store manager

assistant manager

merchandiser

buyer

designer

Paperchase

Paperchase offers an excellent first retail job that is especially good for young people; as the shop is rarely busy and there is such a small team in each store, it provides a good environment to learn new skills with adequate training. A small team also means you get to experience different parts of the role of Sales Assistant - you will not be stuck doing one task, but instead take part in every aspect of the role, including customer service, stock replenishment, visual merchandising, etc, all of which enhances your capacity for moving forward in retail. It is a great environment to make close friends and genuine connections; you can become a valued member of the team. However, due to there being such a small team, how you feel working there is highly dependent on luck - eg if you get nice managers/supervisors and other sales assistants, which for the most part I was lucky enough to have at this store.  Staff turnover is high, as the pay is not great and once you are comfortable in every part of your role, there is little you can do to challenge yourself and it can become boring. In my experience, people who work there enjoy it for the most part, but do not remain longer than a year due to the job becoming stale as there isn't a lot to do. 
Unfortunately, this is not a job to rely on if you need a set amount of money each month, as hours are so variable and subject to change.
Overall, I would recommend this job to someone who is new to retail and is looking for a relaxed, fun environment to learn valuable skills. The job is especially fun over busier periods such as Christmas, where there is a lot more to be done and you do not struggle to fill your day. Friendly environment and very accepting of everyone.

Working in a fast paced store reporting directly to manager.

Managing staff including reviewing daily planners and identifying tasks for specific employees, preparing rotas and assisting staff with their customer service skills and 

Preparing daily/ weekly reports for senior management and head office which include daily figures and associated receipts and the weekly best sellers.  Liaising with senior management in relation to the reports and always striving to improve through working with the team to establish how things could be done better.

Visual merchandising to ensure the store reflect the range pack and ensuring that the new stock is positioned prominently within the store and setting up window displays.

Daily/ weekly paperwork which includes reviewing reports to establish the position of each department year on year, ensuring all receipts are signed and all cheque stubs match and checking the figures in respect of stamps which are reported as being sold.
Key holder responsible for opening and closing the store. 

Setting up a float in the store tills each morning, cashing the tills up every evening and banking the cash.

Raising awareness of the company intranet and working with staff to encourage them to read it to ascertain what other stores are doing.  

Keeping abreast of matters which happen in other stores, such as changes in prices and offers and reacting on these if necessary.  

Managing all returns and recalls, carrying out the necessary procedures and paperwork. 

Ensuring security checks are carried out every hour.

Started as a sales assistant in Bristol cribbs store, really enjoyed the team work and we all supported one another though the Christmas retail mayhem. There is a big focus on treat me card sign ups (Paperchase’s loyalty card) which if you didn’t have much luck usually made you feel a little unmotivated, but the managers are always down for a chat and very supportive with giving you positive pointers to improve how you talk to customers. 
The tills are a little clunky to use and somtimes unreliable which can add a small amount of stress to the work. Also the fact that the loyalty cards on the phone don’t scan, so having to type in 16 digit number is a bit of a faff, I think a Paperchase app would be useful. The products are cheerful and the 50% staff discount is amazing, especially as you get your staff discount ontop of sales and other deals you including 342. 
If you show your willingness to devote time and energy into the work you’ll be rewarded for your dedication, In my experience the company is quite progressive. Watts app group chats shout out a staff member that’s shown exceptional service. I was promoted from sales assistant to supervisor (which I’m currently still in training for) but it made me feel really valued and trusted by the company. I would like more hours but overall it’s one of the best places I’ve worked in. 

A typical day at Paperchase would be liaising would be checking reports to identify what product lines are successful and which ones are not pulling in sales. Also a major part of sales here is generated from card sales so insuring that card displays featured top 10 lines is very important. Working here I have learnt the importance of being very organised and having effective communication between staff and management. Scheduling staff breaks and implementing product launches are very important.

As an assistant manager I have come across some difficult members of staff but I found that once you get to know them and understand their way of thinking it is easy to get them on board and in tune to what the business requires of them, as well as offering them support in all aspects of their work life.

The hardest part of my job I would have to say would be making un popular decision, for example issuing staff with warnings for not completing tasks adequately. But in the same breath it has helped them and the team understand their short comings.

The most enjoyable part I would have to say is making customers happy and seeing them leave the store happy with the service they have received.

