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Food Marketing Insitute - Glossary of Terms Category: Agriculture and Industry Date & country: 13/09/2007, USA Words: 1737

shortage
A shortfall of a product's order or weight or of money.

shorts, scratches
A note on an invoice to a retailer of insufficient or out-of-stock products at a distribution center.

shrink allowance
An estimate of loss of inventory, due to delivery errors (an incorrect item or the wrong amount), theft, damages or spoilage.

shrink-wrap
A process to stabilize a pallet load by wrapping stacked products with clear plastic film.

shrink, shrinkage
The amount of missing items due to poor management controls, receiving practices, shortages, spoilage, theft, breakage and other reasons.

shucking
A process of opening shellfish, such as oysters, clams, mussels, etc.

signage
Advertising signs of many sizes used to attract customers to a display or a shelf location.

signature items
Unique items that competitors do not sell, which differentiate a store or company from the competition. The items are advertised and promoted both in-store and through print advertisements.

SIL
Standard Interchange language.

single-serve
See portion pack.

single-unit pricing
Each product is individually priced. See multiple pricing.

skid
A pallet or base used to transport and store products.

SKU
Stock-keeping unit.

slack-off, slack-out
Thaw a frozen product.

sleeper
A slow-selling product that is packed by a manufacturer with a higher volume item. Also known as a slow mover.

slick
See ad slick.

slick allowance
A manufacturer's allowance stipulating that a retailer use a specific advertising illustration (slick) in newspaper advertisements.

slipsheet
A thick sheet of cardboard used to ship products in place of a pallet.

slipsheet unloading allowance
A manufacturer's allowance to cover labor costs of off-loading a product by hand off of a slipsheet.

slot
A numbered location within a distribution center that indicates the location of products for storage, retrieval and inventory control. See warehouse slot.

slotting allowance
A manufacturer's incentive to a wholesaler or retailer to stock a new product. Also called conversion allowance or service allowance.

slug
An embossed plate that, when inserted into certain scales, prints a descriptive label.

smart card
A micro-chipped stored-value card that can be used to purchase goods and services and is reloadable.

smock
A garment supplied to employees to be worn during working hours.

Snack Food Association
1711 King St. Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 836-4500

sneeze guard
A Plexiglas shield, surrounding three sides of a display case, that protects merchandise from contamination by customer contact either direct (touching) or indirect (sneezing).

SO
Standing order.

soft goods
Clothing with the exception of suits, dresses, coats or shoes.

soft shell lobsters
Lobsters in the process of growing a new hard shell, enabling them to grow larger.

softlines
The classification of general merchandise that includes apparel, bedding, hosiery, linens, shoes, etc.

solution selling
The concept of grouping related products together in the supermarket in order to offer consumers a simplified shopping experience.

SOR
Standard operating reports.

sore-thumb display
An intriguing and unusual merchandising display.

sous-vide
A European food-packaging technique where a prepared product is placed in individual pouches, cooked under a vacuum and quickly chilled. Products are frozen or refrigerated until used.

space allocation
The method of allocating more space to faster moving items to prevent out-of-stock conditions. See space manager; velocity; planogram.

space management
The allocation of space for products, based on sales volume and product profitability.

space manager
A person who assigns shelf space for a product category, department, or store. See retail representative; space allocation.

SPAH-SPLH
Sales per associate hour/sales per labor hour.

special
See featured special.

special allowance
A wholesaler's discount offered to retailers as an incentive to increase sales of a product. Also called a special purchase.

special display
A display for featured products on a free-standing rack in addition to a regular shelf display.

special pack
A shipping unit of a sales promotion product. Also known as a deal pack. See handling allowance; handling charge.

specials
Products sold at a reduced price or as part of a promotion to attract customers.

specialty sales representative
A manufacturer's or broker's representative that markets to retailers, presents promotional programs, takes product orders and arranges shipment by a retailer's preferred wholesaler.

specialty store
A retail store that offers only particular types of foods, e.g., bakery, produce, meat.

specialty wholesale grocer
A wholesaler that provides retailers with limited products and services. A specialty wholesaler.

speculation
See turnover buying.

spiff
See push money.

