Sam Parker Moved Into Phase 2
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FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE GEMCO DIVISION OF LUCKY STORES, INC. JULY 1986 HARD WORK PA YS' OFF By Pat Flynn ill t was a lot of hard work. Employees 1/ worked sixteen- and twenty-hour shifts right up until the "big" day. What the employees at Torrance, Culver City and our two Tucson stores were preparing for, of course, were their respective grand reopening celebra- tions to show off their newly remodeled stores. In the remodel plan, almost every depart- ment was moved to another location in the store, quite an undertaking, especially when you have to run "business as usual" while the remodel is going on. After the basic construc- tion work was completed (only about a week before the grand reopenings), the stores Sam Parker moved into Phase 2. There was still a lot of President Stan Brenner watches as GEMCO sign is put work to be done. The remodel teams and store into place outside Tucson (804). employees worked long into the night, every energy for Phase 3, the grand reopening JoinsGEMCO night, cleaning their store, restocking shelves, celebration itself. i.~ tan Brenner has been named to the constructing and arranging displays, install- ., new position of Chairman of GEMCO, ing the new sign package, straightening mer- On June 12, at 8 a.m., the festivities began announced LUCKY's president, Larry Del chandise, washing and waxing the floor and at the stores, beginning with a ribbon cutting Santo, on Tuesday, July 15. As Chairman of generally getting the store into tip-top shape ceremony. Members and visitors arrived ... the Division, Stan will continue to have overall for the arrival of their expected guests on and arrived ... and arrived. "We never expec- responsibility for the operation of our 80 June 12. ted the crowds that turned up!" says an enthu- siastic Bob Dinardi, manager of Tucson (804), stores with particular emphasis on the mer- "It was wonderful how everyone pitched chandising, marketing, organization planning in," commented Dave Andrulonis, manager We enrolled 550 new members." In Tucson, & executive development, and administrative of our Tucson (570) store. Wallie Reisbeck, sales on the first few days were twice aspects of the operation. assistant manager of operations at Culver expectations-about triple a normal sales day. City, agreed. "Everyone in the store," he (A week later, sales were still running 50% At the same time, Samuel J. Parker, presi- said, "from the managers to the cart boys, above average!) dent of LUCKY's Automotive was appointed did their part. It was a total team effort. In A few features of the celebrations were 25q; President of GEMCO. Sam joined LUCKY in fact, management people from other stores hot dogs, free Pepsi's, balloons, drawings for September, 1985 from Sav-On Drugs, Inc., even came over and worked alongside us as vacations, microwaves, gift certificates and where he served as President. Reporting to we got closer to the deadline." An appre- other prizes; a mariachi band, food give- Stan, Sam will be responsible for the day-to- ciative Rick Battistoni (recently promoted to aways, even local radio coverage in one store. day operation of the stores, as well as per- sonnel, labor relations, engineering and the regional merchandiser, hardlines, but who It was clear that the visitors heartily warehouse & distribution functions. managed the Torrance store th rough the approved of what awaited them-both the remodel) extends his personal thanks to smiling welcomes and the new look of the "The success of GEMCO is very important everyone who, he said, "put forth an extraor- stores. "The store is so much more. to LUCKY," explains Larry Del Santo. "This dinary effort to get an impossible job accom- shoppab/e!" exclaimed one approving chairman/president structure, typical in the plished." member, which made it all worthwhile. "When discount department store business, recog- So it was with a feeling of great pride that the members get really excited about what nizes that importance and the need for shared the tired crews saw the end of Phase 2-only, we've done-that's the reward you get," _ responsibilities in operating an extremely _ of course, to have to rise again with new says Dave Andrulonis. .• complex business." .