D
Daybreak Stores Staff Training Programme
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Module 1 of 3 · Operations

Store Operations & Induction

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Module 1 of 3 · Operations

Store Operations & Induction

Everything you need to know to work confidently in a Daybreak shop

Duration60–75 minutes (you can pause anytime)
Pass mark18 out of 25
RefresherAnnually
Applies toEvery employee in every Daybreak shop

Required training sections

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Optional extras

Useful background you can complete any time — they are not required to unlock the knowledge check or earn your certificate.

Final knowledge check

Complete all 13 required sections to unlock the knowledge check.


Welcome to Daybreak Stores

You're joining one of Ireland's most familiar convenience brands. Every shop is independently owned, but the standards and the way we work are the same across the group.

The Daybreak group

The Daybreak symbol covers ten group shops across Dublin, Kildare, Carlow and the surrounding counties. Each shop is run by an independent operating company. Your contract of employment names the specific company that employs you — that same name appears on every payslip. If you're not sure which one applies to your shop, ask your Store Manager and they'll show you.

Why this matters in practice: the name of your employer is the name that appears on any formal correspondence, on official forms (Revenue, PRSI, references), and on your contract. The shop name on the door is the trading name; the legal employer is the company on your payslip. Both are correct — they just serve different purposes.

Key people to know

You don't need to remember every name today — just know that any of these people is a valid first point of contact.

1
Your Store ManagerYour day-to-day point of contact for everything — rosters, queries, training, concerns. Their name and contact are posted in the staff area.
2
Your Assistant Manager / SupervisorDeputises in the Store Manager's absence. The same authority on a shift.
3
Group H&S CoordinatorsGroup-wide safety, training records, escalation point. Their names and contact details are posted on the staff noticeboard in every shop.
4
Managing DirectorFinal escalation for any serious matter. Your MD's name is on your contract of employment and on the staff noticeboard.
Employee Assistance Programme: a free, confidential 24-hour counselling helpline is available to you at any time — 01 800 936 710 or healthassuredeap.com. You don't need permission to use it.

What your first day covers

Your Store Manager runs an in-person briefing before you start work. Make sure each of these has been covered — if any is missed, ask. The Induction Checklist (Form IND1) records all of this.

  • Tour of the shop, including back-of-house and stockroom
  • Fire alarm sound demonstrated; evacuation route and assembly point shown
  • Location of first aid kit, accident book, panic alarm, fire extinguishers
  • Employee Handbook and Employee Safety Handbook — you sign for each
  • Uniform, name badge, locker assignment
  • Your contract of employment within 5 days (full written terms within 1 month) — a legal entitlement under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 as amended

You'll never be left alone before you're ready

You will shadow experienced colleagues on at least two full shifts, complete the Week 1 module set (this one + the statutory H&S module), and demonstrate basic till competence before being rostered alone. Confidence is built, not assumed.

Five rules that never bend

1
SAFETY FIRST
Your safety, customer safety, colleague safety — above sales, above stock
2
REPORT IT
Injury, near-miss, hazard — same shift, no exceptions
3
NO ID, NO SALE
Restricted products — if in any doubt, refuse
4
ASK, DON'T GUESS
Price, allergen, procedure — always check, never invent
5
RESPECT EVERYONE
Customers, colleagues — always, no exceptions

Why customer care matters more than ever

In a convenience shop the product is roughly the same as the shop next door. The reason a customer comes back is the way you made them feel last time.

86%
of customers will pay more for a better experience (Irish retail study)
5x
more expensive to win a new customer than retain an existing one
9 in 10
people who have a bad experience tell at least one other person about it

The 17 standards on the next slide are the Daybreak group's customer care commitments. They are not suggestions — they are the minimum standard expected on every shift, by every employee, in every shop.

The 17 customer care standards

Tap each card to see the standard in detail. Take your time — these are the foundation of how we work.

Bottom line: none of these are difficult. None of them take extra time. What they require is intent — deciding before each shift that the customer in front of you matters.

Scenario — the unhappy customer

Scenario

A regular customer brings back a packet of biscuits, opened, saying they tasted stale. She has no receipt and is visibly annoyed. The shop is busy and there's a queue behind her. She says "I want my money back, now."

What's the right approach?

EPOS — the till is your responsibility

The shop's Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) system is CBE Win Retail. It is the most important piece of equipment you'll use. Every transaction must be processed through it — no exceptions, no shortcuts, no informal arrangements.

Before you start your shift

  • No personal items on you at the till — phone, wallet, headphones away in your locker
  • Uniform clean, name badge visible
  • Confirm the previous cashier is fully logged out before you start
  • Count and sign for your float — any discrepancy now must be reported before any sale
  • Check you have receipt rolls (till, card machine, lotto, Payzone, Postpoint), bags, change
  • Check the panic alarm position and that the CCTV monitor is live

During the shift — every transaction

1
GreetEye contact, smile, hello. (See the 17 standards in Section 2.)
2
Scan, place clearlyScan each item, place it past the scanner so the customer can see it has been scanned. If a barcode is poor, key the number; if it won't register, look up by description.
3
Double-scan? Void itIf you accidentally scan an item twice, use the void function. Don't just guess at the change.
4
No barcode? Look it upBakery items, fruit, in-store made deli, use the on-screen menus. If you genuinely can't find it, call a supervisor — never just charge "something close".
5
"Anything else?"Once you've scanned everything visible, ask. Customers regularly forget the small items.
6
Bag?"Would you like a bag?" — every time. Plastic bag levy applies if charged. Pack carefully if they say yes.
7
State the total, take payment, count change backDon't just dump change on the counter — count it back to the customer. It builds trust and catches mistakes.
8
Receipt & thank youAsk if they want a receipt. Thank them.

