River Island reviews

3.6

58% would recommend to a friend

(2,966 total reviews)

Ben Lewis

66% approve of CEO

41% positive business outlook

River Island has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 2,966 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The River Island employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Ventas al mayoreo y al menudeo industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews
3.0
May 24, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You get to wear the latest clothes, get hefty discount on the uniform and 30% on the full price items. Flexibility in shifts and departments within the store (Sales and Service, Products and Operations). Target oriented.

Cons

Very ordinary wage structure (Sales Advisers get the basic pay rate). Not a great ladder structure within the company. It takes forever for you to reach the upper level. The work is appreciated verbally only, no attractive incentives at all. No name badges for the advisers like Zara or Next and even the ID cards for the people working in the stores. If you are a Sales Adviser working full time in the store, you would be lucky to make a grand at the end of the month.

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River Island Response
9y
Thanks for your review!
2.0
May 24, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I got to learn a lot over my three years working in River Island and I met some friends for life. Working in a busy store is good as there are always jobs to do to keep yourself busy and especially when it comes to that dreaded Boxing Day shift, it ends up flying by and you get double pay. I would say there are definitely worse places to work but for me River Island was a pretty painful experience. Perks are quite good, however you'd only get 3 free pieces every quarter if you worked part-time, I worked 9 hours a week while at University and when doing over time I was expected to have a different outfit on of all current new season but even with 30% off (£150 every three months) it is still a lot of money to spend on clothes you would never wear otherwise.

Cons

The whole store, and from what I have heard, most stores are extremely cliquey, this resulted in a lot of arguments and awkwardness during shifts. I was often refused holidays although I had not taken any yet in the year and was left with almost a full month off as the tax year ended which wasn't what I wanted. Being a sales assistant the upper management within the store spoke to me like I was an idiot. I would bend over backwards to help customers and other team members to never get a thank you, only criticism. At the end of the day, a job is a job, a means to an end for me as I only worked there on weekends while studying but once I moved to a different company I could not believe the difference.

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River Island Response
11y
Sorry you did not enjoy your time with River Island but we value your feedback.
1.0
May 24, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It gave me experience in the retail environment and a chance to learn how to interact with them (First job)

Cons

No matter when a manager tells you to "f off" you're still in the wrong for answering back. Then pulled into the store managers office and made to feel like the problem because another manager that has slept with the first manager is sticking up for him. No line between business and personal relationships. Couldn't get by a day without 1 of 11 managers crying or a staff member crying. Joke!

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River Island Response
11y
Sorry you did not enjoy your time with River Island but we value your feedback.
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Glassdoor has 3,206 River Island reviews submitted anonymously by River Island employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if River Island is right for you.