Checklist template

Fresh department display standards for grocery stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 118 items in 6 sections, covering Produce, Meat, Deli, Bakery, Signage, Abundance and culling. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 118 Items
  • 107 Yes / No checks
  • 7 Scored ratings
  • 142 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Produce 20 items

  1. Wet rack vegetables are trimmed and laid in straight rows with butt ends facing out Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The wet rack shows color breaks, with greens separated by red, yellow or white items Yes / No 1 pt
  3. No bare rack or liner is visible between wet rack items Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Wet rack items run in vertical ribbons from the top shelf to the bottom Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Like items are grouped on the wet rack: salad vegetables, cooking vegetables, herbs Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Bananas are on a padded table, no more than two hands deep Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Apples are hand-stacked in rows, not dumped from the case Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Tomatoes are displayed off refrigeration, stem end down Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Potatoes and onions are on dry tables away from the mist Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Potatoes are shielded from direct light to prevent greening Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Berries are in a refrigerated case Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Tomatoes, peaches, pears and avocados are stacked no more than two layers deep Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Ripe avocados are separated and signed as ready to eat Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Bulk tables use false bottoms or dummy bases so they look full without deep piles Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Organic produce is placed as the company display plan sets: in one section or beside its conventional equivalent Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Packaged salads are faced label-forward, below the load line Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A seasonal feature display leads the department entrance Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Table displays are tiered or angled toward the customer, not laid flat Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Display bins, table edges and case fronts are free of produce debris Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Produce display standard Rating
    • Full, colorful, hand-stacked 5 pts
    • Full but untidy 3 pts
    • Gaps, dumped or poorly trimmed product 1 pt

2. Meat 20 items

  1. The self-service meat case follows the case plan order by species Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Packages are in a single layer or shingled, below the load line Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Key cuts are offered in both regular and family packs Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Ground beef is offered in at least three lean points Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Overwrap film is tight with no tears Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Pack sizes within a row are similar, with no single package spread out to fill a row Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Weight labels are in the same corner on every package, not covering the meat Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The top layer of fresh beef shows a bright red color, with no brown or gray packages facing the customer Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Tray colors follow the company standard by species Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Case dividers and rails are free of blood and purge Yes / No 1 pt
  11. All lights in the meat case are working Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Marinated and oven-ready items are grouped together Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Trays in the service meat case are full, with product layered in neat rows Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Fish in the seafood service case sits on top of the ice, not buried in it Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Raw and cooked seafood are separated by a divider in the service case Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Ice in the seafood case is clean and freshly mounded Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Packaged lunch meat and bacon sections are faced Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Reduced-to-clear meat is in one designated section of the case Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Racks of rubs, marinades and recipe cards at the meat case are filled Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Meat and seafood case standard Rating
    • Full, bright, well organized 5 pts
    • Full with some untidy sections 3 pts
    • Gaps, leakers or discolored product 1 pt

3. Deli 20 items

  1. Meat and cheese chubs in the service case are faced with freshly trimmed cut faces Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Cut faces of chubs are covered with film Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Bulk salad bowls are full or have been changed to smaller bowls Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Salad bowl rims are wiped clean Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Each salad bowl has its own spoon Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Hot case pans are full, with no dried-out product Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Rotisserie chickens in the warmer show a time stamp within the company hold time Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Grab-and-go sandwiches and meals are in rows by variety with labels forward Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Cut specialty cheese wedges are displayed with the cut face toward the customer Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Price labels on specialty cheese do not cover the cut face Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Specialty cheeses are grouped by type or country Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Olive bar and salad bar pans are at least half full Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Bulk salads are arranged with contrasting colors side by side Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Sneeze guards are clean Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Each soup kettle is labeled with the soup it holds Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Slicers in customer view are clean between uses Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Service case glass is clean inside and out Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The party tray brochure or display is at the counter Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The deli menu board shows current items Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Deli display standard Rating
    • Full, fresh, clean 5 pts
    • Acceptable with thin or untidy spots 3 pts
    • Empty pans, tired product or dirty case 1 pt

