next to

each other in the store (Ex. Bed & Bath; Seasonal & Home Décor). However,

don’t make this a habit.

Chapter 3: Processing

13

Processing

To the Kohl’s truck team, Processing refers to everything that needs to be done

before arriving merchandise can be displayed in the store for customers. When the

dock is organized effectively and all associates are completely prepared, processing

should run smoothly. This section outlines key roles and provides strategies to

reduce confusion and make teamwork easier.

Unloading Job: To load boxes onto the belt and wheel them from the inside of the truck to

the Cut-Sorter.

Unloading Tips: 1) Efficient processing starts with the Unloader.

2) The Unloader should be one of the best heavy-lifters on the team and should

consider wearing a back-support belt if available.

3) Unloader must keep the belt as full as possible at all times and make sure

Cut-Sorter is never waiting.

4) To help reduce back-ups, mix all different types of merchandise up on the

belt.

5) If the Unloader fills the belt with all Soft-Lines, the Soft-Lines section will

become overwhelmed and Hard-Lines will be empty. Try to keep every area

of the dock moving in unison.

Cut-Sorting Job: To completely open all boxes in the truck and send them to the Hard-Lines

section or the Soft-Lines section (unless instructed otherwise)

Cut/Sorting Tips: 1) The Cut-Sorter, as well as at least one person on each side of the dock,

should have a safe box-cutter. Remember to always cut away from all

persons.

2) When cut-sorting, pay close attention to every box. It is easy to mistake

decorative rugs with soft lines, or vice-versa.

14

3) If you receive a box containing a combination of hard and soft lines, send it

to whichever side is less busy.

4) If you get tired, let someone else take your place. Box cutters can be

dangerous in the hands of a tired worker.

5) In a back-up, consider stepping away and assisting with processing. When

the belt clears up, go back to cut-sorting.

6) No not open Jewelry

Processing Hard-Lines Job: To empty all boxes of merchandise, remove all excess packaging from

merchandise, organize all items according to department, and stock all

merchandise appropriately in the store.

For most large, rectangular items such as Luggage, boxed Housewares, and pillows,

processing is simple and clear-cut. But smaller, more oddly-shaped items need to

be handled specially and practically.

Stacking Tips: 1) If you are unsure about a stack of merchandise on a U-boat, re-arrange the

stack until you are sure it is safe to wheel in the store

2) Do not stack higher than the height of the U-boat.

3) Items that are not rectangular or otherwise difficult to stack (Ex. Pillows or

Toys) should be left in their boxes and removed in the store.

4) Do not overload U-boats. They are more likely to topple and more tedious to

unload.

Accessories Tips: 1) Organize accessories by item in Storage-Display Boxes on Shelved U-boats.

2) Set aside small, individually-wrapped items such as Sunglasses or Flip-Flops

for when things start to slow down.

3) During a back-up, set small accessories aside for later. Instead, worry about

items that take up more space on the belt, such as Cardboard Totes, Pillows,

and Large Electrics

4) For larger accessories such as purses, set plastic totes under the belt and

stack them on regular U-boats when full

15

Bed & Bath, Housewares, Home Décor & Seasonal Tips: 1) Anything small, oddly shaped, or difficult to stack as high as a U-boat

(Plates, Soap dispensers, Towels, Bed Sheets, Picture Frames, Candles,

Kitchen Utensils, etc.) should be safely organized on Shelved U-boats.

2) Use your best judgment. As a general rule, do not wheel any stack into the

store you are unsure about.

3) Stacking is not always a perfect science. If you do not trust your best

judgment, ask your supervisor.

4) Sometimes no shelved U-boats are available, so you must combine two types

of merchandise onto one U-boat. Keep them separated, and do this only if

the two departments are connected to each other (Ex. Bed/Bath,

Seasonal/Home Décor)

5) Accidents sometimes happen. If an item breaks, tell your supervisor

immediately, and make sure it is cleaned up as soon as possible.

Processing Soft-Lines Job: To empty all boxes of clothing, hang clothing properly on designated rails,

prepare all clothing for in-store display, and stock clothing in the appropriate area

of the store

Hanging Tips: 1) Don’t forget to remove plastic. Try to remove the plastic from clothing items

as you hang them.

2) Have a trash bag tied to the end of every Z-rail for plastic disposal

3) If the belt starts to back up, wait to remove plastic until the Z-rail is nearly

full

4) Place long items such as dresses or jeans on the top bar

5) Do not overfill Z-rails. This makes them more tedious to stock

Folding Tips: 1) Remove plastic off of all clothing before stacking

2) Be sure to organize all folded clothing by size

3) Some clothing items, such as jeans, stack lopsided. Rotate the clothing

different ways to keep the stack even.

