What is the cause of the labor shortage at supermarkets? New measures to improve the worsening working environment

Are you having trouble getting as many people as you'd like?

Although many supermarkets are constantly recruiting staff, they are struggling to resolve the worsening labor shortage. This is true in any industry, but the problem of labor shortages creates a vicious cycle of poor working conditions and can easily lead to new employee turnover, so an immediate response is required.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the current state of the labor shortage in supermarkets that is troubling managers, its causes, and countermeasures.

On the other hand, did you know that there is a supermarket that has successfully solved various issues associated with labor shortages through new initiatives that are currently attracting attention in the food industry?

We will also introduce some success stories of supermarkets that have improved their working environments despite facing labor shortages, and simultaneously achieved increased productivity and profit margins, as well as the notable measures that these stores have implemented.

Reasons for supermarket labor shortages

"There is always a shortage of store staff."

Shift management is difficult

"People who are hired quit soon after."

The retail industry is plagued by a chronic labor shortage. What is the reason why new employees want to quit supermarkets soon after they are hired? Let's consider the reasons why supermarkets continue to have labor shortages.

1. Low salary

Supermarket work tends to be physically and mentally taxing, yet the wages are low. The reason is that the work is low-skilled and can be done by people of any age or even those with no experience, so it is easy to think that there is no need to raise wages.

2. Poor working conditions

Supermarkets, which are closely related to daily life, are often open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it is said that it is difficult to take time off. Moreover, even simple tasks involve a lot of carrying heavy luggage, long working hours, and hard work. When a job is one that places a great strain on the body and does not allow for rest, the turnover rate is likely to be high.

3. Difficulties in human relationships

It is easy for employees to face pressure from those with longer tenure, and for factions to form in a workplace with a large female workforce, and it is not rare for employees to leave the company due to deteriorating interpersonal relationships.

4. Stress from serving customers

Many supermarket customers are very particular about getting a good deal, with some even going out of their way to travel to a supermarket far away in the hopes of saving even just 1 yen.

Dealing with customers who complain about items being out of stock or who find that the price listed on a flyer is different from the actual price can be a huge source of stress for employees.

5. Employee circumstances

Supermarket employees tend to be students, housewives, and other people who are easily affected by changes in their living environment. Adjusting shifts can be difficult due to sudden resignations due to school or family circumstances, or income restrictions for dependents.

Impact of labor shortage on business operations

When we look at the reasons why supermarkets experience labor shortages, we can see that they are prone to labor shortages due to factors such as their management style and the characteristics of their human resources.

So, what kind of impact does a labor shortage have on the management of supermarkets? Let's explain the impact in detail and then consider what can be done to improve the situation.

Increased workload per person

When someone leaves the company, it creates an increased workload for other employees.

Given that long working hours and heavy work are already a big challenge, the increased workload per employee will lead to further employee resignations.

Increased mental burden

Working at a supermarket, where work often runs from early in the morning to late at night, can be physically and mentally taxing.

Not being able to take time off can lead to physical and mental fatigue accumulating, making it difficult to maintain mental health. This can lead to employees being unable to come to work for long periods of time, leading to further labor shortages.

Reduced time for personnel development and training

Even if you hire new people, there may be cases where you don't have the skills to train them, or even if you do, you may not be able to transfer the work properly because you don't have time for training. Not being able to transfer the work properly leads to a decrease in work efficiency.

Declining motivation to work

There is a risk that employees' motivation to work will decrease due to increased mental and physical burdens and a worsening working environment. It is necessary to create a good atmosphere in the workplace as well as a system that allows employees to feel rewarded in each task.

Deterioration of interpersonal relationships and workplace atmosphere

Supermarkets are environments where interpersonal relationships can easily become close because employees work together in a limited space. Many tasks require collaboration in teams, and if interpersonal relationships are not built well or a relationship with someone becomes strained, it can easily lead to a deterioration in the atmosphere of the entire workplace. Deterioration of interpersonal relationships can also be the cause of sudden resignation at any time.