4. Bakery 19 items

  1. Bread tables are full with the planned variety Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Loaves on the bread racks all face the same way Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Every tray in the self-serve doughnut and roll case is at least half full Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Self-serve trays are arranged by type, each variety in its own tray Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Bags and boxes are stocked at the self-serve bakery case Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Self-serve trays are free of crumbs and icing smears Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The cake case offers decorated cakes in every standard size Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Decorated cakes have neat borders and unsmudged icing Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Cake domes are clean and uncracked Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The cake case shows at least one cake for the current season or occasion Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Pies and domed desserts are stacked no more than two high Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Clamshells of cookies and muffins are uncrushed with labels straight Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Artisan breads are displayed in the baskets or racks shown in the company display guide Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Bakery tables are tiered, with clean skirting or liners Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The day-old rack stands apart from the fresh bread tables and carries a reduced-price sign Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Fresh-bread times are posted where the store runs a hot bread program Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A second bake is on the tables for the late-afternoon peak Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Gluten-free or allergy-friendly items are displayed in their own section Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Bakery display standard Rating
    • Full, fresh, appealing 5 pts
    • Acceptable with gaps 3 pts
    • Sparse or stale-looking 1 pt

5. Signage 18 items

  1. Every produce item has a price sign showing whether the price is per lb, per kg or each Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Produce signs show the country of origin as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Organic signs are only on organic items Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Local-grower signs name the farm or region and refer to product now on display Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Rail tags in the self-service meat case line up with the product above them Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Each tray in the service meat case has a price tag Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Seafood signs show the origin and whether the fish is wild or farmed, as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Each item in the deli service case has a tag with the item name and price Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Hot case items have a posted price Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Each self-serve bakery tray has a price and a PLU or barcode Yes / No 1 pt
  11. An allergen notice is posted at self-serve bakery and deli bars where company policy or local regulation requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Signs in the fresh departments are printed in the company style Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Sign holders are clean and uncracked Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Signs do not hide the product behind them Yes / No 1 pt
  15. "New", "in season" and "manager's special" signs refer to current items only Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Department header signs are lit Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Number of items without a price sign across the four departments Number
  18. Fresh department signage Rating
    • Complete and accurate 5 pts
    • A few signs missing or misplaced 3 pts
    • Many signs missing or wrong 1 pt

6. Abundance and culling 21 items

  1. Displays in all four departments were full at the time of the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Late in the day, displays are downsized with smaller trays or dummies, not left half empty Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Produce is culled at opening and at least every 2 hours Yes / No 1 pt
  4. No moldy berries were found in 10 clamshells checked Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No wilted or yellow leaves are on the wet rack Yes / No 1 pt
  6. No split, bruised or overripe fruit is on the banana and tomato tables Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Culled produce goes to the cull bin for shrink recording, donation or compost Yes / No 1 pt
  8. No meat package is past date among 10 checked in the self-service case Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Marked-down product in each department is kept to one spot, away from the lead display Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No deli salad or prepared item on display is past its shelf-life date Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No bakery item is past its pull date among 10 checked Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Older product is placed in front of or on top of newer product Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Product culled during this review was taken off display before the reviewer left Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Refill carts are not left unattended on the sales floor Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Each department has an evening display standard showing which cases stay full until closing Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Empty trays, bowls and fixtures are removed from displays Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Number of items culled from displays during this review Number
  18. Freshness of product found on display Rating
    • No tired product found 5 pts
    • A few items to cull 3 pts
    • Many items to cull 1 pt
  19. Overall fresh presentation of the store Rating
    • All four departments full, fresh and signed 5 pts
    • One department below the standard 3 pts
    • Two or more departments below the standard 1 pt
  20. Name of the person who performed the review Short text
  21. Comments and corrective actions Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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