What's a stockboy to do? Interior real estate was a premium; the merchandise piled high, everywhere. The above photo was taken in 1975, when the store celebrated its 34th anniversary.
Every year, the family would pitch in and head down for the annual ritual of taking inventory. Every item was counted. Well, every bunch of items were gazed upon and blessed with the counter's best guess. One had a certain leeway, especially at day's end. Lifetime grocer, semi-retired loyal employee Lou Moss had it down. An example of his technique: Glancing casually at a box of jawbreakers:
"Uhh . . . 197 @ 5 cents. Next."
Space limitations aside, there was a certain "merchandising magic" that occurred at Super Garden, a special brand of marketing wisdom. On any given day, one could look around and observe and learn the calculated art of stock placement.
The Stockboy's Dilemma
