Retail ergonomics
Elsevier Food International, Vol.8, No.3, September 2005
Joel H.Vega
In today’s workplace it is certainly hip not to haunch over and strain one’s back. However, retail ergonomics, although gradually finding favour, has yet to earn high priority status on executive desks. At a time when cost cutting and diminishing margins are the order of the day, concerns over good ergonomics seem to slide down into the cauldron of rhetoric. Companies committed to fulfilling retail ergonomics are still few and far between.
“Ten years ago, I had to spell out the word ‘ergonomics’ to some people as they think I am talking about economics. That shows that ergonomics, at that time, was not well known to many people,” said Cynthia Roth, CEO of the New York-based ergonomics-consulting group Ergonomic Technologies. Today, Roth can find small consolation that she no longer faces potential misunderstanding as ergonomics have gradually find favour not only among specialists but also in business circles and the general public.
“Awareness level on ergonomics in the US started to rise since 1999 when standards (on occupational safety) were reviewed and finally put in place. In recent years, there is certainly an improvement on public awareness. However, after 9-11, the issue [of ergonomics] again took a back seat,” said Roth. In the US alone in 2003, there were approximately 340,000 overexertion injuries, with 185,000 specifically associated with lifting (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Although it is difficult to pin down numbers on cases specifically related to injuries in the retail sector, Roth said the issue over ergonomics in the US would definitely stay. “The US food retail industry employs a lot of ageing workers. You have retirees who are working part time, and this certainly brings to the fore issues like ergonomics,” Roth pointed out.
However, despite occupational standards, there are few US food retailers who are rigorously following up or fulfilling their commitments on ergonomics, according to experts. And although there is improvement in awareness, Roth said there remains a lot of work to be done when it comes to updating workplace standards. ”True, not everyone recognises the benefits of ergonomics. There is certainly a need for education and awareness, within and outside the retail sector.”
Across the Atlantic, a similar trend unfolds. And not unlike in the US the current tough business climate prompts food retailers to treat the issue at arms length, or even push it to the back burner in the face of smaller profit margins.
Hard sell
“The subject of ergonomics is still seen by many retailers as a bit of a luxury. It’s a hard sell just to get the message across. When the commercial situation is very tight, solutions like ergonomics are seen from a purely financial viewpoint, and that’s too bad because it is exactly at this point when you want to be different,” said Tom Stewart, managing director of the UK-based System Concepts, a retail ergonomics consultant group that collaborates with retailers like M&S and Waitrose.
Stewart said ergonomics actually plays a key role in customer satisfaction although many, including retailers, are unaware of it. “Ergonomics plays a crucial part on the retail floor. It’s not that customers know a lot about ergonomics. Customers only notice it when a worker is struggling with the equipment or when a cashier is affected by repetitive injuries. Despite this, ergonomics is still seen only from a commercial angle, and that’s hard to break,” added Stewart.
Stewart also debunked a few misconceptions such as the view that addressing ergonomics issues in the workplace means extra costs. “At the beginning it’s easy and inexpensive to implement ergonomics issues. But over time, when the equipment is already in place, it’s going to be expensive and difficult to implement solutions. You’ve got to get the ergonomics in the beginning. Once equipment is in place or manufactured, it becomes almost impossible to implement (physical) changes,” Stewart explained.
Despite the laidback attitude of retailers towards addressing ergonomics in the workplace, Stewart noted best practices in recent years. He cited System Concept’s collaboration with M&S and Waitrose. Waitrose has developed a new range of checkouts with System Concepts tasked to perform the ergonomics evaluation. “The new checkout worked well for customers and operators, giving them more usable space within a similar footprint and better eye contact with the customer,” according to Stewart.
M&S, on the other hand, collaborated with System Concepts in building the Brooklands Refrigerated Display Case. The five-year project ended in 2003 with the installation of the refrigerated cases in 2003 at M&S’s Brooklands outlet. “They [M&S] wanted a design which met the unique requirements of their food business. The priority was ensuring that food would be presented to the customer attractively and in optimum condition,” said Stewart. The innovative design of the Brooklands display case was eventually selected in the UK as a Millennium Product for its innovation in energy efficiency, ergonomics and accessibility.
Stewart stressed that contrary to popular belief, ergonomics implementation is not complicated business. “A lot of it is straightforward. It’s relatively simple to configure systems that are meant to give retail workers the degree of ease of use or prevent work-related injuries. Ergonomics evaluations could take place in weeks, say, two to four weeks, while implementation, depending on the goals of the retailer, can take place within three to four months,” he said.
Fringe benefits
Although there is higher awareness on the part of retailers regarding ergonomics, manufacturers of retail equipment and systems have to push their products in terms not only of benefits but also of costs. Birgit Sainitzer of Assmann Ladenbau Leibnitz, part of the Umdasch Shopfitting Group, said manufacturers are certainly more sensitive to issues like ergonomics than before, but the demands for cost-effectiveness from retailers present its own challenge.
“For manufacturers, the challenge is to present a product that is cost effective. Developers try to balance concerns like ergonomics with other issues as well. We consider convenience to customers and design. In some cases, ergonomics is a logical consequence in the design process,” Sainitzer said. Assmann has designed the new pilot store Vierlinden, owned by Rewe’s BioSupermarket chain. The Vierlinden store showcases user-friendly shelving and display as shown in the store’s Fruit & Veggies section where the total concept attempts to incorporate principles of ergonomics.
Assmann is optimistic that other retailers will eventually see the advantages of ergonomically designed products. “The trend among retailers is to differentiate themselves from their rivals. This means that there will be a demand or need for products that are ergonomically designed. But in the end it depends on how retailers position themselves in the market,” Sainitzer said.
The Italy-based Cefla is also known for manufacturing a range of ergonomically designed checkout systems. In the last Euroshop held in Dusseldorf, Cefla featured its Futura Box series. “Retailers are open to ergonomics if the right features are there. At Cefla, we have developed more ergonomic and safer checkout models. Our Box series, for instance, has been designed to meet highly advanced ergonomic criteria (depth and height of work top, legroom, etc.),” says Attila Baldini, Cefla’s marketing manager. Baldini said the Box series comply with the most recent standards such as LV-20 (Germany) and Ö-Norme (Austria). “The Box series have Gerbox floors and walls that provide an optimum, safe working environment for the operator whether he is sitting or standing. Door opens sideways or rearwards according to set-up,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Gerard Dubuy, managing director of HL France and chairman of HL Group, echoed the view that retailers, although convinced of occupational safety, have to be convinced of the fringe benefits as well. “Business is hard and retailers have to be convinced of other benefits. If their staff can save time to do other tasks, then it’s not difficult for retailers to see the value of a product,” Dubuy said.
HL Display has recently launched its EasyShelf, a display system that eliminates tedious lifting, moving and resetting shelf divider systems. EasyShelf uses an innovative click and release function, and a single ’pull up’ action releases all dividers across an entire bay. Retail workers can adjust the dividers and accessories, all from the front of the shelf. A single ‘push down’ and the system locks all dividers in position. Dubuy said the EasyShelf has already attracted positive feedback. “We have signed for ten installations in France, with chains like Intermarché, System U, Auchan and Leclerc. The reactions were enthusiastic and I am definitely positive that this system [EasyShelf Display] would perform well.”
New technology
The arrival of new technology like RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) does not daunt ergonomics experts either, as they believe that modern self-checkouts would only highlight ergonomics issues particularly from the customer’s viewpoint.
The UK-based Avery Weigh-Tronix said “retailers are keen to maximise the efficiency of operation.” “Any features that contribute to faster throughput, greater accuracy and ease of use are considered [by retailers] a benefit,” said Avery’s marketing manager Claire Blakemore. Blakemore said Avery’s bi-optic scanners have found positive responses. “Most retailers choose bi-optic scanners because they do not require the operator to orientate the goods, for a faster operation and reduced checkout queues,” she said. Avery’s 360-degree scanners scan four sides and the bottom of a product simultaneously and require the minimum of operator wrist movement to reduce fatigue and risk of injury. The scanner’s compact design also reduces the size of the checkout area and increases layout options.
“One of the most exciting areas of new technology concerns the various forms of self-checking. Customers are keenly interested in the ergonomics of these,” said Stewart, adding that modern self-checkouts would still require ergonomics audits.
“Like many types of new technology, the ergonomics of self checkouts include the physical aspects such as the dimensions and location of the components as well as the interface which guides the user through the transaction,” said Stewart. He added that getting the technology and processes right is a real challenge for designers and ergonomists.
“We should also beware of people making excessive claims about some new solution. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” he said. But although ergonomics is becoming recognised as an important part of the design process, Stewart reiterated that ergonomists need to remember that it is just part of the process and has to be cost justified like other issues.
For her part, Roth believes that with electronic commerce reshaping the retail world, a range of questions will rise and it would not be easy to predict what principles and skills will eventually be deemed essential to retail processes. “The pace of this transformation continues to accelerate.
Discussions will centre on docks, maintenance, signage, checkout stands, inventory control, types of manufacturing and e-commerce solutions,” said Roth. She added that ergonomic audits provide a roadmap for what issues must be addressed and what budget will be needed for improvements. “Employers should establish the criteria for this audit, whether it be reductions in lost work time or improvements in quality or production.”
Regardless of the technological advance, ergonomics will play a crucial role in translating the physical capabilities of workers, the task requirements and the policies and procedures in a working system. Best practices in food retail are yet few, but ergonomics experts believe that attempts by retailers to differentiate themselves from the competition will ultimately mean a return to the workplace for a thorough assessment on current process and methods.
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