Research Resources

'F' Supermarket Terms

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  • faced

    The pulling forward of product to the edge of the gondola shelf to make the display appear fully stocked. Also known as face-up or facing up.

  • face-up

    A shelf's-edge arrangement of merchandise to make a display shelf look full.

  • facings

    The number of units in width an item occupies on the front row of a store shelf.

  • fact sheet

    A manufacturer's promotional sheet for sales calls.

  • factory pack

    A standard-sized shipping carton.

  • failure fee

    A manufacturer's payment to retailers for merchandise that does not sell as expected and is being dropped from the retailer's inventory.

  • fancy foods

    Gourmet, specialty, or special-occasion foods.

  • fat content

    The amount of fat in a particular product.

  • FDA

    Food and Drug Administration.

  • FDI

    Food Distributors International.

  • featured special

    A product featured in advertisements.

  • features

    Products featured in a current advertising promotion to attract customers.

  • FEIF

    Food Executives International Foundation.

  • fermentation

    A breakdown in organic compounds caused by a leavening agent, such as the effect of yeast on flour.

  • FF&D standards

    Federal Food & Drug Standards are federal rules that address quality standards of foods and drugs for human consumption.

  • FICA

    Federal Insurance Contributions Act, a mandatory withholding used for Social Security.

  • field broker

    A fruit and vegetable grower's representative who sells and ships produce.

  • field representative

    A manufacturer's or wholesaler's representative who sells products and services accounts. See supervisor.

  • FIFO

    First in, first out.

  • fillet

    A boned, trimmed, lean piece of fish.

  • fill-ins or fill-in order

    A supplementary order needed to replace product that was either forgotten, not delivered or out-of-stock.

  • final order date

    The last date to place an order to receive product allowances.

  • final ship date

    The last date to ship an order to qualify for product allowances.

  • first in, first out (FIFO)

    An inventory rotation system to sell older products before newer products.

  • fiscal year

    A 12-month period that a company or government uses for bookkeeping purposes.

  • fish steaks

    A cross-section cut from whole fish in 3/4 to 1-inch thick, skin-on slices.

  • fixed assets

    See assets, fixed.

  • fixed costs

    See costs, fixed.

  • fixed dating or fixed terms

    An accounting term that sets a payment date.

  • fixture (fixturing)

    Displays, such as grocery shelves, a freezer case, a magazine or card rack, used to exhibit merchandise.

  • flagship store

    The prototype for a retail store chain.

  • flanker

    A manufacturer's product modification for an established product., e.g., blue M&Ms.

  • flash sheet

    A manufacturer's promotional summary to promote selected sale products to retailers. Also known as a sell sheet.

  • flats

    Platforms used to store products.

  • flexible allowance

    Choice given to a retailer to select the payment method

  • float

    The amount of time that a check is in circulation; the period between the time a check is written and when it is cashed.

  • floor care

    A specific program designed to keep floors clean and attractive.

  • floor merchandiser

    A movable, free-standing fixture, such as: a spinner, which revolves; a rack; a fixed, portable unit; a floorstand; a disposable, cardboard unit; a prepack; a disposable display with products inside; and folding tables; for special displays.

  • floor stock

    Merchandise stored by a retailer to replenish shelves between deliveries. Also known as back stock.

  • floor stock protection

    An agreement to protect a retailer from a loss if a product's price goes down in a certain time period.

  • flow through distribution

    A form of cross-docking; products are broken down into individual cases which are sorted, transferred and put on pallets to ship to retail stores.

  • flyer

    An advertisement that is mailed or inserted into newspapers.

  • FMI

    Food Marketing Institute.

  • food broker

    An agent who negotiates contracts, buys and sells food and other merchandise to retail food stores.

  • food cost

    A calculation of the price of each ingredient used to prepare foods, such as potato salad.

  • Food Distributors International (FDI)

    (formerly NAWGA) 201 Park Washington Court Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 532-9400

  • Food Executives International Foundation (FEIF)

    P.O. Box 2730 Bethesda, MD 20827 (301) 469-8716

  • food guide pyramid

    A federal government picture of a healthy diet, with the most essential items, cereals and grains, at the bottom, and the least essential, fats and sweets, at the top.

  • Food Marketing Institute (FMI)

    An international trade association of independent grocers, chain stores and wholesalers. FMI's programs include education, research and public affairs. 655 15th St. ., N.W. Washington, DC 20005 (202) 452-8444

  • food mass merchandiser

    A supercenter that offers a wide variety of food and non-food merchandise. These stores average 150,000 square feet and typically devote 40 percent of the space to grocery items and 60 percent to General Merchandise/Health and Beauty Care (GM/HBC) and other non-food items.

  • food service

    The preparation and sale of ready-to-eat food items, snacks and meals.

