From the time that we opened our first store, we have required our cashiers to stand at our till points. The reason for this policy is speed and efficiency, which directly impacts customer service and satisfaction. We have a unique ‘market stall’ ethos that allows our customers to select fresh produce and have it weighed at the till and have found that standing assists the cashiers in quickly and efficiently weighing and ringing up each sale. A key feature of our retail experience is the popular Combo Specials, which requires our cashiers to see what is in the trolley in order to assist the customer with the sale.
The well-being of our staff is one of our foremost concerns. Our cashiers are not forced to stand from 8am to 6pm daily and, as with all our staff, our cashiers are afforded various work intervals during the day which we are happy to say conforms with South African labour legislation. This includes 2 x 15-minute tea breaks and one 1-hour lunch break in a nine-hour shift. We do, however, make allowances for pregnant cashiers by ensuring that they have a seat during their shifts. As part of our recruitment and orientation processes, new and prospective staff are made aware that it is Fruit & Veg City policy that cashiers stand at the till point and that it is an inherent requirement of the job.
In the retail industry, it is the norm for employees to spend a large portion of their working day on their feet. There are also a number of other major retailers in South Africa who require their cashiers to stand behind their till points.
As a Group, we value and have high regard for our staff and their well-being and we have not, to date, received any complaints from staff members and/or unions that we have not been able to successfully and amicably address.