Till rules that always apply

  • Never leave the till drawer open between transactions — close it the moment change is given
  • Never count cash openly on the counter where it can be seen from outside
  • Never accept €100 notes without specific Management authorisation
  • Never accept cheques
  • Never leave the till unattended without locking it / logging out
  • Never serve a customer using another colleague's PIN
  • Always check every €50 note — Feel, Look, Tilt (covered in Section 4)
  • Always log out when stepping away — even for two minutes
  • Always call a manager for any transaction you're not sure about — refund, large sum, complaint, anything

End of your shift

  • Cash drawer tidy — credit card, Payzone, Postpoint and lottery dockets all sorted neatly
  • Cash-up performed in the back office, never at the till
  • Log off the EPOS — don't just walk away
  • Any shortage reported same shift, recorded and signed
  • Till drawer left empty and open at close to deter break-in damage
Deliberate falsification of any till record is gross misconduct under your Employee Handbook (Section J) and may be a criminal matter under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001. Honest mistakes are forgiven; cover-ups are not.

How customers pay

You'll see four payment types regularly. Each has its own quirks. None of them is hard — they just need attention.

MethodWatch for
CashCounterfeit notes (Feel-Look-Tilt below). Count change back to customer. Close the drawer between transactions.
Chip & PINCustomer enters PIN, terminal processes. If declined: discreet, polite, ask if another card.
Contactless / phone / watchLimit currently €50; terminal may prompt for PIN after several taps. Customer is sometimes asked for PIN by the bank — normal.
Cash back (if your shop offers)Process amount on card terminal; ask customer to sign their receipt copy as confirmation they received the cash.

Counterfeit notes — Feel, Look, Tilt

Every genuine euro note can be checked in under 5 seconds. Train your hands on the real ones so the fake one feels wrong instantly.

1
FEELReal euro notes are printed on crisp cotton paper, not smooth shiny paper. Run a fingertip over the portrait, the value numeral and the main image — you should feel raised printing.
2
LOOKHold the note up to the light. You should see a portrait watermark on one side, a security thread as a continuous dark line, and the value numeral appears completed (a "see-through number").
3
TILTTilt the note. The hologram patch changes between the value number and a symbol. On €50 and above, the green numeral shifts colour from emerald green to deep blue.
If you suspect a counterfeitDo not return it to the customer. Politely tell them you cannot accept this note and ask for an alternative. If they insist or become aggressive, call a manager and the Gardaí — the note becomes evidence. Never argue, never accuse.

Card declined — what to do

Card declines are common and rarely the customer's fault. Walk through the right response with this decision tree.

Refunds, discounts, change requests

Refunds

  • Receipt required for any refund
  • Product must be in resalable condition and original packaging
  • Standard return window: 14 days from purchase
  • Refund must use the original payment method (cash back if cash, same card if card)
  • Any cash refund without a receipt requires Manager approval, no exceptions
  • Mobile phone top-ups are not refundable or exchangeable once processed — call a manager if a customer disputes

Discounts

You are not authorised to offer discounts on any product. If a customer asks, politely say "I'm not able to offer a discount on that, sorry." Only a manager can authorise an exception, and only in specific circumstances.

Change requests

Customers sometimes ask "can you change this €50 into smaller notes please?" without buying anything. The answer is politely no. The till must only open as part of a sale. We are not a bank — and this is a common scam set-up.

Scenario — the swap

Scenario

A customer hands you a €50, you give him change. As you start serving the next customer, he says, "Hang on, sorry, can I just have my €50 back and I'll give you the right change instead, it's easier." He pushes the change back toward you.

What do you do?

To Sell or Not to Sell

This is the single most important commercial section of your training. Selling a restricted product to the wrong person can result in personal prosecution of you, the Store Manager, and the Store Owner — and the loss of the shop's licence.

The law holds YOU personally responsibleFor every age-restricted, time-restricted and quantity-restricted sale, the law treats you — the sales assistant who took the money — as personally liable. A manager telling you "just do it" is not a defence. A busy shop is not a defence. "I didn't realise" is not a defence. The only defence is following this procedure every time.

The shop's strict policy

If the customer appears under 21, ask for ID. If they cannot produce a valid ID, refuse the sale. No ID, no sale. This is more conservative than the legal minimum of 18 — deliberately — because a 17-year-old can easily look 18, but very few 17-year-olds look 21.

Age-restricted products

ProductMinimum age
Alcohol (beer, wine, spirits, RTDs)18
Cigarettes, vapes, all tobacco / nicotine products18 (legislation moving to 21 for tobacco products born after a set date — check current rules)
Lottery tickets & scratch cards18
Aerosols, glues, solvent-containing products18
Butane gas, lighter fuel18
Adult magazines, age-rated DVDs / games18 (or the BBFC/IFCO rating displayed on the product)
Petrol, diesel16
Solvents (where misuse is suspected)Refuse, any age

Acceptable proof of age — ONLY these

  • Garda Age Card
  • Valid passport (any country)
  • Valid driving licence (Irish or EU)

School ID, gym cards, photocopies, screenshots, "left it at home" — not acceptable. The ID must be the original physical document, valid, and with a photo that clearly matches the customer.

