I do mystery shopping and I do demos but I haven't done merchandising yet. I signed up with Driveline but they make it sound like they are gonna try to kill you psychically. I have plantar fasciitis and so I have difficulty with standing for hours on end and things like that. Is this something I could do or does it just depend on the job? Also, is there a way to tell if the job is an easier one just by reading the job description or the specific client?

Any help is appriciated.

I'm psychic and I found it very taxing

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2013 09:00PM by lucky7s.

Cettie - Wow, I can't belive I wrote that. I hate that this forum doesn't have
spell check so I use google. I guess I didn't notice they gave me psychically and not physically. Lol at me being dumb.

lucky7s - Yeah, that was my worry. Darn.

Not dumb, but it was funny

.........

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2013 09:00PM by lucky7s.

I'm a greeting card merchandiser and am 64. I manage, but somedays I hurt a lot by the end of the day, especially when I have to haul 10-15 large boxes of cards from the backroom to the display for seasonal changeovers. That said, most days are good ones and I don't have any major health problems so that helps too. Good luck.

lucky7's - Thanks I'll go sign up for Foster Grant right now.

Rata - Sometimes I feel like I'm 80 bc my feet hurt so bad. I really wish they would get better but that's what I get for being a server and in the film industry for almost ten years.

Can you post a link to that company bc I keep searching and all I've found is a sunglasses website.

FGX is a sunglasses and readers website--Foster Grant. It is a very good company to work with. I had to stop working with Driveline. I didn't like my manager, but at the end, they were having so many resets, especially those that required partners, that I had trouble fitting it in with my other work. I wasn't making enough with them, so I signed up with other companies and am doing better. The problem with Driveline is that I couldn't turn down any work. They have a great variety of work. I will say that they are a good company to start with because there is a lot of OJT to be had with that kind of work. It's also better than the companies that have occasional work.

Cool, so you just call them or something to signup?

Sandra Sue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FGX is a sunglasses and readers website--Foster
> Grant. It is a very good company to work with. I
> had to stop working with Driveline. I didn't like
> my manager, but at the end, they were having so
> many resets, especially those that required
> partners, that I had trouble fitting it in with my
> other work. I wasn't making enough with them, so
> I signed up with other companies and am doing
> better. The problem with Driveline is that I
> couldn't turn down any work. They have a great
> variety of work. I will say that they are a good
> company to start with because there is a lot of
> OJT to be had with that kind of work. It's also
> better than the companies that have occasional
> work.

GonzoSam, I agree with Rata9948. I'm 49, and I have my good and bad days. Usually I only accept merchandising jobs that require little to no heavy lifting (20 lbs. or less) and little to no ladder climbing, and usually I can easily work 6 to 8 hours under those standards. Yet on some days, I have found that bending and spending a lot of time on my knees is quite painful and uncomfortable . . . so I would say, to invest in a portable stool, that you can sit on, if you have to work on a lot of low shelves during your service call. I have seen those stools that range between $5 to $20. Before I started using a stool for some of my reset work (that often requires working on low shelves for long periods of time each hour), I could see that I was pinching some of my nerves and my feet would be numb for several weeks, just from stooping and being on my knees for longs periods of time from just doing “1" one service call.

Sandra Sue, I just signed up with Driveline last week. I had read a lot of negative things about the company, but I need the money, since I have not been able to find a permanent full-time job since I was laid-off in 2010.

Right now, my first job with them is scheduled for a "COOKIE/CRACKER RESET" in March (slated for 4 1/2 hours to complete). Yet I do not see how I can accept the job in the Driveline Portal. So I will have to contact the Distict Manager for help, since I don't see this job in my Driveline Portal, even though I have the email stating that this assignment has been added to my work schedule.

Out of curiosity, what happens if you decline any of these assignments? During my phone interview with Driveline, they gave me the impression that I could accept or decline these assignments (without any penalty or repercussions) . . . yet they gave me the impression that they had a job board that would show jobs in my area and I could accept them at that time . . . yet they did not state that I would automatically be assigned these jobs in my area without my prior knowledge of them. I'm okay working with another person or in a team, but one company I work for, I will no longer work for or with my Team Leader or on a team with them again, because the Team Leader is a First Class Jerk! However, since that Team Leader is in charge of the Los Angeles area, I will never be able to work with anyone without him being the Team Leader when work is available when a project has to be worked by a team, thus is another reason why I have to do extra work at other merchandising companies. Yet luckily, I get enough solo merchandising work with this same company, so I don’t have to work with anyone. Yet I do hate having to pass on the team work projects, because the money is so great . . . but not great enough to have to endure working with a First Class Jerk.

I am 65 and have started merchandising. I enjoy it.....gives me a break from mystery shop reports. I find I schedule 5 to 7 mystery shops in a day and I am really tired when it is time to do the reports. With merchandising the reports are very short. I service jewelry at some of the Stage stores for MCG. I find it relaxing. Tomorrow I am going to audit a HydroyCut display at a Walmart. When I sign up with the companies I let them know I will not be climbing ladders or lifting 50 pounds.