• MESSAGE FROM STAN ~ THE MAILBOX Dear GEMCO Associates: I would like to extend my personal thanks ,I, n your May issue, it was mentioned that and congratulations to all employees who " the first newspaper was "The 579'er." worked so hard in the recent remodeling effort However, in May of 1980 the "Carson Clatter" for our Culver City, Torrance and Tucson (570 was born at our GEMCO in Carson (575) to and 804) stores. I refer to all store employees, keep employees updated on inter-company the store management teams, the remodel activities as well as reminders of inter-store project team and management from other functions and activities. GEMCO stores who lent a hand. Ann Evans and Cindy Harkins were very I know how tough it was getting your store helpful in putting the newspaper together. The ready for the June 12 grand reopenings. I also Grocery department was also involved. know that many of you worked incredibly long Thanks, Del Gossert hours to accomplish it. The important thing GEMCO Fullerton (561) is you made it. When I walked through the stores, I could see not only the hard work that went into accomplishing such a mammoth task, but the pride and spirit of excellence with Here are the results of a member/customer which it was achieved. survey that a marketing company conducted I salute you for a job well done. for us recently: Are you a frequent shopper at Sincerely. ~~ 1• GEMCO? 80% yes; 20% no Where would you be shopping today 2 • if you were not shopping here? Smitty's, Safeway, Alpha Beta, K-Mart, Lucky, Target What is your opinion about GEMCO's BROGGER HONORED FOR HEROICS ~ 3• pricing in general? 'fl). 0 you ever think about what you'd do We at GEMCO also want to recognize and higher 4%; same 36%; lower 60% , if, driving on the road, you came upon thank Kurt for his action. For this reason, Kurt Comparing K-Mart, Target and the scene of an accident ... wondering if you'd was presented with a plaque by Vice Presi- 4• GEMCO, where would you rather be do the "heroic" thing? Well, if Kurt Brogger, dent, Northern Operations, Grant Cottingham, shopping? courtesy clerk at our Dublin store, ever bearing the following inscription: wondered, he knows now. K-Mart 9%; Target 1%; GEMCO 90% To Kurt Bragger Why do you make that choice? In May, when Kurt (also a business student In recognition of your selfless action cleaner, one-stop shopping, spacious at California State University at Hayward) was and outstanding service to the Did GEMCO have all the items you driving home from school, he came upon a community. With much pride, crushed pickup truck stalled in front of a dead 5• needed? your friends at GEMCO 80% yes; 19% no horse. After discovering the motorists were May, 1986 safe, he went to his car for flares to help direct (If appropriate) Do you like the new traffic. Before he could do that, however, he 6• aisle arrangement? saw ten panicked horses running loose on the 81% yes; 19% no road. One of the horses collided with an (If appropriate) Do you like this newly oncoming car. 7• remodeled GEMCO? He wasted no time pulling an unconscious 78% yes; 22% no 65-year old man from a car and restoring his What do you like or dislike about this breathing, thereby saving his life. 8• GEMCO store? "I was afraid the car might blow up or LIKE something," Kurt said. "I took the man's pulse, prices, cleaner, one-stop shopping and there wasn't any. I started to give him DISLIKE mouth-to-mouth resuscitation." With the help waiting in line of a first aid technician, also on the scene, Do you like the membership they were able to save the man. 9• concept and procedure? Brogger's heroics were officially recognized 73% yes; 27% no by the San Ramon Rotary Club and the City Will you tell others about GEMCO? of San Ramon with the presentation of an 10• 92% yes; 8% no award . 2 L~~ EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS J Keying Up For The New Central LUCKY Still Alarm System Nation's rr:! or years the GEMCO stores were Ii protected by commercial alarm com- 9th Largest panies. This method proved to be highly expensive and often ineffective, taking into consideration the high monthly service Retailer charges, lack of control over the system and the annoying, very costly false alarms. (Most police and fire departments charge businesses By Jerry Fister a steep fine when they have to respond to a false alarm. Operating 80 stores, these fines \'111 ccording to the June 9, 1986 issue of Fortune magazine, LUCKY Stores, Inc. ranked 9th alone can easily become a major expense!) ~ in sales among the nation's retailers. Company-owned Alarm System To combat the spiraling cost of commercial alarm systems, GEMCO's Loss Prevention RANK COMPANY SALES team implemented the in-house Central Alarm 1985 1984 $ THOUSANDS System. "This Proprietary Alarm System cuts 1 1 Sears Roebuck (Chicago) 40,715,300 average operating expenses one-third to one- 2 2 K mart (Troy, Mich.) 22,420,002 half per store," states Terry Cummings, 3 3 Safeway Stores (Oakland, Calif.) 19,650,542 systems manager. A very high tech system, 4 4 Kroger (Cincinnati) 17,123,531 it has features not yet found on other 5 6 American Stores (Salt Lake City) 13,889,528 6 5 J.C.