Time-restricted sales — alcohol

Alcohol can only be sold during specific hours under the Intoxicating Liquor Acts 1988–2018. Selling outside these hours can result in prosecution of you AND the licensee AND a temporary closure notice for the shop.

DayPermitted hours
Monday – Saturday10:30 – 22:00 only
Sunday12:30 – 22:00 only
St Patrick's Day12:30 – 22:00, whatever day it falls on
Christmas DayNO SALE OF ALCOHOL AT ANY TIME
Good FridayNow generally permitted (post-2018 Act) — confirm with manager
The till should block out-of-hours alcohol sales — if it doesn't, that's a problem with the till, not permission to sell. Refuse the sale and inform the manager immediately.

Quantity-restricted: paracetamol

By law, the sale of any product containing paracetamol is limited to one pack per transaction. This applies whether the product is plain paracetamol, Solpadeine, Panadol, or any combination product that contains paracetamol.

  • If a customer has more than one paracetamol product, politely explain the legal limit and ask which they would like
  • If you are unsure whether a product contains paracetamol, ask a manager
  • This rule exists to reduce overdose risk — it is not negotiable

Walk through it — the age check decision tree

How to refuse a sale

The way you refuse matters as much as the refusal itself. A textbook refusal is calm, polite, brief, and doesn't argue.

1
Use a neutral phrase"I'm sorry, I'm not able to sell this to you today." Not "you're too young" or "you look 12" — keep it neutral.
2
Give the reason once"It's our policy to ask for ID for anyone who appears under 21, and I don't have an accepted form of ID." One sentence.
3
Don't argueIf they push back, repeat the same sentence calmly. Don't get drawn into a debate. "I'm sorry, I'm not able to sell this without accepted ID."
4
Get a manager if neededIf the customer becomes abusive or won't leave, call a manager. Never put yourself at risk. The shop's safety procedures take priority.
5
Log itEvery refusal is recorded in the Refusals Log. This log is your "due diligence defence" — the evidence that proves the shop has a working refusal policy. If we are ever investigated for a test purchase failure, this log is the first thing produced.

Scenario — the older friend

Scenario

Two customers come to the till together. One is clearly under 18; the other is in his 30s. The young one picks up a six-pack of beer and the older man says, "I'm paying for it, it's for me." He produces his own ID willingly.

What do you do?

The rhythm of a shift

Every shift in a Daybreak shop follows a predictable rhythm. Knowing the rhythm — not just your own task — is what makes a team a team.

The four-step shift discipline

1
Walk the floor firstEvery shift starts with a walk of the floor and back areas. Look at everything as if you were a customer. What's out of place?
2
Divide the tasksThe team agrees who is doing what, based on the shift task list. No two people doing the same thing; no important task with no owner.
3
Priority firstRestocking the high-runners (drinks, crisps, bread) and till coverage come before everything else. Face-off and tidy come after.
4
Confirm done, hand overEnd of shift: confirm each task on the list is done, hand over outstanding items verbally and (where appropriate) in writing to the next shift.

Morning shift task list

The morning shift sets the day. By the time the first lunchtime customer arrives, the shop must look like it's been waiting for them.

  • Open up — Advertisement signs out, bin shed opened, scratch card stock take finished
  • Ambient order — Prepare and place orders in the system based on shelf checks (more in Section 7 on Deliveries)
  • Delivery put-away — As deliveries arrive: date check, rotate, planogram, point of sale
  • Till and floor cover — Always one person covering tills and floor
  • Cash-up and lodgement prep — Cash from previous shift counted, banking prepared
  • Dairywall delivery put-away and face-off — Fresh and chilled is your reputation; it must look excellent at all times
  • Aisle work — One meter at a time: take items off, clean shelf, replace per planogram, check labels and prices
  • Newspapers and magazines — Delivery check (Section 8)
  • Coffee machine — Clean inside, outside, check milk pipe (more in Section 12)
  • Labels — SELs, shelf talkers, flash labels (Section 11)

Evening shift task list

The evening shift gets the shop ready for tomorrow.

  • Till operation — typically the busiest hours; one or two people on tills, others on floor
  • Replenishment from stockroom: counter front and back, chocolates, biscuits, bread, fruit & veg fridge, chilled, frozen
  • Alcohol section — replenish, full stock take where due, ordering, labelling
  • Coffee machine — deep clean cycle
  • Newspaper returns — print recall notes, return per process (Section 8)
  • Labels — SELs, shelf talkers, flash labels checked
  • Bin shed — all packaging flattened, bin shed tidy and locked (all team members)
  • Closing duties — cash up, drop, till logs out and drawer left open

Who owns what — the principle

Each shop has named owners for each task area. If you don't know who owns a task, ask your Store Manager — it will be on the shift roster. Two principles always apply:

  • Direct responsibility — one named person per task. They don't have to do every minute of it, but they own that it's done well, on time, by the end of their shift.
  • Cover when needed — if a colleague is on break or with a customer, you cover their priority tasks (especially tills) without being asked.