As mentioned above, any problems that arise as a result of labor shortages can lead to further employee resignations, creating a vicious cycle that is likely to occur in every aspect of store management.

What measures should be taken to solve this labor shortage problem?

As mentioned at the beginning, we will introduce measures to resolve labor shortages and recommended policies that can improve working conditions and productivity in supermarkets from a new perspective.

Key points to resolving labor shortages in supermarkets

The labor shortage in supermarkets is likely to worsen the working environment, so immediate action is required. We will explain what specific aspects of management need to be reviewed and what measures should be taken.

Improving working conditions

In order to resolve labor shortages at supermarkets, it is extremely important not only to prevent new employee turnover, but also to improve the working environment so that operations can be made more efficient with the current number of staff even when it is difficult to hire new staff.

Review your operations and consider ways to streamline any wasteful or inefficient tasks. In particular, supermarkets that have food processing and cooking areas should review their manufacturing operations for processed foods and prepared foods.

Review of shift management

Since the work content and busyness vary depending on the time of day, we make efforts such as assigning the right people to the right time. It is more effective if employees cooperate with each other and adjust shifts so that each person can take time off.

Relaxation of employment targets

Since a labor shortage can cause a chain reaction of various problems, it is important to simply hire new people and increase staff.

If you are struggling to find workers, you may want to consider raising the upper age limit for applicants or lowering the hurdles for hiring. You may also want to actively consider hiring foreigners.

Complaint manual

In supermarkets, it is common for customers to complain about not being able to get what they want or about the price of products, which can put a heavy mental strain on employees.

It is also important to create a manual for how to handle customer complaints in such cases. By following the manual and having the manager or head office handle customer complaints, employee stress will be significantly reduced.

Introduction of self-checkouts

The introduction of self-checkouts, which are being introduced in many supermarkets, is also an effective measure.

In particular, cash register work, where customer service and money transactions occur, is an area where complaints are likely to arise, so having customers do this themselves not only reduces the workload but also helps prevent customer service stress and problems for employees.

The above are the methods often cited as solutions to the labor shortage in supermarkets.

However, in reality, despite having already implemented these measures, many supermarkets are struggling to improve their working conditions.

As mentioned at the beginning, what I would like to introduce to you today is an example of a supermarket that has significantly improved its working environment and operations by utilizing rapid freezing technology.

We will explain in detail, using actual examples, how rapid freezing technology can improve supermarket operations.

Success stories of supermarkets using freezing technology

A certain supermarket introduced rapid freezer to its stores and introduced high-quality freezing and preservation technology for ingredients and processed foods, which enabled it to alleviate various issues and create a virtuous cycle for its business.

First, it significantly reduces waste caused by expiry dates.

In addition, we streamlined each task with fewer staff, and used the time and money saved to develop new products, improve our product lineup, and improve prices to meet consumer needs. Labor improvements led to increased customer satisfaction, and as a result, we succeeded in improving our overall profit margins.

First of all, what exactly does rapid freezer enable?

What is rapid freezer?

rapid freezer is a machine that freezes food instantly, minimizing deterioration in quality and enabling long-term storage. It is particularly popular in the food industry because it can significantly extend the shelf life of food.

By using strong cold air or a cooling plate to quickly lower the temperature to the center of the food, it is possible to freeze the food without destroying its cellular structure. It also prevents the food from "dripping" when it is thawed.

What benefits does it bring to supermarkets if it becomes possible to freeze and store food for long periods while maintaining its high quality?

When introducing rapid freezer into a supermarket business, there are two possible scenarios: (1) installing them in the store itself, or (2) installing them in a central kitchen or process center that consolidates food processing and cooking operations.

We will explain the benefits of each pattern, touching on some success stories.

Benefits of installing rapid freezer in stores

There are several benefits to introducing rapid freezer into stores and ways in which they can improve working conditions. Among these, the biggest benefit for supermarkets is that they can "eliminate food waste."

What aspects of business operations will improve by achieving zero food waste?

