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Original poster

Retail management

14 replies

Anoni · 22/08/2019 23:31

Recently have been offered the opportunity to go on retail management training if i pass the interviews required for the programme at the big T.

I was wondering if anyone else is a manager in retail, what is your work life balance like? Pay ( bit personal i know)? Do you enjoy your job?

I would go ask my managers at work but i feel a bit wrong going up to them at work and taking up their time asking whether i should go ahead with training or not

OP posts:
Original poster
Anoni · 23/08/2019 10:55

Just a little bump

OP posts:
Solongtoshort · 23/08/2019 12:30

The work life balance is poor with retail. You work most of Christmas and new year, Easter and other family holidays. You may not need to think of it now but if you have/got children you need to think of that. Also the terms needs of the business pop up a lot when your in management. Weekends off are hard to come by and when the everyone else is off on a weekend you may be in work.

I worked in Fashion for a company for 14 years was made redundant at 6 months pregnant with my first child and got nothing as it was in liquidation. I then worked for another high street retailer who everyone loves on here, but treats the management awfully expecting management teams to work 50 hours plus a week in a 39 hour contract. I couldn’t stay there any longer so took a step down and sideways and now work for a retailer but not strictly on the shop floor, this company Is ok, l have just had issues with my manager, who lead me to believe that l would get told to suck it up when she changed our shift patterns at a days notice, luckily l think she is the type of manager that the company are trying to do away with.

The money years ago was great now it’s in the bin. I can’t think of a retailer l would like to work for anymore, my next move in a year or two will be into head office and the training department l hope.

Good luck on what you decide. Retail is like a prison though once you are in you never get out.

janj2301 · 23/08/2019 19:16

My management need me and my colleagues to work long hours/petty rules so they can reach their targets and get bonuses. I appreciate they are being sh%t upon by area managers and board members but i always feel very pressured.

HermioneWeasley · 23/08/2019 19:22

Work life balance is notoriously poor in retail, but if you get to store manager level and above the package is pretty decent (particularly if compared to other roles where you don’t require higher education or qualifications), and if you get a regional role you can manage your own flexibility quite well.

Store manager of a big store with a few years experience would easily earn £80k plus car allowance, bonus, long term incentive, pension etc.

pumkinspicetime · 23/08/2019 19:46

DH started in RM, work life balance was poor but we were young so didn't mind too much.
But he did a business MA alongside and then moved out of RM.
So it can help open other doors.

Unicornhamster · 23/08/2019 20:42

I was a store manager before I had DC. As PP have said the work life balance is shocking, especially around sales or when you have a visit from head office. Night shifts were regular frequent, the turn over if stock meant completely re-merchandise the store every couple of weeks, loads of early starts and late finishes too.
My salary was about £33k with a car allowance on top of that, at the time I thought it was a great package but now I am out the other side i can see that my pay did not reflect the hours I ended up putting into it.
Although it’s not all doom and gloom, the years I spent there taught me a lot, payroll, accounts, figures, budgets, visual merchandising, recruitment, fraud and a whole host of other things like how to frantically dress a mannequin in under 5 minutes Grin
The team were amazing and I made lifelong friends. I spent 8 years working my way up from the age of 18, I don’t regret it at all but I did go to university at the same time and was never planning to stay in it for life.

Unicornhamster · 23/08/2019 20:44

Apologies for the typos there, I am bfing twins and typing at the same time... Multi tasking pro.

Original poster
Anoni · 24/08/2019 22:21

Thank you, i understand life balanace won't be amazing, but i hope it might be a good career and if i apply myself hopefully i can progress quickly.

Just worried I'll get stuck in retail and that i won't ve able to change direction later on in life

OP posts:
pumkinspicetime · 25/08/2019 00:02

Both my DH and a DB managed to change careers later. One moved sideways with extra qualifications and the other changed completely following lots of personal time investment.
There are lots of transferable skills to be learned in this field.

adaline · 25/08/2019 08:27

I'm in retail management but not for a big chain - I used to work for ASDA and there's absolutely no way on earth I would have gone into management there.

However where I am now is fine. I can pick my shifts although I do have to work BH's and Boxing Day which sucks.

I have a small team of ten and that's just perfect for me really. I wouldn't want the pressures of store or area management though - I'm a deputy manager and that's where I'll stay as it's a good balance of work/life/money/stress.

Original poster
Anoni · 25/08/2019 20:04

Is yours a convenience store there or more fashion retail?

I know it sounds sad but i would say my passion would definitely be to do with smaller convenience stores and pfs' than a massive store

OP posts:
adaline · 25/08/2019 22:44

I work in outdoor retail.

In my experience anything food related is extremely poor when it comes to pay and work-life balance!

Food shops are open longer hours and tend to require more overtime and antisocial shifts. At least clothes shops don't open at 6am and close at 10pm on a near daily basis !

Feckingfireengine · 25/08/2019 23:09

I would avoid it if I were you OP. My DP is in management for the largest supermarket. The discount is nice but that's it. Rubbish hours, which are constantly being changed, plus cutting staffing to dangerous levels in store. No security guards paid for any more so he has to deal with all sorts of horrible situations; back breaking work, no breaks to speak of, employment rules ignored all over the place. 10.30 finishes one night and 5.30 starts the following morning. Rubbish time wasting IT systems causing stress and frustration. All for £20k per year and no sick pay. It's not a nice job.

MeltingSugs · 25/08/2019 23:18

DH worked in express. He went up the ladder fast but it ended up crippling him. Tesco run you into the ground. There is so little opportunity to move up the ladder now as so many roles have been cut. DH is still in retail but another company. More pay, less hours and an overall easier job. And they still have perks like bonus in his current place too.

Grocery retail is bloody hard. I don't think Tesco care about the people in store at all. Head office is different, much better. That leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth though, there is a clear divide between those in store and in HO. Much better perks in HO too.

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