The unwritten rule

If you see a job that needs doing and you have a free moment — do it. Don't wait to be told. The shop that runs well is the shop where everyone owns the standards, not just the task list.

Every delivery, every time

A delivery isn't put away until date check, rotation, planogram, POS, and any extras stored in the stockroom are all complete. Skip any of these and you've handed the next shift a problem.

Step 1: Date check

Before you place any item on a shelf, check its date is acceptable. The minimum on-shelf date by category is:

CategoryMinimum date remaining
Biscuits16 weeks minimum
Chocolates6 months minimum
Bakery products3 months minimum
Crisps4 months minimum

If a delivered product has less than the minimum, set it aside and tell the Store Manager. Don't put it on the shelf "for now" — it stays in the stockroom until a decision is made.

Step 2: Rotation (FIFO)

First In, First Out: every time. Pull the older stock to the front and place the new stock behind it. Never just stack the new delivery in front and trap old stock at the back — that's how you get a customer complaint and a waste loss in the same week.

Step 3: Planogram

Every shelf has a planogram (the visual map of which product goes where). Put everything away exactly per the planogram. If a planogram isn't available for a category, ask. Don't improvise.

Step 4: Stockroom

  • Extras that don't fit on the shelf: store at the designated spot for that category, neatly
  • Backup stock for fast-moving lines: rotate the existing backup to the floor first, then the new delivery becomes the backup
  • Stockroom always tidy and walkable — not a dumping ground

Step 5: Point of sale (POS)

Any of: regular replenishment, new items, replacement items, promotions — each needs correct POS. We cover the four label types in Section 11.

Scenario — the short-date delivery

Scenario

A delivery of chocolate bars arrives with 4 months until expiry. Our minimum is 6 months. The Store Manager is off today; the Assistant Manager is busy on a phone call.

What do you do?

Newspapers & Magazines

Newspapers and magazines are sale-or-return. That means we only pay for what we sell, but only if the returns paperwork is exact. Carelessness here costs the shop real money every week.

Morning task — delivery check

1
Check delivery vs delivery noteCount what's there against what's on the docket. Tick everything on the note.
2
Highlight any discrepancyMark shortages on the docket. Tell the Store Manager immediately so the supplier is notified.
3
Scan one of each at the tillTest-scan one of each newspaper and magazine to confirm they ring through, and at the correct price.
4
Not scanning? Set it upNewspaper not scanning: set it up by copying a similar product, with correct cost and retail. Magazine not scanning: set it up at the euro retail marked, or multiply sterling by 1.4 and round (e.g., £1 → €1.40).

Evening task — recalls and returns

  • Print the recall notes from Newspread and EM News (I-menzies) websites — your manager has the login details
  • Pull and return all the newspapers and magazines on the recall list
  • Attach the recall note to the return book

The returns equation — this is the one that matters

Any discrepancy between physical count and system count must be investigated immediately and reported to the Store Manager — it usually indicates either theft, a scanning error, or stock not put through the till.

How to check the sales figure (back office)

You'll do this every evening for newspapers and magazines. Once you've done it a few times it takes 30 seconds.

1
Log in to CBE Win Retail Back OfficeYour back office login.
2
My Favourites → Sales HistoryStandard report.
3
Product Group: "Periodical"Filters to newspapers and magazines only.
4
Tick "Show Product Level Details"So you see each title individually.
5
Run ReportRead the "Qty" column for each title. That's your sold figure.

Credit note checks

This is normally done by a designated person daily, but you should understand the logic in case you cover.

  • Print the credit notes from Newspread and EM News daily
  • Cross-check against what we sent back: every item we returned should appear on the credit
  • If a return is refused (e.g., for being late or incomplete), highlight to the Store Manager immediately — we want to dispute it while it's fresh
Why this matters financially: on a busy week the newspaper bill is several hundred euro. The credit note is what reduces it to the actual sold amount. Missing a credit note even once a week adds up to a serious unrecoverable loss over a year.

Lottery & Scratch Cards

Scratch cards are active stock the moment they're activated — in National Lottery's books they are sold to us once we activate them, and the shop owes the value whether they sell or not. Get the process wrong and the shop pays for cards it never sold.

What we're trying to achieve every day

  • The system shows the correct live stock of scratch cards on display for sale
  • We have a written list of which scratch card books are sitting in the stock room
  • Total = live display + stock room. Total must match what National Lottery says we have.

The five steps, in order

1
Receive the manifestWhen a delivery arrives, scan the manifest/docket into the lotto machine. This tells National Lottery we have the delivery.
2
Store safelyAll scratch card books go to one secured place in the stockroom. Never on the shop floor un-activated.
3
Stock list updatedThe stock take sheet in the office is updated whenever a book is added (delivery) or removed (going on sale). This must be done every time — not "later".
4
Activate the bookOnly authorised people activate — typically the Store Manager and one or two people they specifically authorise. Your shop will confirm who. Activation = the book becomes active stock and the shop owes the value.
5
Add to systemUse Qty Check / Goods In on the Green Picolink handheld scanner to add the activated book to the system stock count.
The cardinal rules• Never activate a book unless you're authorised
• Never put a book on display before it is activated and entered to the system
• Never sell a card from a book that isn't in the system — the stock count will be wrong and the shop will be short
• If a book is damaged, missing, or torn — tell your Store Manager immediately

Lottery payouts

A winning customer presents a ticket or scratch card. Here's the right way to handle it.