spill-in-spill-out
Food retailers serviced by a wholesaler outside a market area.

spinner
A free-standing display rack that rotates 360 degrees.

split case
A product that is shipped in half-case quantities or less.

split palletload, split unitload
A shipment of two different kinds of products on a full pallet. Each product makes up approximately half the pallet load. See layer-loaded unitload.

split shift
A peak sales period of a day, week or holiday season during which the largest number of employees possible are scheduled to work.

spoils
Goods that cannot be sold for which a retailer receives a credit from a supplier. Also called stales.

spot display
A product display in a high traffic area of a retail store.

spot mop
A quick mop of a dirty sales floor or to clean a spill.

spread
Gross profit. See gross profit; markup.

square down
To straighten products on a shelf or display.

square foot
A size measurement of floor space occupied by a product or product group, display fixtures and its share of aisle space.

SRP
Suggested retail price.

stack
A column of products consisting of one or more unit loads placed on the floor with the total height limited to a vertical opening or the compressive strength of the individual unit loads.

stack card
See case card.

stales
See spoils.

stand
A fixture used to display merchandise.

standard case merchandiser
A standard display case for service departments, used in the produce, meat, deli and bakery departments.

standard grocery shelving
Adjustable shelving in a standard frame. Also called a gondola.

standard interchange language (SIL)
A computer language standard developed primarily for the exchange of data between independent retailers and wholesalers.

standard of identity
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for food composition.

standard operating procedures
A comprehensive book of a company's policies and procedures. Also called SOP.

standard operating reports (SOR)
Profit and loss statements or projections reviewed weekly, by period, quarter or annually.

standard pack
A unit of sale having a fixed number of like consumer units per container.

standard shipping container
A container of a single type of product or of a fixed configuration of multiple products used to ship items.

standing order (SO)
A standard replenishment order placed by a wholesaler that allows a manufacturer to schedule production and shipping.

staples
A necessary or basic food, such as flour or sugar.

start-ship date
A kick-off date for a promotional campaign to begin. See final ship date.

starter gap
A merchandising technique in which spaces are left on a shelf to give the impression that demand is great for a product.

stock
To shelve products or to build a display.

stock capacity
The total volume of products that can be placed on a shelf, in a slot or on a rack.

stock code
A unique product identifier used instead of a UPC code, which is assigned at a warehouse or headquarters for ordering purposes.

stock status report
A management report showing the current inventory level in-house or in-transit for a department, section or category.

stock turns
See turnover.

stock-keeping unit (SKU)
A number that identifies each separate brand, size, flavor, color or pack of a product.

stock-up
A temporary price reduction for items due to a manufacturers' allowance or a volume buy.

stocking
A process of shelving products in a store.

stocking allowance
A manufacturer's allowance to stock a new product. See distribution allowance.

stockout
A display that needs replenishment.

stop-off charge
An additional shipping charge (rail or truck) for delivery of partial loads to several different locations.

store audit
A review of management procedures and processes, e.g., inventory, cash handling, etc.

store brand
A private-label product carried by a retailer. See private label.

store bulletin
An operations newsletter regarding merchandising contests and promotional programs, new products, etc.

store coupon
A product coupon offered only in-store with fliers or an on-shelf dispenser.

store dollar net profit
The actual profit a store makes after overhead and losses are deducted.

store format
The retail design or store layout based on size, services, prices, sales volume and SKUs, such as a convenience store, superstore or a conventional store.

store image
The customer's impression of a retail store or a department, i.e., products carried, advertising, promotion, decor, service-level.

store layout
The design and lay-out of floor space and the placement of fixtures within a department or retail store.

store loyalty
See customer loyalty.

store manager
A person responsible for daily operations of a retail store who hires and supervises employees, oversees merchandising and customer service and meets sales goals. Also called a store director.

store perimeter
The departments located along the outside walls of a retail store, usually perishable departments.

store security
Methods used to provide a secure workplace and shopping area free of violence, burglary, shoplifting and employee theft.

store stamp
A rubber stamp bearing a store's number and name. The imprint of the store stamp on an invoice or other business paper indicates correctness or approval. Stamps are kept under tight security.