I'm also 65 and not in that great of physical shape(quite a bit overweight) but I don't have any big health problems. I have an ongoing assignment merchandising DVD's and Blu-Rays at a big retailer. The work is not physically difficult but sometimes it can be tedious and seem never ending. A few weeks ago I had to scan and box nearly 2000 DVD's that were being returned to the vender. That took about 10 hours on my feet and I felt it.
I've filled out probably 3 dozen applications for merchandising companies and nearly if not all have stated you must able to stand for 8 hours, lift x lbs of product and climb step ladders.

ces1948...I too am 65 and do have trouble being on my feet for 8 hrs., but with my merchandising jobs that is a requirement...and suppose to be able to lift at least 40 lbs. In reality, I find that neither happens very often. My card merchandising is seasonal so when we have a changeover, yes, it takes all day on my feet for my big accounts. Boxes of cards can be very heavy, but I just lift it to a cart so not that bad. I also work for a second merchandising company doing jobs in Target like sunglasses, wireless brochures, relabeling merchandise, etc. It is not as physically taxing and also more variety most week. I wish that one had more hours but I get the hours I need between the 2 jobs most weeks. Keep trying; I have learned there are a lot of us "retired" merchandisers out there.

I'm with WestCoastWilson, the first thing you need is a step stool. Mine is from Harbor Freight and it is a toolbox, too. I keep all the things a merchandiser might need in it, and it has a handle so it can be carried easily. You can sit on it, put boxes on it so you don't have to stoop, and it's also a cagey way of getting up if you've been on your knees a little too long. (Which you shouldn't be, if you have your stool...) I'm 57 and not up to carrying around 50 pounds for very far, but I haven't run into any merchandising jobs that are out of bounds for the "mature" person. Maybe the delivery type-driving a truck and offloading, but that's a whole different type of merchandising.

One part of my job that I can no longer do is assembling the elaborate and complicated theater displays called standees. Each studio tries to outdo the other in how elaborate they make them. I do assignments for the studio that has a mouse for a mascot so you know they'll be near the top when it comes to complicated.
The latest standee is 9ft tall and 14 ft wide and the company allowed 7 hours to assemble, for normal people this probably mean closer to 10 hours. You will spend the majority of your time crawling around on the floor, reaching through access holes to tab cardboard pieces together. The whole assembly could consist of 75 pieces or more. I told my manager about a year ago that I could no longer physically do the assemblies and so far she has been willing to bring in the younger and more agile to complete this part of the job. The last elaborate standee I worked on was for the move Tangled, it took 3 of us 7 hours (21 "man" hours) to complete
I really don't expect to have this job that much longer as I would think they want someone that can do all aspects of the job.

It depends on the project as to how taxing it is. Even though sometimes my back ached, I did appreciate the exercise.

On a side note, I should have been paid extra because at each store I worked, people started coming to the area where I worked and bought stuff. I am convinced that if I hadn't been there, they wouldn't have stopped by!

Most of the merchandising work in my area are overnight resets. Start 9pm work 8 to 10 hours. The questions for this company run like this, can you stand for 8 hours, can you kneel for 8 hours (H*** no!) can you crouch for 8 hours (again, no!) can you lift 50 lbs. unaided, 100lbs with help. Can you climb and work on a ladder.
So I am focusing on clip strip, j hook, jewelry, sun glasses, magazines. The magazines can get heavy, however you can usually break down the shipment into more manageable weights in the back room. I am finding that I am better off working directly for the company the makes the product or distributes it, instead of the merchandising companies. It is a lot harder to find the retail service merchandiser positions, but when you do, they are usually much better paying. Also easier on the body.

GonzoSam Wrote:

> I have plantar fasciitis <<<

I don't know if you have heard of this simple treatment method but it solved this condition for my husband I who both had issues with it (oddly also both at the same time) and it worked.

Get a rolling pin - wood or ceramic and place it on the floor. Steady yourself by holding onto a door or something then put one foot on the rolling pin and slowly roll forward and backward placing as much weight on the foot as you can stand. It feels ... kind of icky because of the stiffened tissues in the sole of the foot, but eventually you won't mind it because it starts to relieve the pain.

You need to do this 2 or 3x per day for several weeks to see results. You are supposed to maintain it a few times a week after that, but my symptoms have not returned so I slacked off on that. We literally keep the rolling pin under a chair in the bedroom as a reminder to use it occasionally.

The other treatment, if you have good balance is to stand on the edge of a step facing up the stairs - inch your feet back off the step until it is just the ball of your foot / toes on the step with the heel in the air, and then lower your heel and softly bounce up and down. Best to do one foot at a time until you are good at it. This stretches the tendons in the sole of the foot as well as your calf muscles.