Improve overall profit margins and selling prices

Any unsold products displayed in stores will be disposed of once their expiration date has passed. For this reason, in typical supermarket operations, the store estimates profits based on the amount of products that will be disposed of, and then determines purchasing budgets and selling prices.

In the case of the supermarket mentioned earlier, by eliminating food waste, they were able to reduce the cost of purchasing products that they had anticipated would be wasted. As a result, they were able to lower the prices of their products and still make a profit.

The introduction of rapid freezer enables products to be stored for longer periods and reduces food waste, which not only improves profit margins but also means products can be offered at lower prices, which leads to increased customer satisfaction.

Preventing opportunity loss and increasing sales

Looking at it from a different perspective, reducing food waste to zero means that rare cuts of meat and unusual fish that are hard to sell can be put on the shelves.

This will prevent lost sales opportunities to customers looking for rare cuts, and expanding the product lineup in-store will create a good impression that the store has a good selection, which will help attract new customers, which will ultimately lead to increased sales.

Cost reduction and labor hour improvement

​The advantage of being able to freeze and preserve raw meat and fish at high quality is that preparation times can be shifted to daytime. The same can be said for the production of boxed lunches and prepared foods sold at supermarkets.

Generally, cooking prepared foods to be sold in stores and slicing meat are done early in the morning on the day the ingredients are purchased due to expiration dates. However, freezing eliminates the time restrictions for food processing, making it possible to shorten working hours and reduce the workload of employees.

In addition, by purchasing ingredients when they are cheap and then processing and preserving them, we can reduce our costs and labor costs.

Frozen products can be developed in a short time

Frozen foods that meet consumer needs support the sales of many supermarkets. When trying to develop a new popular frozen food, if a company is involved, it will take a lot of time and money for trial and error such as testing and tasting.

If we can use our own rapid freezer to produce trial products and test market them in stores, we can prevent waste caused by overproduction and reduce development costs.

A certain supermarket also develops various frozen products in-house and has commercialized the most popular ones.

Benefits of installing rapid freezer at the CK Process Center

One solution suitable for supermarkets with many stores is to consolidate food manufacturing and processing in one location and install large rapid freezer there.

This method is expected to improve the working environment at each store by significantly increasing production efficiency in food processing.

Greatly improved production efficiency

Since CKs and process centers have a certain amount of space, by introducing a large, high-performance unmanned slicer, it is possible to mass-produce quickly sliced meat in a short amount of time.

By freezing the food in the same rapid freezer and transporting it to each store, the number of people required for the work and labor costs for early morning operations can be reduced, while also allowing each store to stock the necessary inventory at any time.

Consolidating manufacturing facilities in one location and being able to perform high-quality processing and frozen storage resolves the labor shortage problem and improves production efficiency and working hours at the same time.

In this way, we found that introducing rapid freezer into supermarkets and process centers can eliminate food waste, leading to various cost savings and improved production efficiency, thereby improving profit margins.

Improving store expense ratios is a major factor in improving business performance, but in order to solve the labor shortage problem, improving the working environment for employees is essential.

The introduction of rapid freezer not only reduces food waste and expenses, but can also be used as a means to improve working conditions, making them especially recommended for businesses such as supermarkets.

As mentioned in the process center example, in the next section we will also explain how the use of rapid freezer can improve general operations at supermarkets.

Introducing rapid freezer is recommended to improve working conditions

It is not easy to improve working conditions when there is a shortage of talent. This is a major issue that applies not only to supermarkets but to many food-related companies.

However, did you know that an increasing number of companies are introducing rapid freezer as a measure to improve work efficiency and productivity, even with a limited number of staff?

We will provide a detailed explanation of how freezing technology can be used to improve working conditions.

Efficient inventory management

The latest technology in rapid freezer helps to keep food fresh for longer, allowing you to stock a variety of foods, including meat, fish, and prepared foods.

This will lead to a reduction in food waste and an improvement in cost rates, allowing you to invest the saved expenses in other areas. In addition, by streamlining inventory maintenance management, you can allocate human resources to more productive tasks.

