assistant manager

sales associate

general manager

stylist

merchandising assistant

Banana-Republic

Working here is back and forth. Sometimes, you'll get a lot of hours other days you won't. The managers have favourites and those people would get the most hours, and people struggling to do their best would only get 3 hours minimum. The co-workers however was the best part of working there because it was so easy to get a long with everyone. Though at the same time, most of the new co-workers had no idea what they were doing because management failed to train them properly, which caused a lot of frustration. They kept changing policies that have nothing to do with the business getting better, they just wanted to feel accomplished in some way which was very very annoying. They don't schedule enough hours to help clean up the store or train their employees to properly clean the store, thus the company/store get a lot of complaints from customers. The tidiness of the store was like a 1/10 almost everyday, which I don't blame the employees entirely, mostly the managers. They do not how to manage their own team and they ALWAYS find others to blame whenever they make a mistake. The management part of Banana Republic Factory store was the reason why I found another job. I used to like working there when we had better management. Ever since the change of the management i think no employee likes working there. There are some managers who will be friendly and helpful,though those same managers would be completely useless and just end up talking and delegating their work. Other than that, the co-workers there was the reason why i worked there for so long. Although, there was constant drama between employees, managers and employees, even managers and managers. I have never seen such a big group of fake people! Also, if its your first job and your searching, its better if you were to look elsewhere. I don't know if other places are the same, but working here is not the best at the moment and you will not gain ANY proper customer service knowledge/experience.

A typical shift for me would be a morning shift, sometimes 4 hours, sometimes 8. For a 4 hour shift, I would help in the morning either with shipment, or replenishment/recovery, or cleaning/mopping the store. I would sweep for about 20 minutes, and then for an hour and a half, I would mop the store, and then recover the store (fold clothes on displays to make sure the store looked good when opened). I would then jump on cash, for the remainder of my shift. For an 8 hour shift, I would get my breaks, but still work on cash after we opened. I have learned a lot of things about a lot of things. I learned about types of pants, fits, styles of different items, and how to find the best fit for a customer. This job also helped me learn how to update my own style. Management at my store location has been absolutely incredible. It is filled with a bunch of young people, and young minded supervisors. They are always open to answering questions, and if you need anything, they do what they can to assist you with whatever you need. Workplace culture is great, it is always an upbeat environment, and all the coworkers are very fashion savvy, and have a great sense of what to match with what. The hardest part was working on speed, for myself personally, it took me a while to pick up the pace on a few things, and I am still working on it in some aspects. The most enjoyable part was that when we were dealing with a crazy sale, and had almost every employee working hard, my manager spoiled the employees with pizza and drinks for their lunch breaks. Overall, definitely an exceptional place to work, so far my favourite job I've had!

As a sales associate I would be active on the floor, attempting to sell items and ensure the customer was properly helped in the store. Additionally I would be active in making sure the store looked aesthetically pleasing. This included folding clothes, rearranging the layout, etc.

I didn't learn much that I hadn't known before to be honest. I did learn a lot regarding what goes behind the scenes in retail.

The management was very friendly, open and understanding. I was lucky to be in a great team. My colleagues were also all friendly and approachable. Most of the team consisted of part-time workers however, and there was a high rate of turnover.

The workplace culture is lacking I think. Not much going on there. Since the sales associates are mostly part-time, not many of them are invested in the culture of the company. Many of them such as myself at the time were university students, so their minds were on other things.

The hardest part of the job was definitely doing all the aforementioned tasks (selling, organising, helping customers) during high traffic hours. The management would know of such hours and be sure to have more associates on shift at the time, yet there is a point where it is still quite overwhelming. Additionally, it is impossible to always anticipate when there will be high traffic.

The most enjoyable part was the people I got to work with. I met many good people and made many friends. Additionally the management were very accommodating with my commitments as a student and the hours were very flexible, so that was a big benefit of the job.

Review the numbers across the district, check the daily promos, accept the shipments, set goals for the team, give important daily product info to the team in order to boost sales, implement new visual displays and merch the new product. Aid at cash when rush time arrives. Give breaks in timely order to all employees of the day. Solve any client issues that may arise. Give a customer service that goes beyond what other competitors offer. Educate clients of our tissues and how to care for our pieces. Help make outifts to please clients. Execute windows and icons as needed and meet dealines assigned by head office. Re merch in order to better accomodate promos in store.Add and cut shifts in function of the business. Replenish the floor to ensure good sales,  give constructive feedback to employees on how to improve on sales floor.Openings and closings. At times overnight shift to place new flow. Guide team through markdowns and markups. Managing my time and prioritizing throughout the day. Started working at the flagship BR in 2006 upon its opening. Been at fairview since March 2015. Multitasking is how to stay on top when you are in a small volume store. Each day is varied and we must all be very dynamic in order to keep on top and remain a competitor on retail business. We rely greatly on the productivity of one another to keep pushing ahead as a team.

