assistant store manager

chef d'équipe

surveillant de magasin de détail

store manager

retail sales associate

Dollarama

The following review reflects my experience during the first three weeks of assistant manager training with Dollarama, and aligns with concerns I have seen echoed by other employees.

From the outset, the training program has lacked structure, consistency, and professionalism. Rather than being developed for a leadership role, trainees are primarily used to complete basic operational tasks such as stocking and recovery. 

Actual management training is minimal and introduced inconsistently, often without explanation or context. Responsibilities are added in fragments, which makes it difficult to build a clear understanding of the role.

Training managers have demonstrated disorganized and, at times, unprofessional behavior. Trainees are regularly held accountable for procedures they have not been properly trained on. When questions are asked, the response is often to “figure it out,” followed by criticism when tasks are not completed correctly. 

In some cases, essential information is not provided upfront and is later used as a basis for coaching when mistakes occur.

There is also a noticeable pattern of favoritism. Certain trainees and employees are given more guidance, more detailed procedural information, and lighter workloads, while others are expected to carry a heavier share of responsibilities without the same level of support. This creates an uneven training experience and contributes to a divisive work environment.

The overall tone set by management contributes to a high-pressure and uncomfortable atmosphere. Communication is frequently delivered in a raised or confrontational manner. 

There is a strong sense of constant oversight, where employees feel watched and evaluated rather than supported and developed. This approach discourages questions and creates hesitation among trainees to speak up, even when clarification is needed.

All managers currently in training have expressed frustration with how the program is being delivered. There is a shared sense that the training is something to get through rather than a process designed to prepare employees for success.

In addition to training concerns, there are ongoing issues related to timekeeping and expectations around unpaid work. Employees are required to clock out before completing bag checks, and if a manager is not immediately available, they must wait off the clock. The full process of clocking out, waiting for a bag check, accessing lockers, and exiting the store can take up to ten minutes of unpaid time.

After store closing, employees are also expected to clock out before being allowed to leave. During this time, they may be required to wait for others, receive additional direction, or address store conditions such as aisle recovery. This can extend time on-site by several minutes while no longer being paid.

The expectations placed on employees are high, but the compensation does not reflect those demands. Managers are eligible for a bonus structure that averages approximately an additional $0.90 per hour over the year, with a maximum potential of around $1.35 per hour. In practice, this provides limited incentive relative to the workload, expectations, and working conditions.

More broadly, the workload expectations across the store are often difficult to meet within scheduled hours. Employees are expected to maintain productivity at a pace that leaves little room for proper training or support. Combined with inconsistent management practices and uneven workload distribution, this contributes to ongoing stress and dissatisfaction.

Based on my experience, I would not recommend Dollarama as an employer, including for entry-level positions. The combination of low pay, high and often unrealistic expectations, inconsistent training, and pressure-driven management creates an environment where employees feel undervalued. Workloads are not distributed evenly, favoritism is evident, and the overall approach prioritizes output over proper training and employee development.


The amount of work they expect you to do for the pay/hours they give you is absurd. They didn’t tell me to work without pay, but they hint at it by reprimanding you if you don’t finish 10 huge tasks (ex: 1 task would be ‘face the entire store’ or ‘finish stocking health and beauty and rearrange jewellery’) in a 5 hour shift. The managers I’ve had literally would cut my hours if I went over and tell me “I told you you can’t go over the time”, but it was IMPOSSIBLE to do it all in one night. And if I didn’t finish the tasks and leave on time I’d get reprimanded as well. I remember once during Christmas, we were 3 employees in the whole shop, we were ordered to clean the entire store and make it spotless, we were also told we MUST leave on time though and the district manager was going to be in to inspect the following day, so, what else could we do when 10 pm hit but we weren’t even 20% done the work? Of course we all clocked out at 10pm and continued to work till 2 am while my parents were sitting outside waiting for me. They couldn’t believe their eyes. Manger still got mad the following day because it wasn’t “clean enough” and we were yelled at. There was blatant favouritism in the shop, based on if you spoke the managers language. They’d pin employees against each other by rewarding others with hours if they monitored other employees - which resulted in people harassing others and timing them for washroom breaks/lunch breaks just to get themselves in the limelight for the day. People that got put on night shift would stay on night shift till they eventually quit. No one liked night shift because dayshift would throw their unfinished tasks on us and we would be the ones getting in trouble for them not finishing their work + You couldn’t have a real social life when you worked night shift everyday and every Sunday. There was literally no alternations, schedules were literally copy pasted from the week before and the manager would make constant changes and text you an hour before your shift saying “you start in 1 hour I changed it.” Or you’d show up for your shift and the manager would tell you to go home because they changed it without you knowing (which you couldn’t know until you came in because the schedule was hard copy only). District managers didn’t trust employees and would accuse everyone of stealing. If you contacted HR they would tell the manager who said what which would screw you over. I was never properly trained and was put in a management position but the manager always put me down and would applaud cashiers and others if they disrespected me. District managers would also sit outside at 10pm waiting for their employees so they can do a random “bag check” to see if you’re stealing. Most of the time the others would clock out and leave before me and I would stay and finish their tasks because I was so scared for whatever reason, so i would be the ONLY ONE THERE AT 10/11 pm. No one would bat an eye. They’d make you clean the public toilets, get mad if you didn’t dust the isles, and managers would call you all kind of names in their languages. I could quite literally go on and on about the horror story that was this job but I’ll stop here. I was at one point the eldest dollarama employee - at one year of working there. There’s a reason dollarama has a high turn over rate. Trust that in itself. Worst. Job. Ever.