1
Scan the ticket in the lotto machinePlace it in the lotto terminal scanner. If it's a winner, the terminal prints a receipt with the prize amount.
2
Process the payout on EPOSThe amount on the lotto terminal receipt must match the amount you key as a payout on the EPOS. Double-check before paying.
3
Maximum payoutThere is a maximum cash payout we are allowed to give in-store. Anything over that limit must be claimed by the customer directly from National Lottery. Check with your manager what the current limit is — it can change.
4
Retain the recordsThe original lotto ticket stays in the lotto terminal; the EPOS receipt stays in the till drawer. Both are part of the audit trail.

Under-18 customers: never sell, never pay out. Refuse and log it.

Payzone & Postpoint Services

Bill payments and mobile top-ups happen via the Payzone or Postpoint terminal alongside the EPOS. Two transactions — one on the service terminal, one on the EPOS — always.

Bill payments (electricity, gas, waste)

1
Take the billCustomer presents a bill with a barcode.
2
Process on the service terminalScan the barcode on Payzone or Postpoint as appropriate. Terminal prints a receipt.
3
Register on EPOSKey the same transaction on EPOS to take payment. Process payment as a normal sale (cash, card, etc.).
4
SurchargesSome bill-pay services have a small surcharge. Account for it correctly per the shop's procedure — ask your manager if unsure.

Mobile phone top-ups

The single rule that prevents 90% of top-up problemsAlways ask the customer which network they are with. Never ever assume the network from the phone number prefix — numbers port between networks all the time and you will get it wrong. If you process a top-up on the wrong network, it cannot be refunded or transferred.
  • Ask the customer the network and the amount
  • Select that network and amount on the service terminal
  • Process the transaction on the terminal AND on EPOS
  • Account for surcharges per shop procedure

If a customer returns with a top-up query

You are not permitted to exchange a top-up. Always ask the customer to wait politely and call a supervisor or manager. They will follow the Credit Request Process (next slide) if appropriate.

Credit Request Process — when a top-up needs reversing

If a top-up was processed in error, the shop can request a cancellation and credit. Both providers use the same process; only the email differs.

What you need before requesting

  • Date
  • Transaction number
  • Serial number
  • Terminal number
  • Top-up type (network & amount)
  • Amount

Where to send the request

ProviderEmail
Payzonecredits@payzone.ie
Postpoint (An Post)Aprs.refunds@anpost.ie

What happens next

  1. You'll get an acknowledgement email — record this on the back of the original top-up receipt and file it securely.
  2. Within around a week, you'll get an approval or refusal email.
  3. If approved — verify it against the filed receipt and you can dispose of the receipt.
  4. If refused — flag it to the Store Manager immediately so we can dispute.

The other thing about Payzone — anti-money-laundering

Bill pay and prepaid services are sometimes used to move criminal proceeds. As a Designated Person under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010–2021, the shop has duties to identify suspicious activity and report it. Patterns to watch for:

  • Same customer doing multiple top-ups in a day, each just under a reporting limit ("structuring")
  • Repeated large cash payments onto a prepaid card
  • Top-ups on behalf of unidentified third parties
  • Customer evasive about why they're loading large sums
If you notice suspicious activity: serve the customer normally, do not confront them or tip them off, and tell the Store Manager as soon as the customer has left. The Store Manager has the duty to file a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) with the Gardaí and Revenue. Tipping off the customer that a report is being considered is itself a criminal offence under the Act.

Point of Sale (POS) Labels

Every product on the shop floor must have some form of price label. Which type depends on the product and any promotion. Wrong label = wrong price scanning = legal exposure under the EU Consumer Protection Regulation and customer complaints.

The three label types

YELLOW FLASH STICKER
High-impact promotional sticker stuck on the product itself
SHELF EDGE TALKER (HALF)
Coloured tag on the shelf edge for promotions and chilled own-buy
SHELF EDGE LABEL (SEL)
Standard price label — every regular item must have one

When to use which

Yellow flash sticker — stuck on the product

  • Spider fridge items
  • Basket items
  • Stacked items (drinks, crisps)
  • Coffee machine items
  • Reduce-to-clear (RTC) items — always
  • Agreed promotional lines

Shelf edge talker (half) — on the shelf edge

  • All promotions on the promotional end
  • All promotional items within their categories
  • All chilled & fresh items that we buy ourselves (not sale-or-return) — dairy wall, next to coffee machine

Shelf edge label (SEL) — every other product

Every item on the shop floor that does not have a yellow flash sticker must have a shelf edge label showing the correct price. No exceptions.

Daily label check

Labels are not "set and forget" — they need a daily walk to catch missing, wrong-price or out-of-date ones.

  • Walk the shop with a clipboard or scanner at least once per shift
  • Every shelf face: is the right product there, and is the price label correct?
  • Missing label → print one immediately (or, if scanner-equipped, scan to print)
  • Wrong price → fix it. A customer who finds a €1.50 label on a €1.80 item is legally entitled to the lower price under consumer law
  • Promotion ended → take down the talker, restore the SEL

Setting up a new product

Sometimes a new line arrives that isn't yet in the system. Setting it up in CBE Win Retail Back Office takes about a minute. The trick is to copy a similar existing product so the VAT code is right.