  • food stamps

    A federal benefits program for low-income families, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

  • food stand

    A disposable, usually cardboard, floor merchandiser.

  • food store

    A retail operation that sells food products.

  • food/drug combo

    A combination superstore-drug store under a single roof that share checkout lanes. General Merchandise/Health and Beauty Care (GM/HBC) represents at least one-third of the selling area and a minimum of 15 percent of store sales.

  • footballing

    A competitive strategy to rapidly increase sales volume by sharply cutting prices.

  • footprint

    The amount of square footage in a store used by a piece of equipment or display unit.

  • forced deposit

    A fee placed on recyclable bottles to promote bottle returns for a refund.

  • forced distribution

    The total allotment of product that a retail chain automatically distributes to its stores without specific orders. Also called a force out.

  • forecast

    A projection of sales volume.

  • forklift

    A vehicle with projecting prongs that slide under a pallet to move merchandise in a warehouse or store.

  • forward buy

    A retail practice of holding products until the end of a promotion to increase profits. Also known as a buyout.

  • four-way pallet

    A pallet accessible by equipment from all four sides.

  • frame

    A module of text on the World Wide Web, which is used to break up text that is hard to read on a computer screen. The unit of information transferred across a data link.

  • frame relay network

    A local-area, wide-area or global network of computers that uses nodes to send digital messages in pieces back and forth until an open line is found for transmission of a packet of information, which is reassembled in the correct order on delivery.

  • franchise

    A contractual agreement on a brand, service, name, operation or procedure.

  • franchise store

    An independently owned store affiliated with a wholesale group and sharing a common name. A license to use a chain's name.

  • franchised department

    See leased department.

  • franchised label or franchised brand

    A label, name, or design that a sectional distributor may use as its private label in an assigned area.

  • free goods promotion

    A manufacturer's incentive to retailers or wholesalers that offers free product in exchange for the purchase of a specific quantity.

  • free standing

    A store located by itself or in an unplanned shopping area.

  • free standing display

    A display built straight from the floor and not attached to a fixture.

  • free standing insert (FSI)

    A manufacturer's advertisement and coupons put into a separate section of a newspaper.

  • free time period

    The time period allocated to load or unload a truck or rail car without incurring additional charges.

  • free trader

    A retailer with access to capital who buys in high volume from many suppliers on a cash basis.

  • freezer

    An enclosed, refrigerated storage area that preserves frozen products below 0 degree F.

  • freezer burn

    The loss of moisture that affects frozen food. The white or gray spots caused by improper packing or food handling.

  • freezer life

    The length of time a product can be stored at 0 degree F and retain good proofing and baking characteristics.

  • freight bill

    A receipt showing the total cost of a shipment. Shippers pay for prepaid freight bills and receivers pay destination freight bills.

  • freight paid

    An expense added to a product's retail price.

  • freight rate

    The transportation costs for shipping products by rail, truck or other means that may be based on a formula of total weight, revenue and mileage.

  • frequent shopper program

    An electronic marketing program designed to reinforce customer loyalty. A scan card used to capture customer shopping patterns and to generate product discounts (clipless coupons). See electronic marketing.

  • fresh

    Just picked, gathered, produced, live or unprocessed, not stale, food. A term associated with perimeter departments, including produce, deli, bakery, or floral. Also unfrozen.

  • fresh pack

    Seasonal food products processed quickly; usually at the growing location.

  • freshness control

    A program to liquidate short-coded, overstocked merchandise to prevent its accumulation.

  • front desk

    A service counter.

  • front end

    The designated area of a retail store for customer checkouts and bagging stands. It may include a Service Center, Counting Room for Monies, MIS Office and Manager's Office.

  • fronts

    The number of shelf facings for a product.

  • frozen assets

    See assets, frozen.

  • frozen food distribution center

    A refrigerated warehouse for the storage and distribution of frozen foods.

  • frozen foods

    Food preserved by freezing, such as fruits, vegetables, specialty foods, dinners and ice cream.

  • fryer

    A term for a whole chicken.

  • FSI

    Free-standing insert.

  • full service

    Merchandiser arrangements with retailers in which product prices include all services, such as order writing, prepricing, delivery, shelf merchandising and guaranteed sales.

  • full truck

    See truckload order.

  • full-line drug

    A store that sells general merchandise (GM), health and beauty care (HBC), over the counter (OTC) and prescription drugs.

  • full-line wholesale grocer

    A wholesaler who provides a complete selection of products and services to retailers, such as accounting services, retail training modules and services, MIS information and reporting and newspaper ad layouts.

  • future order

    An order for perishable products before the beginning of a season; future orders are often used as collateral for loans by packers/manufacturers. See field broker.

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