Hope this helps.

GonzoSam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do mystery shopping and I do demos but I haven't
> done merchandising yet. I signed up with Driveline
> but they make it sound like they are gonna try to
> kill you psychically. I have plantar fasciitis and
> so I have difficulty with standing for hours on
> end and things like that. Is this something I
> could do or does it just depend on the job? Also,
> is there a way to tell if the job is an easier one
> just by reading the job description or the
> specific client?
>
> Any help is appriciated.

I worked for Driveline a few years ago,did mostly snack resets so it wasn't too bad then. There were some 11 hour detergent resets though too. Recently I was doing renew resets...6 hours of hustling on your feet,pushing heavy racks,alot of getting up on down on your knees. It does get tiring after awhile physically.

Well, I am 67 and sometimes when I sit on the floor(no squatting or kneeling can't do it) I wonder if I am going to get back on my feet. But I do get up somehow.

It is not easy dealing with younger arigant managers. Climbing on ladders. The best thing about merchandising on your own is you are basically on your own and the hours worked are recorded somehow(machine, phone etc)

It became to physical for me I am 63.

I just turned down several different companies for grocery resets. I plain can't do 10 hour days anymore. The knees have had surgery, so kneeling and squatting are memories! It seems understaffing is the norm. I did accept a few last winter and every set was a minimum of 10 hours, one went to 16. This is now a never again category.

I understand plan-o-grams and what you do with them but what's a "reset"? Sometimes the jobs I see advertised look like you have to rebuild the entire store! I too have trouble with standing for 8 hours. Heck, I have trouble standing for one hour in place so can't do in-store demo's unfortunately. However, I think I can solve the standing and scanning merchandise for return by taking along a portable sitting stool. They sell them online. They look like canes but with a chair seat attached (not the ones that look like walkers). Also, they are not allowed to kick you out if you are mildly handicapped, as long as you can do the job. Thank goodness for the Americans With Disabilities Act. You can also use a dollie to move heavy boxes from place to place or from car to store. As long as the job gets done, that is what matters. Now, again what is a "reset"???

This is a great Forum. I just spent about a half hour reading the posts and learned more about merchandising than I could ever learn on Google.

A reset is where everything in the section is taken off the shelves, the shelves are moved and cleaned, then set to the new heights which the planogram states. You then take the product and place it on the shelves in the order the planogram states. (a planogram is kind of like a blueprint for where everything goes) I just did a salty snack reset which was tiny and took 2 hours. The monster cosmetic ones can take 8-12 hours.
I have bad knees so I can't kneel anymore. No, you can't sit, I've tried it. The bottom rows are next to impossible to empty out and clean. I even have a reacher to get them out and it is a problem on a grocery reset. You might want to think about couponing, or soft lines. (soft lines is working in areas like clothing, small leather goods, glasses.) There is also card and magazine merchandising, which is also the easiest way to break into merchandising. Can you be on your feet in a retail environment for more than an hour if you are walking back and forth to say a stock room or something? If not, you may have an uphill battle find jobs. There are some out there, but a 1 hour visit may not be worth it. Pay is from $8 to $10 per hour on average. Experienced people do make more, but not lots more.
Maybe price auditing, or auditing in general would be a little easier for you? Good luck, hope this helps.

A reset is typically when an entire section of product gets reworked with taking out the deleted product, putting up the new product and moving all the SKUs to their new location within the section. Manufacturers work with the corporate office of the retail store and "bid" for the locations of their product. The more money paid out usually means your product gets placed at eye level or in a prime spot where the customer will reach first. Not so great sales of a product delegates it to the very bottom or the very top. Some resets are a piece of cake, others....you will be there for a long time!

Most jobs that are reset heavy have requirements of being able to sit, kneel, stand, reach, lift up to 50 lbs etc
Honestly, when shelves have to be moved some of them are heavy! You are working in many cases by yourself and don't have anyone else to ask for help.
I take a step stool that is also a tool box with me for resets but I don't spend a lot of time sitting on it. I also have a padded kneeler (think garden kneeler) that I take with me to make kneeling on the hard floors, but there is no way to avoid kneeling on the floor entirely. There is just no way to reach the back of the bottom shelf if you are sitting (unless you are sitting on the floor -where I ended up this morning!)

Yeah, I've done some stretches similar to that with a tennis ball. My case is so bad that I wear leg braces now. I've done physical therapy too and they said my calf muscles are extremly tight and weak. I've been trying to strengthen them for the last 5 months. They got a lot better and then I ran out of therapy visits. I'm doing better again though now that I got this cool exercise equipment that helps me stretch stuff really really good! My biggest problem is that I need to wear night splints but I cannot sleep with them on. I've tried to different kinds. Blech. I'm just hoping that I can walk down the aisle in flats without my braces this September/October (haven't picked an official date yet.)