The seven-step setup

1
Log into Back OfficeYour usual login.
2
File Maintenance → Product MaintenanceStandard menu.
3
Find a very similar item already in the systemFor a new toothbrush, find an existing toothbrush. Scan its barcode in the search field, or search by description. This is so the VAT, supplier, etc., are right by default.
4
Press "Create"Top right of screen. This creates a new product based on the similar one.
5
Enter the new barcodeIn the barcode field at the bottom of the screen.
6
Set the detailsDescription, size, pack size, cost price, retail price. Check the margin makes sense. Check the VAT code (next slide).
7
Save and testSave. Then scan the new barcode at the till to confirm it scans at the right price. Double-check the first few you set up.
Supplier field: set to "Self" for anything that's not S&W; set to "S&W" for S&W lines.

VAT codes — get this right

Irish VAT rates vary by product category. The wrong code means we either overcharge customers or underpay Revenue — both are problems. The right code is usually inherited correctly from the similar product, but check it.

CategoryVAT rate
Grocery (basic foodstuffs)0%
Biscuits, chocolate-coated biscuits, savoury snacks (some)13.5% or 23% — check carefully
Newspapers and magazines0% (newspapers); 9% (some magazines) — default to the similar item
Deli — cold (sandwiches, salad to take away)0% (sold cold)
Deli — hot (hot food to take away)13.5% (reduced rate for hot takeaway food)
Chilled, fresh, frozen food0% (basic food)
Soft drinks, tobacco, alcohol, confectionery23%
Non-food: household, toiletries, beauty23%
If you're unsureSet to 0% and ask the Store Manager to verify. This avoids creating an extra VAT liability (we'd have to pay VAT we didn't collect). The Store Manager can then correct upward to the right rate. NEVER guess a high rate to "be safe" — that overcharges the customer.

Practice — sort these into the right VAT bucket

Drag each item to the correct VAT rate. Click Check answers when done. (Tap on mobile to select, then tap a bucket to drop.)

Loaf of bread
Carton of milk
Pre-packed cold sandwich
Hot chicken roll (takeaway)
Can of Coca-Cola
20 cigarettes
Bar of chocolate
Bottle of shampoo
Bag of frozen peas
Bottle of wine
0% VAT
13.5% VAT
23% VAT

Key Holder Responsibilities

Not everyone holds keys — only those rostered to open or close. If you are issued keys, alarm fob or panic alarm key, you accept specific responsibilities by signing the Key Holder Acceptance Form. This section explains what those responsibilities mean in practice.

What you may be issued

  • Shop keys (front door, back door, internal doors)
  • Alarm keys / fob (to set and unset the alarm)
  • Panic alarm key / fob
  • Any additional equipment (e.g., safe key)

Each item is recorded on the Key Holder Acceptance Form by item type and quantity, signed by you and held on your personnel file.

The key holder rules

  • Never use the keys for any unauthorised opening or closing — only during your rostered shift
  • Never lend or copy keys — not to family, not to a colleague who forgot theirs
  • Never leave keys unattended — on the counter, in a jacket on a chair, in a locker that doesn't lock
  • Never share alarm codes — even with another key holder
  • Report loss or suspected loss immediately — same shift, no exceptions. The locks may need changing.
  • Return everything on departure — when you leave the company, all keys, fobs and equipment must be handed back. You may be liable for the cost of replacement if anything is not returned.
Opening and closing aloneIf you are rostered to open or close, you should never be working alone in the shop — there must be at least one other staff member, or the shop is not yet open / is already shut to the public. Under-18s can never be left to open or close at any time.

Opening and closing procedure — the essentials

Opening

  • Approach the shop with another staff member; if anything looks wrong (broken window, door ajar, lights not as they should be), do NOT enter — call the Gardaí and the Store Manager from a safe distance
  • Unset the alarm within the allowed entry time
  • Walk through the shop, all back areas and toilets to confirm no one is inside
  • Start the morning open-up checklist (Section 6)

Closing

  • All customers out before locking the door
  • Cash drop into the drop safe; till drawer left open
  • Walk through the shop and back areas, lock all internal doors, check toilets and stockroom for stragglers
  • Lights off as per the schedule (some lights may stay on for security)
  • Set the alarm and exit within the allowed exit time
  • Confirm the door is locked — try the handle

Stock rotation — a recap and a deeper look

Rotation is the cheapest insurance the shop has against waste. Done well, our waste should be a fraction of what an unmanaged shop wastes.

FIFO — First In, First Out

The rule is simple: oldest stock goes out first. When you put away a delivery, you physically move the older stock to the front of the shelf and place the new stock behind it.

Short-date check

Every shift, a colleague is responsible for checking shelf dates in each category. Anything within the short-date window goes to Reduce To Clear.