A typical day for me working as a sales representative for Banana Republic involved satisfying customers by showing them our products and finding the right sizes for them respective to each product that they were buying. Customers were often self sufficient and knew immediately what they wanted while others took more time and searched more thoroughly. My job was to ensure a high number of sales as I was working on a commission basis and had set certain sales targets for myself and on part of the company and in the month of December 2016 I helped them do a record breaking amount of sales and became one of the top sales representatives for the store at the time. The management was very helpful and very sufficient in helping out customers in product returns and making sure each employee got their commission. Moreover, my co-workers were very friendly and were good company during and after working hours. They definitely made working at Banana Republic more enjoyable for me and made my time over there easier for me. The hardest part of the job was finding the right size was standing for long working hours as well as well going back and forth to the storage room to find the respected sizes for the product each customer wanted.

The staff is mostly friendly. Most associates are in college or just finishing up. Hours are nearly non-existent and unreasonable. 

Growth opportunities are spoken about but nothing ever actually happens, regardless of your output. 

Odd favouritism in choosing for promotion and raises. Goals are given which are practically impossible to achieve given the hours you get and low customer count. Pay is not congruent with the amount of work done. 

Customers are usually decent  depending on your attitude towards them as well. Although, some people will just give you issues regardless. 

Some immaturity within the management, gossipy toxic environment behind the scenes. Poor decisions have been made in the past which have caused chaos and stress among the regular associates.

Discount was good, clothes are usually decent as well. Learned plenty about styling. 

No commission on sales, yet they are tracked and evaluated.

If you’re in/going into college, this is a decent job that you can balance with it. Time off is given generously if you give adequate notice. 

If you’re in essentially any other circumstance, aside from having this job as a supplement to full-time, I cannot recommend working here long-term. 

As management you work long shifts, you recieve bennefits after 3 month probation and your discount 50% off reg price is nice, and receive a nice quarterly bonus if store exceeds quarterly sales.
As sales associates its a battle for hours. Max we were allowed to offer were 4hours shift to sales associates. No bonuses for sales staff except lunch is paid for on special  sales events. Trainning is not difficult, simple product knoledge and learning how the store operates.
Store always feels like playing catch up, needs to be renovated instead of lipstick job and upper management is never satisfied with the store.
Too much turn over from part time staff means management is in constant hiring and training making it difficult to get everyone on the same page. 
Its a fast past environment and you are expected to make sales, with no compensation(ie. Commision)
 Going into a Job a Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy just be aware  its a retail job, there is cleaning constantly, tasks that need to be done, clients need to be served, and when you quit they replace you very quickly.

Middle management here (Rideau) is disrespectful and condescending. Schedules are constantly changed last minute without notice, and you may be asked to start later without pay for the waiting time, leave before your shift ends or get a call when you are heading to work to cancel your shift. Their policy involves scheduling many salespersons for very few hours to fill gaps and ensure managers take their one-hour breaks or for opening/closing procedures. Managers are always prompt with their own breaks but often forget to grant part-time employees their legal breaks. If you complain, you will eventually get your break, but not promptly - sometimes you will wait for days for a past break that was overlooked. High turnover is a constant issue given that management set employees up for failure, creating unnecessary stress and disrespect in front of customers and colleagues. They even keep the washroom door locked, making you wait longer than acceptable for access (granted only by managers upon request). Overall, a frustrating and unprofessional work environment.

I personally liked how strict the managers were at the beginning because my time management skills improved. I would usually come into work check in and go to my floor manager to see what section I had to be in that day. I usually had goals every work day which encouraged me to interact with more customers. Being positive was another aspect of this job you needed to have because when interacting with customers you should make them feel comfortable and happy with the services in order for them to actually purchase possibly something they wouldn't have if the customer service wasn't good. I learned that being time efficient is really important and I learned how to manage my time better. The management didn't really support any sale associates the way they should have. I personally didn't enjoy the workplace environment because there was a lot of tension constantly.  I feel like the hardest part of this job was to meet your goal every time you had a shift. I personally loved my coworkers, so during break's I had lovely people to talk to

Upon the typical day at work, I would start visual merchandising the store, from the first floor up the third floor; prioritizing what needed to be done before the store opened. This included keeping window displays up to standard, keeping on-floor mannequins up to standard, and all face-outs complete; as well as fixing upper displays, lighting, and table merchandising. Would also fix sign-age for appropriate promotion.

I learned a lot about prioritizing, and about working with people who don't necessarily share the same style aesthetic but do shame the same goal; to style and merchandise as per the company's concept.

My co-workers, for the most part, are understanding people who clearly want me to learn, just like my management. The hardest part has been trying to measure up to their standards in such a short amount of time, but I feel that I'm achieving that now.
The other hardest part of the job has been working through it..and finding my lack of passion for it. It has been a great opportunity however I feel that it is definitely not for me.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Assistant manager 1 salary reported	$23.10 per hour
Sales associate 1 salary reported	$22.52 per hour
General manager 1 salary reported	$77,500 per year
Stylist 2 salaries reported	$17.68 per hour
Merchandising assistant 2 salaries reported	$26.00 per hour

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