Listen, it’s not bad or good place to work at depending what location you select. The pay is not enough for this job because the company doesn’t even care they only want $$$. However, the location I choose has the best management & co workers I proudly made friends with. It’s an very easy and fast paced job (so wear comfortable clothing including shoes!) hours go by so fast because there’s so many customers come in and go. 

On your first day, you’re probably gonna be working on cashier. The cashier screen is very simple. You will be confused for the first 15-25 mins but that’s alright because the employees will happily to help you knowing the company is bad at training people. After hour at cashier, you will get used to it and say this isn’t bad but wait until you meet the customers. Because of this reputation we have in dollarama customers wouldn't really care if you clean that area or get easily impatient. You’re gonna get the Karens in your life too. You’re also gonna get the annoying kids when it’s back to school who don’t know how to count and gonna get voids or cancellations. (Avoid cancellations as much as possible because the company the silly hqs really does care about that) 

But that’s normal, you’re always going to get really bad customers in your day and don’t let a customer ruin your day. Like I said, cashier is easy and if you’re not confident in money DON’T WORRY the cash actually tells you how much you pay back. 

When you’re merchandising, it’s different and not bad at all you’re away from customers most of the time and you’re doing your own thing. The only thing is, you have to be quick but organized. It’s important for the store to look clean and organized even when lazy and annoying customers can’t put the item back where it belongs so they will throw it on your cart or aisle (oh so many words to say at them). The job as cashier and merchandise can be annoying because of the customers and you may not enjoy because the paycheck is not much either but if you are fine with that and enjoy working with people that will talk mad stuff about rude customers while working then you will easily make friends. No one here is competitive, everyone here will help you including the management team.  

You don’t get any benefits. You do get vacations though.
There’s no discounts in store. 
And for the love of god tell your friends and family that dollarama (depending if it’s busiest location in area) that we don’t do returns refunds and exchanges.


It’s a good part time job if you want to learn how to be confident at cashier, & learning how to be successfully great at merchandising (show your organizational skills or learn suggestions from managements)


Typical Day: handling cash and customers, stocking products.

What I learned: Cash, Stocking

Management: Mgt and or/ Leaders do "old style" managing by yelling at staff to get them motivated. 

Workplace Culture: Everyone runs away from the cashier position, so usually lucky to have one teller on a a time. when the cashier need's help from other staff they do not want you to call for help unless there is twelve customers or more standing there. (Tthey really don't want you to call for help) Because of the steady line of customers your lucky to look up from what your doing till lunch. So cashier is oblivious with their surroundings because they are so busy.

Coffee breaks are hardly given, and if you do get one, your lucky to get a 5 min break, Management does not follow Dollarama Videos on coffee break rule. There is too many leaders and not enough staff, so the bare staff that there is that has to "listen" get's everything thrown at them.There is a lot of favortism between Management and other leaders, compaired to other staff.

The hardest part of the job
You are not allowed to accidently double scan a product if this happens, you have to call a team leader to void the transaction, if this happens more than three times you can be written up and if you are written up too often, then fired. In the olden days you used to beable to cancel this with no issue.

But now you must wait for management or leader to come and void, which makes the customers angry at the cashier, when they are standing in line forever.

You are not allowed to put products with an @ sign, so say your customers have 5 products you can't go 5@ and then scan item, you MUST scan it all individually or you will be written up or fired. 
You have to scan each individally which can make it where you can accidently double scan. 

In the "good old days" we used to use the @ sign with no issues. It's a ridiculous rule. They have cameras to keep an eye on staff, but they claim the cashier rules are for security, I call it nonsense. In the good ol days we didn't have this nonsense and didn't have problems with theft either.