CategoryMove to RTC when shelf life remaining is...
Sandwiches, deli, salads1 day (sell same day or RTC)
Bread (in-store baked, fresh)1 day
Dairy & chilled (yoghurt, milk, etc.)3–5 days
Fruit and vegVisual judgement — going soft = RTC
Ambient (biscuits, crisps, ambient meals)2 weeks (typical)

Reduce-to-Clear (RTC)

  • RTC items get a yellow flash sticker with the reduced price
  • Reduce by an amount that's meaningful but doesn't kill the margin entirely — typically 30–50%, but follow your shop's policy
  • RTC items are recorded in the RTC log on EPOS — this matters for shrinkage tracking
  • Check RTC stock at the start of every shift — anything still there past use-by is waste, not RTC

Waste recording

Anything that has to be binned — expired, damaged, broken, opened in error — must be recorded as waste on EPOS before it goes in the bin.

Special case — deli/hot food

Hot food has its own timer rules (kept hot at 63°C+ for a maximum holding time per the FSAI HACCP plan). When the timer expires, the food is wasted — recorded — and a fresh batch prepared. We never extend a hot-hold timer "because it still looks fine".

Stock take — doing it right

Regular stock takes are how we know whether the system count matches reality. A clean stock take protects the shop from shrinkage, theft, and bookkeeping errors.

Full stock take

  • Done during a quiet period or after close — not during trade
  • Two people: one counting, one recording
  • Each shelf face counted top to bottom, left to right, no skips
  • Stockroom counted separately, including backup stock for that category
  • Results entered to EPOS the same evening
  • Discrepancies of any meaningful size investigated immediately

Spot counts

For high-value or high-shrink categories (alcohol, tobacco, vapes, scratch cards), the shop will run weekly or more frequent spot counts. These are a key indicator of theft or process error — don't shortcut them.

Scenario — the dropped tray

Scenario

You drop a tray of fresh sandwiches in the back — 8 sandwiches, all unsellable. The shop is busy and you're tempted to just bin them quietly to avoid making a fuss.

What's the right thing to do?

Your formal training record

This final section sets out, in full, every topic this module has covered. It exists for one reason: when you complete the quiz and earn your certificate, the company has a complete written record of exactly what you were trained on — and you have a complete written record of exactly what you were taught.

Why this matters: if anything in your job is ever in question — an incident, a complaint, a regulator's visit, a disciplinary matter — both you and the shop need to be able to point at this list and say "yes, that was covered, with this evidence." Read through carefully. If anything on this list rings no bells at all, tell your Store Manager before you take the quiz, so they can walk you through it again.

How to use this section

  • Read through every topic on the next two slides
  • If anything looks unfamiliar, go back to the original section and re-read it (your progress is saved — nothing is lost)
  • On the final slide, click Mark section complete to confirm you've reviewed the full list
  • That confirmation, together with your passed quiz and your certificate PDF, forms the complete documentary record of your training

Topics covered — sections 1 to 7

Section 1 — Welcome & Your First Day

  • Daybreak group structure: ten shops, independent operating companies, single brand standard
  • Where to find your specific employer (contract, payslip)
  • Key roles you escalate to: Store Manager, Assistant Manager/Supervisor, Group H&S Coordinators, Managing Director
  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) — free 24-hour confidential counselling helpline: 01 800 936 710
  • First-day induction checklist: shop tour, fire alarm demo, evacuation route, location of first aid / accident book / panic alarm / extinguishers, Employee Handbook + Safety Handbook signed, uniform/badge/locker, contract within 5 days & full written terms within 1 month (Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 as amended)
  • Shadowing rule: at least two full shifts with experienced colleagues, Week 1 module set completed, basic till competence demonstrated before being rostered alone

Section 2 — Customer Care Standards

  • The 17 customer care standards reimagined as the four pillars of every customer interaction: be present, be helpful, be honest, be safe
  • Greeting, eye contact, dress and personal presentation
  • How to handle queries, complaints, awkward situations and language differences
  • When to escalate and to whom

Section 3 — EPOS & Till Operations

  • CBE Win Retail (the shop's EPOS system) — your responsibility every shift
  • Pre-shift checklist: personal items, uniform, predecessor logout, float count, receipt rolls, panic alarm, CCTV
  • Personal login PIN — never shared, never another colleague's
  • Standard transaction flow: greet → scan → check items visible → ask "anything else?" → bag question → state total → take payment → count change back → receipt + thank you
  • Double-scan handling (void), no-barcode lookup, supervisor escalation when uncertain
  • Till rules: drawer closed between transactions, no open cash counting visible from outside, log off when away

Section 4 — Cash, Cards, Refunds & Counterfeit

  • The four payment methods regularly seen: cash, Chip & PIN, contactless/phone/watch, cash back
  • Counterfeit currency: the Feel–Look–Tilt three-point check
  • The change-without-purchase scam pattern and the correct refusal
  • Refunds: with-receipt vs without-receipt rules, manager-approval threshold, refund recording on EPOS
  • Declined card handling — discreet, polite, retry or alternative, keep the declined receipt in the till
  • Falsification of till records as gross misconduct under the Employee Handbook and as a criminal matter under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001

Section 5 — Restricted Sales (Age / Time / Quantity)

  • Challenge 25 policy — refuse without valid ID if customer appears under 25
  • Accepted ID forms (passport, driving licence, Garda Age Card) and rejected forms (school IDs, photos of IDs)
  • Alcohol sale hours under the Intoxicating Liquor Acts — Monday–Saturday 10:30–22:00, Sunday/Bank Holiday 12:30–22:00, and the absolute no-sale days (Good Friday and Christmas Day under the relevant statute)
  • Proxy purchase recognition and refusal — adult-with-minor patterns, group purchases
  • Tobacco sales under the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts — under-18 prohibition, no single cigarettes, no display, no proxy sale
  • Paracetamol / OTC medicines quantity limits (one paracetamol product per transaction under Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations)
  • Knives, blades, solvents and aerosols — under-18 prohibition
  • The refusals log — your due-diligence defence and a legal requirement to maintain

Section 6 — Shift Tasks

  • Shift start: floor walk, task division, anomaly check
  • The principle of shared ownership: if you spot a job that needs doing, do it
  • End-of-shift handover, cash-up, sign-off

Section 7 — Deliveries & Put-Away

  • The five steps of a delivery: date check → rotation (FIFO) → planogram placement → stockroom extras → point of sale
  • Minimum on-shelf dates by category (biscuits 16 weeks, chocolates 6 months, bakery products 3 months, crisps 4 months)
  • Short-date products: never put on shelf "for now" — set aside, tell the Store Manager
  • Rotation discipline: oldest at the front, newest at the back, every single time
  • Planogram adherence and the reasoning behind it

Topics covered — sections 8 to 14 plus the optional extras

Section 8 — Newspapers & Magazines (Optional)

  • Sale-or-return model and why exact returns paperwork matters financially
  • Daily/weekly recall process and the cardinal rule "pull and return everything on the recall list"
  • The returns equation: Returns = Delivery received − Sold per system
  • How to check the sales figure in the CBE Win Retail Back Office
  • Credit note checks and dispute timing

Section 9 — Lottery & Scratch Cards

  • National Lottery active-stock accounting — activation = the shop owes the value
  • The five-step receipt-to-system flow: receive manifest, store safely, stock list updated, activate (by authorised people only), add to system via Picolink scanner
  • The four cardinal rules of scratch card handling
  • Lotto ticket sale and prize validation process
  • Payouts: lotto receipt amount must match EPOS payout amount, both records retained

Section 10 — Payzone & Postpoint

  • Bill payments and mobile top-ups via terminal alongside EPOS — two transactions, every time
  • Network identification before top-up (single most important question)
  • Recognition of suspicious patterns: multiple sub-threshold top-ups, structured payments
  • Discreet escalation: serve normally, do not tip off, report to Store Manager after the customer leaves

Section 11 — Point of Sale Labels

  • Shelf-edge labels (SEL), shelf talkers, yellow flash stickers — what goes where, when
  • Reduce-to-clear labelling rules and EPOS recording
  • Why incorrect / missing labels cost real money

Section 12 — New Product Setup & VAT (Optional)

  • Setting up a new line in CBE Win Retail Back Office: copy from a similar existing product to inherit correct VAT and supplier defaults
  • Irish VAT rates by category and the safe defaults
  • Cost price, retail price, margin check
  • What to do when you're unsure of the rate

Section 13 — Key Holder Responsibilities

  • Opening procedure: window-check before entry, varied approach to back office, what to do if something is wrong on arrival (do not enter, retreat, call Gardaí and Store Manager)
  • Closing procedure: cash in safe before final lock-up, varied exit route, no uniform on the way home
  • Alarm codes and panic alarm fobs — confidentiality, never shared
  • The absolute under-18 exclusion from key-holding

Section 14 — Stock Take, Rotation & Waste

  • Stock take: routine, full count, what happens when figures don't match
  • FIFO discipline — first in, first out, on every shelf, every day
  • Short dates and reduce-to-clear protocol
  • Waste recording on EPOS — every damaged, expired, opened-in-error item, on the same shift
  • Honest mistakes are forgiven; cover-ups (taking damaged stock home, hiding damage, putting it back on the shelf) are gross misconduct

What this section means once you complete it

By clicking Mark section complete below, you confirm that you have been presented with all of the topics listed in this module, and that you have had the opportunity to ask your Store Manager about anything that was unclear.

Together, the following form your formal training record

1. This passed module — every required section completed (the shop's system has logged each one)
2. The quiz passed at the required mark
3. Your certificate PDF — generated, dated, and filed in your personnel record by your Store Manager and the Group H&S Coordinators
4. This Section 15 acknowledgement — your confirmation that you have seen the full list of topics covered

That four-part record is what the shop produces if any regulator, inspector, or court ever asks "what was this person trained on?" — and it is what you can point to if you ever need to show that you were properly inducted.

If anything on the list does not look familiar

Do not click "Mark section complete" yet. Go back to the relevant section, re-read it, and ask your Store Manager to walk you through it again. Your progress is saved — nothing is lost. There is no penalty for taking longer, and there is no benefit to rushing.

If everything is clear

Click Mark section complete below. The "Start knowledge check" button will then be available on the home screen. The quiz is 25 questions across all sections; pass mark is 18 out of 25. There is no limit on retries.

The goal is straightforward: you know your job, the shop has the record that proves it, and you have the same record in your hand. Everyone protected, no surprises.

Knowledge check

Choose the best answer for each question. You can change your answer before submitting. Pass mark: 18 out of 25. There is no limit on retries.

Your result

0%
0 of 25

Progress saved