Shelf filler

Shelf fillers stock and rotate merchandise on shelves, identifying and removing expired products. They clean the shop after its operational hours, ensuring that the shelves are fully stocked for the next day. Shelf fillers may use trolleys, small forklifts to move stock and ladders to reach high shelves. They also give directions to customers in order to locate specific products.

The duties of a shelf filler include, but are not limited to:

• Filling shelves and display units with merchandise
• Arranging, repositioning and tidying shelves and displays
• Checking best before and expiry dates
• Pricing merchandise and verifying correct prices
• Attaching security tags
• Sorting and distributing incoming merchandise
• Performing inventories
• Keeping store clean and tidy
• Providing customer support and assistance.

Shelf fillers may work during a store’s trading hours, or after hours, at night and on weekends. Those working day shifts will have a high level of contact with the public, and may be required to carry out additional duties around the store, as well as keeping shelves stocked. Shelf fillers spend long hours on their feet, with frequent heavy lifting and bending also required. Many people working in this job work part-time or on a casual basis.

Shelf fillers may use trolleys and small hand controlled forklifts to move stock around the store. They also use ladders and steps to safely reach high shelves. They may also have to use cleaning products to keep shelves and displays looking tidy, as well as to clean up breakages and spills. Some employers will require shelf fillers to wear a uniform, particularly if they are working during the store’s trading hours.

The following job titles also refer to shelf filler:

senior shelf filler
shelf stacker
supermarket shelf stacker
garden centre shelf stacker
supermarket shelf filler
shop shelf filler
rack jobber
department store shelf filler
department store shelf stacker
garden centre shelf filler
trainee shelf filler
outlet centre shelf stacker
hypermarket shelf stacker
filling station shelf stacker
filling station shelf filler
hypermarket shelf filler
outlet centre shelf filler
trainee shelf stacker
shop shelf stacker
senior shelf stacker

No formal educational credential is required to work as shelf filler. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Shelf filler is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to shelf filler.

linen room attendant
kitchen porter
vending machine operator
kitchen assistant
leaflet distributor

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of shelf filler. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of shelf filler with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

beverages specialised seller
delicatessen specialised seller
tobacco specialised seller
bakery specialised seller
confectionery specialised seller

These skills are necessary for the role of shelf filler.

• Comply with food safety and hygiene: Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
• Change shelf labels: Change labels on shelves, according to the location of products displayed on vending machines.
• Examine merchandise: Control items put up for sale are correctly priced and displayed and that they function as advertised.
• Monitor stock level: Evaluate how much stock is used and determine what should be ordered.
• Stock shelves: Refill shelves with merchandise to be sold.
• Check price accuracy on the shelf: Ensure accurate and correctly labelled prices for the products on the shelves
• Ensure stock storage safety: Ensure that products are stored appropriately. Keep in line with safety procedures.
• Assess shelf life of food products: Determine shelf life of products taking into account aspects such as type of ingredients, date of production, production process or packaging.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of shelf filler. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Characteristics of products: The tangible characteristics of a product such as its materials, properties and functions, as well as its different applications, features, use and support requirements.
• Teamwork principles: The cooperation between people characterised by a unified commitment to achieving a given goal, participating equally, maintaining open communication, facilitating effective usage of ideas etc.
• Characteristics of services: The characteristics of a service that might include having acquired information about its application, function, features, use and support requirements.
• Communication principles: The set of commonly shared principles in regards with communication such as active listening, establish rapport, adjusting the register, and respecting the intervention of others.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of shelf filler. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Maintain store cleanliness: Keep the store tidy and clean by hovering and mopping.
• Carry out stock rotation: Execute repositioning of packaged and perishable products with an earlier sell-by date to the front of a shelf.
• Prevent shoplifting: Identify shoplifters and methods by which shoplifters try to steal. Implement anti-shoplifting policies and procedures to protect against theft.
• Handle sensitive products: Properly store and present sensitive products, taking care of relevant factors like temperature, light exposure, moisture levels, etc.

9334 – Shelf fillers

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References

1. ESCO
2. Replenishment Assistant Job Description (Skills, Duties, Career) | Jobted Australia
3. Shelf filler | Jobs & Skills WA
4. Featured image: Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash