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| back order | Out-of-stock items that cannot be shipped with a customer's original order and are sent to the customer as soon as available. |
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| backhaul | A transportation practice used to defray costs by picking up products from a manufacturer after delivering products to a store. |
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| backroom | A storage area for excess products, kept on hand to restock the sales floor as needed. |
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| backstock | Extra products stored in a backroom to restock shelves between deliveries. |
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| backup | A copy of current computer files saved to a computer disk or magnetic tape in case of a computer system failure. |
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| back-up merchandise | Products kept in a backroom for convenient restocking of the sales floor. |
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| backup tape | A removable tape used to back up computer data. |
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| bag stuffer | An ad circular placed in a customer's grocery bag during bagging. |
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| bagger | A retail clerk or associate who bags customers' purchases at the checkstand. |
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| bagging | A process of properly, carefully packing customer 's purchases in plastic or paper bags to suit customers. |
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| bagging shelf | A platform on which bags are placed when bagging customers' orders. |
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| bake-off | An in-store baking process using frozen doughs and products to prepare fresh products, i.e., fresh rolls, bread, doughnuts or other pastries. |
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| bake-off bakery | Prepared dough baked in a store to provide fresh products, such as rolls, breads or doughnuts. |
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| bakery control sheet | A daily record used to maintain and ensure proper inventory and production levels in the Bakery Department. |
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| balance sheet | A financial statement of a business, which lists assets, liabilities and net worth at a specified date. |
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| balanced features | A marketing and/or merchandising program that features and/or displays short-profit and long-profit products together as a combination sale. See related items. |
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| bale | A large bundle of cardboard that is recycled. |
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| baler | A device used to compact and bind corrugated cardboard into bales for recycling. |
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| ballasts | A transformer-like device in a fluorescent light fixture. |
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| bandwidth | The data transfer rate of an electronic communications system. |
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| banner | An in-store advertising sign or display used to identify in-store locations, sale items and products. |
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| bar code | A unique identification code on products, pallets and coupons. The code is read by an electronic scanner for receiving, ordering and inventory control purposes. See UCC/EAN-128. |
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| base price | A price calculated by taking a product's suggested retail price and subtracting a percentage. |
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| base wrap | A wrap at the base of a merchandising display to provide continuity or a decorative touch to displays. |
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| basic items | Necessary, common, everyday household items, which customers expect to find in a grocery store. |
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| basic stock list | A wholesalers' listing of products and brands. See rotation list. |
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| bass scanning (price verification) | The process of verifying retail prices and item descriptions in the Point of Sale System (register system), using the BASS FM unit. |
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| bay | The bottom shelf in a retail aisle. |
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| BB | Billback. |
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| bbq machine | A device to cook foods in-store to add a Bar-B-Que or smoky flavor. |
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| BCP | Broken Case Price. |
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| benchmarking | A performance standard against which operating performance is measured, which is used to identify performance improvements and best practices in an industry. |
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| best food day | The day that grocery ads run in a newspaper in any community. |
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| beta test | A field test of new equipment or software programs to identify errors or problems, and to solicit user's comments so that the manufacturer can make final modifications before the equipment or software is released for sale. |
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| bill and hold | A manufacturer's deal to a retailer to purchase products, which are not shipped until the retailer needs them. |
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| bill of lading | A delivery receipt acknowledging that a customer received a product and verified the count. |
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| billback (BB) | An accounts receivable practice of invoicing the wholesale/retailer for products at regular price until promotional requirements are met. The deal amount will be returned later to the wholesaler/retailer. See off-invoice. |
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| billboard/billboard effect | The merchandising impact produced by grouping together a large quantity of horizontal facings on a shelf, i.e., sizes, colors and/or flavors. |
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| bin | A merchandising container for bulk product display. See warehouse slot. |
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| biotechnology | The use of DNA technology to create products, for example, pharmaceuticals or food products. |
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| bizerba | A machine used to vacuum-seal meats and cheeses for display in the Deli Department. |
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| blend/mix | The pricing of a defined section to achieve an overall profit percentage based on movement, unit profit and total sales of a section. |
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| blind ordering | A practice of writing a new order even though an outstanding order has not been received. |
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| blister pack | Product packaging that merchandises a product with a descriptive card under clear plastic wrap. |
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| bloating | A damaged, swollen processed food can or glass container, which may indicate contamination, a safety hazard. |
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| blocking (squaring down) | The practice of dressing up shelves. Products are pulled forward to a shelf's edge from the back of the shelf. |
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| bloom | An indication of freshness and quality as beef turns bright red when exposed to oxygen. |
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| blue chips | Products with high gross profits and high turnover on the shelves. |
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| BOGO | Buy one get one free. |
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| bonus pack | A volume increase in a package, a merchandising technique to establish value for a customer by packaging an extra amount in a product while charging the regular price. |
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| booking | A practice retailers use to order in advance to obtain special discounts and guarantee the delivery date, usually for seasonal and holiday products. |
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| bottle returns | Beverage bottles returned to a retailer for recycling. |
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| bottom line | A term for a net profit, which is all money taken in (gross profit) minus all expenses. |
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| bounce back | A product marketing technique that pairs a customer's refund with a rebate on a product. |
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| bounce pattern | A diagrammed path showing where customers stop and/or select products. |
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| box cutter | A knife-like device with a razor blade used to open boxes. |
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| box store | A limited-assortment store, which merchandises products in the original, cardboard shipping boxes. |
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| bracket pricing | A price schedule based on the number of cases that a retailer orders the greater the quantity ordered, the lower the price per case. Also called a volume or quantity discount. |
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| braise | To cook meat by browning it in fat, then simmering it in a covered pan with a little liquid. |
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| branch house | A redistribution center for a manufacturer or wholesaler. See transfers. |
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| brand | A product that is uniquely labeled by a manufacturer, private label or national brands, for example. |
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| brand franchise | An exclusive contract between a manufacturer and a wholesaler or a retailer to distribute and sell products in a specific market. |
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| brand image | Consumers' images of the quality, value and taste of a product. |
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| brand loyalty | A level of consumer support for a product measured by the product's turnover. |
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| brand share | A percentage of category sales attributed to a specific product brand. |
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| bread & butter account | A consistent, high-volume product for a wholesaler or broker. |
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| breakage allowance | A manufacturer's allowance to a wholesaler in case products are damaged during shipping. |
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| breaker plate | A device used to grind beef the first time. |
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| break-even point | An accounting term used to distinguish the point at which gross sales equal operating costs. |
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| breaking down | Removing products from a case in order to clean and sanitize it. Also, removing component parts of a piece of equipment, such as a slicer or a grinder, to clean and sanitize it. |
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| brine solution | A water and salt solution used to clean lobsters, among other uses. |
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| brisket | A meat cut sliced from the breast of an animal. |
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| broadside | An advertising term that refers to two facing newspaper pages in an ad. |
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| broil | To cook over a flame or other direct source of intense heat. |
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| broken case price (BCP) | A price calculated by adding the cost of a product to the cost of labor to repack the product. See split case. |
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| broker | An independent agent or representative of various noncompetitive products in a retail market who represents a manufacturer and presents products, sales and special deals to a retailer or wholesaler. See agent; field broker;manufacturer's representative; m |
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| brokerage | A manufacturer's commission paid to a broker for the volume of products he or she sells to retailers or wholesalers. |
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| broker's warehouse | A warehouse stocked with products and represented by a broker. See wholesale broker. |
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| bulk produce | Loose, unpackaged, fresh produce that customers select themselves. |
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| bulk product | Unpackaged, fresh products displayed in bins in large quantitites and sold by the piece or the pound, such as grains, candy or snacks. |
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| bulletin | A communication to distribute information among different segments of an industry. |
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| bunker | A refrigerated, open display case used to merchandise products, primarily in frozen food and dairy departments. |
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| business review | A periodic meeting to review operational performance, goals and projections. |
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| buy one get one free (BOGO) | An offer that allows a customer to buy an item at regular price and get a second, identical item free. |
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| buy out | See forward buy. |
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| buyer | A wholesale or retail employee who analyzes, selects and buys an appropriate product mix in a category. |
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| buyer's slips | A paper or electronic form that a purchasing department uses to indicate to other departments the selection, quantity and delivery date of products. |
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| buy-in allowance | See distribution allowance. |
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| buying committee | A management review committee that analyzes and selects new products, deals and special promotions. See advisory board; merchandising committee; plans committee. |
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| buying co-op | A retailers' group formed to take advantage of lower prices on products, advertising and equipment through economies of scale. |
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| buying corporation | A freelance company that resells products. |
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| buying group | A group of noncompeting retailers who analyze, select and purchase products and services, such as advertising and equipment together. Also called chain-owned buying group; affiliated chain. |
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| buying habits | A profile of consumers' purchasing patterns and habits derived from analyzing data. |
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| buying headquarters | A central location, where executives or other employees analyze and approve a mix of products for retailers and wholesalers to sell. |
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