No need to bother with product discounts and stickers

Advanced freezing technology allows the quality of products to be maintained for long periods of time, preventing the quality of products on store shelves from deteriorating over time.

Usually, to prevent fresh foods and prepared foods from going unsold, discount labels are put on them after they have been on display for a long time. If they are still not sold and the expiration date has passed, they are disposed of.

This means that high-quality frozen products can be sold at lower prices and waste can be prevented.

Not compromising quality leads to increased satisfaction for customers who purchase a variety of ingredients and prepared foods, and also benefits the stores that sell them, as they can expect increased sales.

Improved working environment

For supermarkets that have food processing plants and prepared food kitchens, the introduction of rapid freezer is expected to improve the efficiency of food manufacturing and processing operations.

When handling food with a short expiration date, processing and manufacturing operations may take place in the early morning or late at night. However, if food can be frozen and kept fresh for a long period of time, it becomes possible to manufacture any type of food during the day when employees are most likely to gather, for the next day or later.

This could improve employees' working hours and workload, increase motivation, and ultimately lead to increased productivity.

The perfect rapid freezer for supermarkets

As mentioned in the previous section, there are many benefits to introducing rapid freezer into supermarket operations, but there are several types of rapid freezer. Each type has a different shape, strengths, and suitable types of food, so when introducing a flash freezer, it is important to choose one that suits your business type.

Among them, the most suitable rapid freezer for a business such as a supermarket is the batch-type Art Lock freezer. Art Lock freezers, which have unique flash freezing technology, can freeze ingredients efficiently while maintaining their quality, realizing production efficiency in the manufacture of processed foods and business operations.

In the next section, we will explain the features of the Art Lock Freezer in detail.

Features of Art Lock Freezer

Unlike conventional freezing methods, this method envelops the food with gentle cold air to prevent it from drying out and quickly cools it down. This minimizes damage to the food and prevents oxidation, discoloration, and dripping of raw meat and fish.

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This technology uses a special fan structure to generate finely-tuned cold air to prevent food from drying out and to freeze it quickly. The real-time control system automatically adjusts freezing conditions to ensure stable quality.

Anti-frost function

The interior structure of the freezer makes it difficult for frost to form, eliminating the need for defrosting like conventional freezers. Conventional rapid freezer require production operations to be stopped once every few hours for defrosting.

Art Lock freezers can continue freezing without stopping operation, which means they are highly productive.In addition, they also have the advantage of being cost-effective, as they reduce the time spent working, labor costs, and cleaning costs while the freezers are not in operation.

Smart Freeze Feature

Art Lock Freezers are equipped with AI and internal sensors, allowing the machine to choose the most efficient cooling method and perform the freezing process fully automatically. The sensors also notify you when the machine is overloaded with food, preventing breakdowns.

Even people without specialist skills or knowledge can prevent freezing failures and breakdowns, which leads to increased productivity as the machine continues to operate.

Furthermore, the Art Lock Freezer can freeze whole, freshly cooked meals, something that was not possible with conventional freezers. Food tastes best when it is freshly cooked, so the ability to freeze food at that moment and recreate a flavor and texture close to that of freshly cooked food even after thawing is proof of the high quality of the freezing process.

Above all, for businesses that manage the inventory of a wide variety of ingredients and food products, such as supermarkets, the Art Lock Freezer, which can freeze multiple types of food at the same time, is rapid freezer is easy to operate in terms of its versatility and high operational efficiency.

Conclusion

The labor shortage in supermarkets is getting more serious every year, and the impact is creating a vicious cycle in store operations and working conditions. Before hiring new staff, it is more effective to first take measures to improve work efficiency and the working environment with a small number of staff.

As an optimal measure, we introduced the use of freezing technology and rapid freezer Art Lock Freezer.
Utilizing freezing technology in supermarket operations can reduce costs by eliminating food waste, while also improving operational efficiency and working conditions, and this should offer great potential for supermarket operators struggling with labor shortages.