You can know everything about the business. Be great at your job position and others (acting store manager, visual merchandising, operations, inventory management etc) and they still won’t promote you if you haven’t made successful sales numbers in store. Managers are required to sell just like sales associates. However some managers have strengths in other areas, not necessarily in sales. But because they don’t have great numbers, they won’t promote –despite the fact that they know the company inside and out.
They prefer to hire someone from outside –who doesn’t know the brand, for a corporate position. It has happened many times to lots of people, in the years I shared with this company.
80% of the time, the associates in store know more than those in corporate.
They also send new corporate hires, to train in store with the associates they deem “unfit” for the position, but they are good enough to train the on boarding associates. Food for thought.
-They’re big on promoting a good work/life balance however it’s retail so you will be working weekends, nights, holidays. And they “black-out” dates. If you plan to go away at least 2 weeks before the holidays season begins, thinking you’ll be back on time, NO. All of Nov and Dec is unavailable for vacations and most people have to work mandatory weekends during those months. Of course busy season but still.
-The turn over for new campaigns are the worst during the holidays. The campaign for a new product always lands the day after Christmas and the day after mother’s day. Which means the store needs to be set up for the next business day. But you can’t visually change your store until you are closed for business. Either super early in the morning or after hours when you close. It’s ridiculous, especially if you’re a parent. Who wants to stay after hours, on mother’s day or Christmas, evening for 2-3 hours (depending on the size of your store) to change everything for the new sales? Why can’t they leave everything for a few more days? Customers are still buying late gifts. I’ve heard this complaint from multiple people, including managers.