Most enjoyable part of job:
Job wasn't for me, some customers are nice, but others are pretty rude. You should definatley love customer service, since you will have to have tough skin to deal with rude customers because of the needless cashier rules that makes customers even more angry and needlessly makes your job harder.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Running a store with the management team involves both leadership and hands-on coordination to keep daily operations smooth and efficient.

First, it means collaborating closely with managers—such as the store manager, assistant managers, or department heads—to plan the day. This includes reviewing priorities like sales targets, inventory needs, customer service goals, and staffing. Clear communication is key so everyone understands what needs to be accomplished.

Second, delegating tasks to colleagues is a major responsibility. Tasks might include stocking shelves, organizing displays, handling cashier duties, cleaning, or assisting customers. When assigning tasks, it’s important to match each job with the colleague’s skills and experience, while also giving clear instructions and expectations.

Third, you need to monitor progress throughout the day. This involves checking in regularly, answering questions, and providing support if someone is struggling. It also means solving problems quickly—like handling customer concerns, fixing errors, or adjusting priorities if the store gets busy.

Finally, ensuring that tasks are completed correctly and on time is crucial. This requires attention to detail, reviewing completed work, and giving feedback when needed. At the end of the day, you may also help evaluate performance and prepare for the next shift.

Overall, this role combines teamwork, leadership, organization, and accountability to make sure the store runs efficiently and delivers a positive customer experience.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Dealing with kids or teens making messes, damaging products, and handling customer complaints

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is fast-paced and team-oriented, where employees support each other to meet daily goals and provide good customer service.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
My day usually involves helping open the store, working with my team to complete tasks, assisting customers, and making sure everything is organized and done properly before closing.

As a part time sales associate i felt that my tasks were simple and easy to execute. 
However, I felt that as a new employee, I was under much pressure to perform out of character.
My time as a part time employee was manageable but the pressure to perform was rather difficult, and I did not feel supported enough by the senior associates or management when it came to learning new skills of product placement on store merchandise. As it was during a high peek in seasonable sales for Christmas there was much product to be shelved and stocked and customers to support individually with little to no guidance from senior staff or management.
As i progressed in my position it became clear to me that my work ethic was deemed as being too slow. 
What I learned from my time with the company was to not be afraid of asking for guidance from senior staff when it came to stocking shelves with product, as well as asking for job shadowing within the first week as a new employee, as I am a visual learner and prefer follow up both from coworker or management on my performance, and where I can improve.
I also learned that the hardest part of the job is most often the most educational and rewarding aspect in the long term.
A typical day on the job is highly detail oriented and fast paced with little time in-between for follow up with coworkers in regards to feedback. 
The most enjoyable part of working at the store was interacting with customers and feeling a sense of pride in my work as feedback was highly discretionary and highly important for new employees.
The workplace culture was typically fast paced from open to close, and busy with much product orientation as stock was on a constant rotation on and off shelves, depending on what needed to be restocked or taken off the floor entirely. Also dependent on the seasons, the workplace culture could be at High capacity and demanding for those that are not capable of managing stressful workload during peak hours.
This experience has taught me a great deal of stress management, and the importance of speaking with a senior staff member while off duty, to retain job skills and efficiency through feedback. 



Having worked in several stores over 5 years, I can say that my overall experience at Dollarama was positive. Because the company is growing, there was plenty of opportunity to advance within. I started as an associate with no retail experience, and within a year and a half I was an Assistant Store manager.

The store operations are fairly simple, as most of the company's shipped product is handled by the head office, which means rarely having to order anything. This can become frustrating however, when a staff makes an error in their stock counts, as it often results in a large amount of over-stock, or not receiving the stock at all. The merchandising standards are very easy to learn, although it can be a bit taxing to push your stock out if the store is having issues with inventory.


The efficiency and attitude of management varied from store to store, but upper management was generally good in finding and resolving issues with poor store managers. While many were good at maintaining their stores, I found their was a lack of consistency between a lot of them, with each manager doing their own routines, schedules, and merchandising procedures. This became confusing, as I found myself constantly changing my standards to suit the manager.

The hours also varied per store, with higher volumes usually producing the most hours. Full time is considered a minimum of 25, which is often what a full time employee will be scheduled unless it's a busy season. although I've seen improvements with consistency in scheduling, a Dollarama employee's shifts differ greatly from one day to the next. Being a part of the management team, I was often scheduled to close the store at night, then reopen it the next morning. to gain the most hours your schedule must be flexible. 


The staff and customer base made the job enjoyable. Dollarama has a very loyal customer base, and are usually polite and friendly with staff. In my personal experience, most employees are accommodating to new staff and are very team oriented.

