Checklist template

Peak-season readiness for multi-unit retailers

A ready-to-use checklist with 108 items in 6 sections, covering Staffing plan, Inventory readiness, Systems, Customer flow, Security, Contingency. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 108 Items
  • 95 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 125 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Staffing plan 18 items

  1. Number of seasonal employees the store is approved to hire Number
  2. Number of seasonal employees hired to date Number
  3. Seasonal hiring is on pace with the head office hiring calendar Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Every seasonal employee hired has completed onboarding paperwork Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Seasonal cashiers completed register training before working a lane alone Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Seasonal employees were given a store tour covering exits and the meeting point Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Schedules for the peak weeks are written at least as far ahead as local regulation or company policy requires Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Scheduled hours by day follow the store's traffic forecast for the peak weeks Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Blackout dates for time off were communicated in writing to employees Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A manager is scheduled for every opening and closing shift through the peak Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Extended opening hours are covered on the schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Break coverage is planned for the busiest days Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Minors' schedules respect the hour limits set by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A backup call list is in place for absences Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Employees are cross-trained so each register, pickup and fitting room post has a backup Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Name badges, uniforms or vests are on hand for seasonal employees Yes / No 1 pt
  17. System logins for seasonal employees are created Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Staffing readiness for the peak Rating
    • Hired, trained and scheduled 5 pts
    • Hiring or training behind plan 3 pts
    • Significant gaps with no plan 1 pt

2. Inventory readiness 18 items

  1. Key peak-season items named by the head office are in stock Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Number of key items out of stock today Number
  3. Advertised items for the first peak event are received Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Peak freight deliveries are on the receiving calendar, including extra trucks Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Extra receiving shifts are scheduled for the added trucks Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The back room was cleared of old overstock before the peak freight began Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Off-site or trailer storage, where used, is in place Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Trailer contents are listed so product can be found Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Feature displays for the peak are built Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Gift cards are stocked on every gift card fixture Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Shopping bags are on hand to cover the peak weeks Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Gift boxes are on hand to cover the peak weeks, where the store offers them Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Register paper is on hand to cover the peak weeks Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The replenishment routine from back room to floor is scheduled at least twice a day Yes / No 1 pt
  15. High-volume items have extra facings or a secondary location Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Online pickup staging space was enlarged for peak volume Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Hold shelves for pickup orders are labeled so an order can be found in under a minute Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Inventory readiness Rating
    • Key items in stock and back room ready 5 pts
    • A few gaps 3 pts
    • Major gaps 1 pt

3. Systems 18 items

  1. Every register was tested and is working Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Number of registers out of service today Number
  3. Extra or mobile registers planned for the peak are set up Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each card payment terminal completed a test transaction Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No self-checkout unit is closed for repair Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Receipt printers are working at every register Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Scanners are working at every register Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Every handheld powers on with a charged battery Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Managers on duty asked can describe how to take card payments in offline mode Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The help desk phone number is posted at the service desk Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The store's internet backup connection, where installed, was tested Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Gift card activation was tested at a register Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The return policy for the season is loaded in the register prompts or posted at the registers Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The pickup order system prints or displays new orders within minutes of receipt Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Label and sign printers have supplies on hand Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The public address system or radios work in every zone of the store Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Planned system freezes or update dates from the head office are known to the store manager Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Systems readiness Rating
    • All tested and working 5 pts
    • Minor issues with a repair scheduled 3 pts
    • Critical equipment down 1 pt

4. Customer flow 20 items

  1. A queue layout for the registers is drawn for the busiest days Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Queue stanchions or floor markers are on hand Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The queue route keeps the main aisle open Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A line-end sign or marker is ready for use Yes / No 1 pt
  5. An employee is assigned to direct the queue on the busiest days Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Broken shopping carts have been removed from the cart area Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Shopping baskets are stocked at the entrance Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Cart retrieval from the parking lot is scheduled hourly on peak days Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The pickup counter has its own queue, apart from the registers Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Curbside pickup spaces are marked Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The returns desk has a separate line planned for the weeks after the holiday Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Fitting rooms have a posted item limit Yes / No 1 pt
  13. A fitting room attendant is scheduled during peak hours Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Aisles are free of floor displays that narrow them below the minimum set by local code or company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  15. No display stands inside the entrance clear zone shown on the store layout Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The occupancy limit of the store is known to the manager on duty Yes / No 1 pt
  17. A plan exists for holding customers at the door if the store reaches its occupancy limit Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Entrance mats are in place for wet weather Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The parking lot snow and ice contract is confirmed, where the climate requires it Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Customer flow readiness Rating
    • Queue, pickup and returns planned 5 pts
    • Partly planned 3 pts
    • No plan for peak traffic 1 pt

5. Security 17 items

  1. Security cameras are recording, checked on the monitor Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Camera views cover the entrance, the registers and the high-value departments Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Electronic article surveillance gates at the exits were tested with a live tag Yes / No 1 pt
  4. High-theft items for the peak are tagged or kept in locked cases Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Keys for locked cases are carried by employees assigned to those departments Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Guard or loss prevention coverage is scheduled for the busiest days Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A greeter is scheduled at the entrance during peak hours Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Receipt checks at the exit, where company policy calls for them, are staffed Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Extra cash pickups from the registers are scheduled for peak days Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Armored car pickups were increased for the peak, or the safe limit was reviewed Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The amount of change ordered covers the peak weeks Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Seasonal employees received loss prevention awareness training Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Seasonal employees have no access to refunds or price overrides without a manager's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The back door is opened only by a manager, with the alarm set after deliveries Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Trailers used for storage are locked with a company-issued lock Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Parking lot lights are all working Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Security readiness Rating
    • Coverage, equipment and cash plan in place 5 pts
    • Some gaps 3 pts
    • Not prepared 1 pt

6. Contingency 17 items

  1. The store's emergency contact list was updated this season Yes / No 1 pt
  2. A plan exists for a register system outage, with manual steps written down Yes / No 1 pt
  3. A plan exists for a power outage, with flashlights at the registers Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A severe weather closing procedure is known to the managers on duty Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The crowd management plan for door-opening events was reviewed with the team Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Emergency exits were walked and found clear after the peak displays were built Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The evacuation meeting point was communicated to seasonal employees Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Spare register equipment, such as a backup scanner and card terminal, is on site Yes / No 1 pt
  9. An employee trained in first aid is scheduled on each peak shift, or as local regulation requires Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The escalation path to the district manager is posted in the office Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A backup keyholder is named for each day of the peak Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The plan for late or missed truck deliveries is known to the receiving lead Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The process for an out-of-stock advertised item is known to the service desk Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Date of the store's peak readiness meeting with the team Date
  15. Name of the manager responsible for peak readiness Short text
  16. Overall peak-season readiness Rating
    • Staffed, stocked and tested, with no open action 5 pts
    • Open actions, each with an owner and a date before the peak 3 pts
    • Gaps in staffing, stock or systems with no plan 1 pt
  17. 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.

Categories

Related templates

← All templates

Brand standards

At every site, every time

Start Free Contact us