16

Hard-Tagging Certain brands and price-ranges of clothing need to be tagged with an anti-theft

censor. Have one person doing this job on the Soft-Lines side.

Hard Tag:

Adult name-brand shoes (Nike, Fila, Adidas, Vans, Converse)

*Tag shoes on the top lace-hole of the LEFT side of the LEFT shoe

Adult brand-name athletic clothing over $40

*Tag Shirts and shorts on the bottom-left side at the seam

Young Men’s urban pipeline cargo shorts over $40

Levi Brand jeans over $50

*Tag Jeans next to the back belt-loop

Name-Brand swimsuits

*Tag at the left side of the waistband for bikinis

(There are more items such as certain intimates, purses, and accessories, but these

should be already tagged when they arrive at the store. For more information on

hard-tagging ask your supervisor.)

Trash/Cardboard Compactors Regulation of trash is essential to a productive day. The team should designate one

or two experienced associates to regulate compactors. This is a secondary role,

which means they will have to regulate trash alongside processing.

Tips for Regulating Trash/Cardboard: 1) It is okay to use a trash compactor for cardboard, but do not use a cardboard

compactor for trash.

2) Rules for what is allowed in compactors sometimes vary. Ask your supervisor

if you are unsure

3) Do not run both compactors at the same time. Alternate them.

4) Do not overfill a compactor. If a compactor backs up, the trash may simply

need to be stirred. Ask your supervisor how to deal with a backed-up

compactor

5) If a compactor is full, tell your supervisor.

17

Taking Breaks For an 8-hour shift Kohl’s associates get two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute

lunch break. All Truck team members should take their breaks at the same time to

keep everyone on the same page.

18

Chapter 4: Stocking & Back Stocking

19

Stocking & Back Stocking

At this point in the day, the team has several Z-rails and Carts full of smartly-

organized merchandise that is ready to be wheeled out and displayed for

customers. This section provides tips for getting merchandise onto the floor and

carts back into the dock as timely and efficiently as possible.

Stocking Tips: 1) Some sections are monitored by associates. Jewelry, Intimates, and some

Accessories can be stocked by an associate monitoring these departments,

but you must make sure everything is fully processed and organized.

2) If you are unsure about where to find some items you are stocking, have

another associate assist you.

3) If an item is not on display yet, you may need to give it a new e-sign. You

will need an RF from Customer Service to do this. If you are not sure how to

use an RF ask your supervisor or another experienced associate.

4) You may need a place to put trash. If you think that you will, bring a box to

put it in.

5) Remember to acknowledge customers and be helpful to them wherever the

opportunity arises.

Back-Stocking The Back Stock area is for merchandise that absolutely will not fit in the store, or

seasonal merchandise that is not ready to be displayed.

Back-Stock Tips: 1) Put small items in a tote before bringing them to the Back Stock area.

2) Although customers will not be seeing this area, don’t neglect to organize

everything properly.

3) You can ask your supervisor for instruction sheets on how to properly stock

any type of merchandise you are unsure about.

21

Chapter 5: Finishing Up

23

Finishing Up

After everything is unloaded from the truck and stored in its appropriate area

associates should work to make sure the dock looks the same as it did that

morning, or better. Associates must:

1) Store all empty carts, rails, and containers in their appropriate area

2) Disassemble the belt and place it back in the area which it is usually stored

3) Dispose of all trash

4) Sweep the entire dock area

5) Close and lock the door to the truck

6) Close and lock trash compactors

7) Ask your supervisor if anything else needs to be done

8) Before clocking out, make sure your supervisor knows

Index Bath, iii, 9, 10, 15

Bed, iii, 6, 10, 15 Belt, 4, 9

Box, 6, 14 compactor, 6, 16, 17 Dress, 3

Equipment, iii, 3, 4 Hard, iii, iv, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 16

Hard-Tagging, iv, 16 Home, iii, 9, 10, 15 Housewares, iii, 9, 14, 15

Processing, i, iii, iv, 3, 9, 11, 13, 14,

15 Seasonal, iii, 9, 10, 15

Shirts, 16 shoes, 3, 16 Soft, iii, iv, 3, 4, 13, 15, 16

Stock, iv, 19 Tote, 6

Trash, iv, 3, 16 U-boat, 4, 14, 15 Z-rail, 4, 15