Well to start with you are go from the minute you hit the floor making sure replen is done, tills are open and floated and any emails are read and actioned. Due to the current climate staffing is a tight worked area so normally work solo to start the day the get cover for breaks/lunch and use the cover to work stockrooms as we turn over large amounts of units. Paperwork is spread over the week with Mon being the main day for sales recap against previous week and year and details of productivity against targets. The team are young but passionate about Paperchase and keen to work and develop. The hardest part of the Job are timescales to manpower, as we are so tight on spending, sometimes getting large jobs actioned is difficult to do when limited timelines are implemented, usually meaning I have to re access where to spend hours. Also there are masses of paperwork involved as paperchase have not gone 21st century just yet, again making time management tough.
Most enjoyable parts, definitely people/customers, there is nothing better than making somebodies day through interaction on even the most basic levels of communication.

I adore working at Paperchase. It has been the first job I have actually enjoyed and somewhere I am happy to reside day in day out. I never feel anxious and there are no pre-work "I don't want to go" thoughts.

My store manager is so very capable and is great at her job. She has amazing judgement and is helpful and considerate. My assistant manager is also one of the loveliest people I have had the pleasure of working with. My supervisors are all well trained and fair, and my fellow sales assistants (mostly people of a young age) are easy to get along with and make going to work feel like being amongst friends.

I have learnt so much about people whilst being here. I am now a better judgement on character than I used to be and can appeal to different customers in different ways after understanding how they, as an individual, work. 

The culture of Paperchase is a nice thing to be part of. We always have an open door, greet clientele with a smile and reassure that we are here if you need help.

A day working in Paperchase was interesting in some aspects, such as how i would arrange counters and worktops, and what customers I would interact with as well as staff.

I honed my teamwork skills when working with staff both on the floor and in the storage rooms and my individual skills when counting stock and such.

My co-workers were friendly, helpful and reliable if i needed a hand in any situation, whether it be a customer in need of another item from the stock room or a hand replacing stock.

The hardest part of the job was probably keeping tack and organizing most of the stock from different zones. It was easy initially to get a it lost in the stock room, due to it's size and amounts of content, but I quickly rose to the challenge.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the fact that I loved the store before working there and that I was discovering joys within the store I wouldn't have normally discovered had I not worked there. The environment as a member of staff wasn't entirely different from that of a customer, and that made me happy.

I would arrive promptly at 6.50am to allow myself time to go to our stockroom and retrieve the cash and stock I needed to prepare the store with. After floating the tills and opening the store, I would proceed to serve costumers and plan staff routines for the day. Also I would calculate and log store targets and goals from the previous day and note down what our staff should be aiming for that current day. Throughout the day stock would be replenished or changed over for example if new ranges were being launched, making sure best sellers or popular items were in eyesight for costumers to see and handle easily. When the store has a quiet moment I would clean and neaten stock so the store remained presentable at all times.

At Paperchase a typical day is spent cleaning the shop floor, welcoming customers and replenishing stock. 

As a Senior Sales Assistant, you are essentially manager when the managers aren't in, meaning you will also need to cash-up, rotate stock, keep paperwork signed and up to audit standard, manage customer complaints and product loss etc.

Each individual is encouraged to be themselves and bringing your personality into interactions. It's easy to make friends with work colleagues and have fun at work whilst still providing help to customers. 

You will push the stock through knowledge and sales technique. 

Your store manager should often be on the shop floor directing you and keeping you informed of new rules and ranges due to come in. You will be recognized for your hard work in the company newsletter when a customer mentions your great customer service.

Warning: A love of the stationery CAN mean spending most of your wages in store.

A typical day at Paperchase consists of:
- Assisting customers, going out your way for them.
- Replenishment.
- At the checkouts, making sure a customer is fully satisfied.
- Maintaining high standards of displays and ensuring that the store is well presented.
- Issuing treat me cards.[Loyalty Cards]

Management:
The management was really helpful and pleasant people to work with. I wish I was provided with a little more training as I would be pretty clueless in some situations, however it was fully understandable to the reason why I didn't receive it. It was during the Christmas period so it was really busy and my contract was only temporary. There was never a time where the management weren't helpful, they were always there and supportive!

The most enjoyable part of the job:
Working with great staff, and being able to interact with a range of customers.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Store manager 6 salaries reported	£24,750 per year
Assistant manager 3 salaries reported	£21,833 per year
Merchandiser 4 salaries reported	£33,500 per year
Buyer 5 salaries reported	£39,100 per year
Designer 4 salaries reported	£29,000 per year

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