Great experience, working atmosphere and benefits although bad perception and decisions made by upper level management
Pros
River Island is a good company to work for. Many types of training are provided for different sections of the store so you are able to experience all aspects of working within a retailer. Uniform allowance and staff discount is always a bonus! I have also see simple sales assistants be promoted within the company which is always a refreshing sight to see.
Cons
Poor contract patterns for part time workers, lack of perception and the right action is not always taken when looking at stores individually, every store is not exactly the same. The way in which management are spread thin is concerning. Also I feel that although we do receive very good discount rates and staff uniform allowance it is not enough over the summer period as I found myself working every day with the same set uniform as I was unable to afford to buy any new clothes at that point in time. Discount should be calculated on the hours you work over a 6 week period rather than base contract hours. Also to add the store in which I work in has had a number of shoplifters. We resulted in a huge loss due to poor shift patterns being made available by upper level management. If an employee was hired to be a greeter on the door it may prevent snatches such as these resulting in the company losing thousands of pounds.
