Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Reno Aces Team Store
Inside the Off-Season: Nathan Tjeltveit
As the Reno Aces wrap up their season, the Team Store is just beginning prep work for its annual inventory. Nathan Tjeltveit, 20, a team store lead at the Reno Aces, balances working during the offseason while attending Truckee Meadows Community College with his goal of graduating with an Associate of Business.
Tjeltveit has worked at the Reno Aces Team Store for four years.
“My second full season working more serious hours, more of a part-time job instead of just seasonal during the summer,” says Tjeltveit.
Inventory prep starts right after the last game of the season. The process includes double-counting everything on the store floor, in the back stock, and in secondary storage areas.
He opens each individual box to double-check the hat quantity in each box.
The Team Store staff works long hours to finish the double count before they begin the physical inventory.
“I don't think the general customers that come in kind of realize how much effort and how much work we put in,” says Tjeltveit.
The Reno Aces Team Store does not hire an outside company or staff to assist with inventory. All of the work is done by hand by store employees.
“My coworkers came up with different totals, so I had to step in and triple-count the items,” he says.
During inventory, the Team Store crew is assigned to different stock locations. Tjeltveit has been assigned to “the cage” for the second year in a row.
“The cage is a secondary back stock location where we keep items that have a large quantity,” he explains.
Tjelveit stands in the middle of the cage as he explains how he reorganized the secondary backstock for this year's inventory.
“I tried to keep all of the same items together. All the same hats, shirts, or mascot plush,” he says.
Tjelveit continues the secondary count of fitted hats.
“It takes a lot of energy doing that because you're kind of just locked in the zone. It's counting, counting, counting,” Tjeltveit says.
The Team Store is currently closed to the public for its annual inventory.
After inventory, the offseason work and preparation are not over. The Team Store will continue to be open from 1 to 3 p.m. every Thursday and will also be open for the holidays.
“We are doing a new event this year, Home for the Holidays,” said Tjeltveit.
The Reno Aces will welcome fans back to the park for this special weekend holiday event starting Friday, Dec. 5.
Reporting and photos by Amanda Avilla