**PROS**

- There's always something to do. Only because you're understaffed and are constantly running around having to do the jobs of four people.
- The only reason I have been here for as long as I have is because of SOME good coworkers. Even that's dwindling.

**CONS**

- Management is usually accommodating with scheduling. However, they do expect you to step up and help the store if there's staffing issues or a lot of work to be done. They make you feel bad if you say no... on your day off.

- Hours are constantly being cut and fluctuating, which means most days we're understaffed. The store is in constant disarray and low on stock in most areas because of it and expectations are impossible to meet. Management is constantly threatening to write anyone up who cannot complete their tasks.

- Insultingly low pay coupled with a pitiful yearly raise of TEN cents. As a key holder who's been there for a couple years, I'm not even making a dollar above minimum wage. A fellow employee once asked the District Manager and Regional District Manager if he could get a raise and they laughed at him.

- Forget loyalty. Some staff members have been working there for nearly a decade and they're only getting paid the same as the new hires.

- There's no advancement. Management rarely hires within the company for managerial positions.

- Out-of-touch upper management with absurdly high expectations and little idea of how a store is and should be run.

- Some of the employees display utmost disrespect and unprofessionalism on the floor (e.g. swearing, personal NSFW stories, talking badly about customers and coworkers). When managers leave for the day, they go hide in the back room and gossip away until the end of their shift. There is little to no direct disciplinary action for it.

In conclusion, this company cares little for your wellbeing, dismisses your loyalty, laughs at the idea of paying you a decent wage for the absurd amount of work needed to be done, and only wants to impress its shareholders. Protect your sanity and physical health. Know your worth, and don't touch this place with a ten-foot pole.

I really enjoyed my time employed at Dollarama, where I worked 3-5 days a week, and up to 40 hours per week, occasionally slightly more due to top selling times. 

I learned how to work the cash machine, how to handle cash, how to work with the public, how to stock shelves and coolers according to a layout, and how to count tills. 

Management and coworkers were always very understanding, and accommodating when I needed a shift covered, or a day off, and management was also very kind with scheduling my shifts to work with my schooling. 

A typical shift would involve clocking in, checking in with that shift's "key holder" or supervisor to see where I was positioned (generally cash), and taking that position. 

If I was cash, I was involved in cashing out costumers, working the till and keeping the till stocked with adequate change, therefore keeping on top of numbers. While on cash, I was also in charge of answering phones, directing customers questions, and managing good checkout times. I was also in charge of maintaining a clean and professional looking storefront - meaning stocking the drink coolers and the items kept around the immediate till area, and sweeping/wiping down areas & changing garbage as needed.  

If I was working on the floor, I was in charge of restocking shelves, keeping the aisles clear and clean, answering questions, and directing customers to what they're looking for. 

At the end of the evening, I would be in charge of turning down the blinds, ensuring everything around the store front was prepped for the next day, locking up at closing time before taking back the garbage, and sweeping all aisles. If I wasn't on the floor cleaning, I was in the back assisting the nightly supervisor with counting all of the tills and assuring the numbers add up from the day's worth of purchases. 

We would then lock up the back of the store, turn off the tills, and turn on the alarm system before locking up once more and leaving for the night.

While most of the staff are quite nice they have very unreachable, and quite ridiculous goals that they expect you to meet such as breaking down every pallet that you receive and getting them all worked same day, normally this would not be a problem but when you work in a store that only has About 3 to 4 people working per day including management and you receive four 6 foot high pallets that are stacked to the brim and most of the time are falling over on the drivers those pallets make up about 20 of your 23 carts that are stacked so high you can’t  see past them, trying to empty four of those carts during your eight hour shift when you have customers asking you where everything is seems a bit insane, they don’t want anything put on the shelves out back even though there is no room on the floor for most of what they send you they just expect you to make room in a store that doesn’t have any. Also when I was there the DM would only show up to complain never to tell you did a good job, but also even if a customer or fellow employee harasses or bullies you you get essentially told to suck it up. I was trained for several weeks and then put into my “permanent store“ there was an employee there who wanted the job that I had and she proceeded to literally talk About me to everyone in the most negative way even though I had never even met her and I could hear her on the other end of the store talking about me. I told my boss and the exact statement said to me was “well we’ll let you get your sea legs, we don’t need to talk to her” when I said I wanted to talk with her about the bullying I was receiving and that he even herd.
Also during the beginning of the pandemic they decided they only needed to clean off their cart handles and their cash desks even though customers were coughing all over the products and they were never cleaned, they had nothing in place to protect the people that were stocking their shelves

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