merchandiser

Apricot-Clothing

Started as a sales assistant and was quickly promoted to Senior when someone left due to my previous retail experience. Staff are overall friendly and enjoy what they do. The store manager only works 4 days and has a lot of holidays so you don’t often see her as when she is in she is in the office. Manager wants people on shop floor 5 mins before start of every shift, no holidays during July and worried about mystery shop. All clothes are folded on shelves in the back so when stock comes in you unfold and steam the amount you need for the floor then fold and tag the rest for stock room. Then you sell a size so you get it from the back, steam it then put on shop floor. Then stock gets moved about and it needs 12 sizes on the floor not 8, so you get the extra sizes, steam and put out. Then gets moved again to 8 pieces so you take 4 off, fold and put away. It’s a waste of time, they need to install bars and have the clothes already hung like every other shop! They don’t merchandise by outfit build either so on a stand you can’t mix and match tops and jeans and cardigans it’s just different things of a similar colour all put together. The floor plan is very exact from head office and so are the mannequins so managers have no creative control in the store. It’s all just a bit micromanaged from head office with merchandising staff coming by every few weeks to move bits around and change mannequins. If they let the management team actually manage and run the store with “guidance” from head office and not step by step instructions, perhaps the store will do better. Incentives are offered but not always given. You get no sick pay. Store closes at 10 along with your shift so you better hope there are no till errors otherwise you’re working late. Lockers don’t all have keys so your stuff isn’t secure. Some of the girls are just there because it’s a job to have for now (which is fine) but the manager really only wants people working there who are passionate about retail and fashion. But if staff can’t have holiday or days off because one other person has it off or given late shifts when the favourites always get a day shift, you’re not going to get much back. When I started there were 3 days I couldn’t work over Christmas but I said I could do New Years Eve and Nee Year’s Day if needed to help make up for it. I was scheduled to work 2 out of those 3 days that I said I couldn’t. No thank yous for working so hard and making the effort. It’s a shame because that shop has so much potential. The assistant manager is just what the store needs. Enthusiastic, hard working, fresh ideas. You can easily talk to her and not feel belittled but actually appreciated and listened to, I suppose because she is on the shop floor with you so understands any issues. If the tills were short of money and it was your error, you had to pay it back. If they couldn’t figure out who it was then it would be whoever was working that day. I think that it really not fair and very discouraging for those who might struggle when it gets busy or gets nervous. The pay was above minimum wage so better than most places. If you’re happy to not make a change and just be yes sir no sir 3 bags full sir and enjoy fashion then work here. But you will be confined within the way they do things no matter how outdated or time wasting. You get 25% discount on clothes as you can wear them to work or wear black. Most places give 50% off so you were the clothes to help sell them and this works, perhaps they should do the same.

Working full time in retail is hard, but from outside you don`t realize this. I worked in an outlet, which is even harder as you have loads of unsold stock ( or old collections) coming from other shops. 
A typical day went like this:  opening the shop , trying to fill up with stock as quick as possible - although it often took between 2h and 3h because we also had customers in store (in sale time it`s even crazier - literally CRAZY). Breaks followed (50 min - 20 paid and 30 unpaid) at 12 pm (we went on break one or 2 at a time), and by the time they had finished, we had to start tidying the shop really good, as it often was really messy. Before shift ended we had to hoover, dust, and tidy very well again.
Daily jobs included - steaming, pocessing deliveries (hanging clothes, security tagging them, scanning for price checking, filtering them where they belong), organising jewellery wall, cleaning around the back areas of the shop etc.
The co-workers were great, I made great friends with most of them. Management was ok - although it was stressfull because of the pressure they put on us sometimes. There were always extra hours to do, but the hours are long enough as they are for a full-timer.
one of the best things for me was that dealing with customers helped me develop my vocabulary even more (as I am a foreigner). I`ve also learnt how to solve problems, how to prioritise workload according to the company`s standards, how to be fast and efficient.
As for the disadvantages : What I didn`t find fair was that we were only entitled to 20 min of break - paid , but we could have another 30 min unpaid  - deducted from our worked hours at end of day (for full-timers). Also, I have to mention that the company`s standards and policies were quite high - we (as staff) were not allowed to talk between ourselves and we were often told off for this.

The team where I worked were amazing, always supportive of each other, hard working and fun to be around. It made the day just that bit more enjoyable. 

Was given a contract of less than 25 hours a week but expected to work nearer 40 hours a week, have never actually just done my contract hours in all the time I have been there. .

I was expected to open and close the shop, this included doing the cashing up running the shop in the absence of management.

Also found to be getting the same pay as the shop assistant. More aggro but no more money
 
Annual leave is only paid at your contracted hours even when you continually work over your hours.

If your held back at the end of shift due to there not being enough staff on the shop floor, you won't be paid or given time back.

If there are any money discrepancies at the end of the day it will  investigate and the money will be deducted from your pay. 

Health and safety training doesn't exist. It’s just a matter of read it and sign a piece of paper to say you have read and understood. 
 
If you are ill , they won’t pay you if they can get away with it.

Within a short space of time working for them I found out how rude and negative an unprofessional this company truly are. The middle management are always quick to judge, constantly negative criticism and never have anything positive or constructive thing to say. 

If you want to work for this company, make sure you know your rights.

I worked as a part time supervisor in a small concession by myself, which i do not recommend as it was hard work trying to manage everything and keep other concessions around you happy.


The other staff in close by concessions would constantly be moaning at you if you were serving customers but not doing fitting room duties.
When i was on the fitting rooms or on a break or getting stock from the stock room they would be moaning that they had to put through a few sales.
It was not a nice environment at all, if you work under this stress every week then its a great job. 

my day consisted of inputting the float for start of day, reading daily briefs, cleaning/dusting, deliveries, new floor layouts, sale/promotions, fitting room duty, stock replenishment from stock room, collecting clothes from fitting room, customer service, serving on the till, putting through other concession sales, refunds, phone calls, checking labels,customer holds, size ordering, taking up hangers, making sure everything was on the right hanger, steaming clothes, tidying the stock room, changing mannequins, shelf displays, best sellers, making everything full and oddments hidden behind correct colour story. Tidying all clothes, cashing up at the end the day, paperwork,writing out a new daily brief for the next day.

To start its a shambles the owners and HR and area managers don't know how to run a company. As a senior sales assistant I am expected to open the store, run the store, close the store and basically act as manager for a measly £7.80 an hour. I have no manager, no assistant manager, no one else who has keys so if I'm sick they are screwed. To be then told that they won't promote anyone in store even though people really want to work there way up and won't be hiring, so I am left with temporary young sales assistants who aren't very reliable to help. All the while we get threatening emails about how if we don't make the ridiculous money they want a week we will and I quote "face the consequences" what sort of company says that to their staff and expects them to work hard?!? I myself have tried to ask for a higher wage for my role to be told "if she doesn't like it she can go" again what sort of company would say that? Sorry without me there right now your store wouldn't open. We get rude emails from HR everyday a tiny mistake will then be forwarded to the owner and area manager and then we recieve more backlash from them. There's no training, no help, no guidance. I've not been fire or health safety trained yet I'm running the store... Illegal much? So in a nutshell avoid this company at all costs.

i worked at Apricot for 15years, I was a member of management, i started off as full time, had children and then stayed at part time.
a typical days work is doing cleaning, just before opening.
Replen to make sure the stock is filled.
Making sure all staff members were in there places and then open shop.
Customer service, tills and fitting room duties throughout the day, as well as replen throughout the day, each member of staff would change positions hourly.
Cleaning after shop is closed, cashing tills, paperwork ,then go home.
I learnt a various number of skills from customer service to team management.
the management were kind and always there to listen if you had a personal problem.
The rest of the staff are fantastic and always willing to help a new member learn the ropes or just be a helping hand to any other member of staff.
the hardest part of the job is the hours if you are full time as it can be draining.
The enjoyable part is that the staff make you feel like you belong, they really make you feel part of the family. 

Disrespectful and nasty people at this place I was on a weekend and part time job vacancy and they kept pushing me and pressuring me for more hours which I couldn't do at the moment due to university. They assistant manager was out to get me and didn't like me at all. There were rats in the changing rooms. A small kicker inside the stockroom which is very small. 

The lunch time is horrible you only get 30 mins and if u what a full hour u don't get paid for it which I find crazy as I've always been given the hour and been payed from previous good jobs. And they they had a go at me when I was back 10 mins early as they said I took an longer which I didn't.
The manager gave false promises and then two months later made me come into work and say she's letting me go as she wants more people to work longer shifts which is horrible regarding my sistuation and me APPLYING for weekend!!! Assistant. Horrible horrible manager and treat you like dirt. 

Always quiet the store and I worked hard off to be disrespected and spoken to poorly. manger wasn't always there.

I have worked at Apricot for over 10 years starting as a shop assistant later being promoted as an admin assistant and then eventually to a compliance officer. It is a great workplace with lots of opportunities to grow as long as you are proactive. The company places a lot of emphasis on 'home grown' employees. Many people have started at the bottom and have worked their way up which has always been a big motivator for me.

Management are understanding and offer flexibility when required. They take care of their people by providing lots of healthy snacks, fruit, tea and coffee, milk and nice facilities with chill out areas.

There is an obvious 'family-like' work culture which is nice. You are not just a number at Apricot. The ceo has always shown interest in each individual working at Apricot. He is also very forward thinking which is why the company has grown so much over the last few years, meaning more opportunities for employees!

I currently work at the Derby store and have been here for the last 9 years. I feel it's a great company to work for, with some fantastic seniors to learn from. As it's a smaller company (compared to some) they are constantly evolving,  and taking on new practices and happy to listen to ideas and ways to improve. Our store is lovely and friendly and I feel lucky to have such a great, supportive team with helpful staff. Apricot as a whole believe that every member of the team no matter how big or small contribute to the successful running of the company and try hard to look after the staff they have. There are always opportunities for hard working staff to move up the ladder and I personally encourage all staff to remember this. Customer service is our current focus with all my team going that extra mile to make a customers day. All in all I love my job.

I worked at the Milton Keynes Apricot. The one person in management that actually was there to help was the assistant manager that to be honest deserves to be the manager. The actual manager makes racist comments, discriminates and belittles his staff. He definitely goes by favourites and it shows in the tasks he assigns you to. Personally he made me uncomfortable as he would touch some of the females. The key holders will tell your personal things around and are very unprofessional. They do this and make it very hard to work there as it causes trouble. They give way too much authority to people who are in the same role as you if they’re in favour and it shows as they’ll all talk down to you. I worked there near enough 2 years and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone due to how it made me feel.

Working at Apricot Clothing: company overview and reviews

Apricot Clothing

Apricot Clothing ratings

Popular jobs at Apricot Clothing

Salary satisfaction

Jobseeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected