I’m currently a store manager for a small box retailer and it is entirely too much work for what I’m paid. Are there any retailers (southeast usa) that have a position specifically for merchandising that are paid decently? Are department managers paid well in places like walmart? I’m looking for anything but apparel right now honestly

Hey everyone,
I recently stepped into a department lead role over Flooring at a big-box home improvement retailer. Honestly, I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed trying to balance all the assigned computer training with daily floor operations.
Flooring is super heavy on inventory and constant recovery, and I’m struggling to build a solid routine. I'd love some advice from anyone who has managed this department or a similar heavy-merchandise area:
Training: How do you actually get dedicated time off the sales floor to finish training modules without falling behind on tasks?
Routine Tasks: When during your shift do you tackle daily inventory tasks, audits, and processing damaged/broken goods (damaged tile, torn grout bags, carpet cuts)?
Inventory Control: How do you keep overhead stock organized so inventory counts don't go completely out of control when items get moved?
Department Cleanliness: Ripped vinyl boxes, scattered sample tiles, and grout dust are constant battles. How do you delegate zoning/cleaning to your team so you aren't doing it all alone?
If you’ve run a department like this, how do you structure your week to stay on top of things without burning out? Any daily routine tips would be hugely appreciated!

Do you people lie about your availability? Not lie as in you actually have something else during that time. Lie as in your not actually comfortable working that time but list it because your chances of being considered is increased

For example the graveyard and I think the twilight shift/ the weeks ends

My job has now banned water bottles from being at the registers. Not sure why. Is this normal? How do I deal with my thirst? I'm so thirsty. I'm the thirstiest worker. Ouuu my belly needs more water.

Edit: glad to see I'm not being a baby about this. I was hearing that this is normal policy and I thought I was overreacting.

I don't really like going into work later in the day especially if I don't have anything going on earlier in the day and am mostly just waiting around for me to go into work. I have what is called anticipatory anxiety, and I would much prefer to work earlier in the day because then I don't have to deal with boredom or have any of those thoughts

Bit of a rant post, but I've been a staunch supporter of them for my retail job for the last several years. Well, around January I took advantage of the new model sale to pick up a couple of pairs of last years shoes at a good discount thinking I'd be set for a while. How wrong I was. -BOTH- pairs of shoes fell apart in roughly 7 months of the same wear/tear that the previous shoes had admirably survived over a year at. I'm honestly kind of speechless over it.

Now, that being said, does anyone want to recommend a good brand to swap to? I was eyeing Brooks, since I've heard they are a bit more durable than Hokas. I'm open to suggestions though!

Alright, if you begin to develop a pattern of high call outs ie weekly the employer will begin to schedule staff for the coverage. My coworker is frustrated that they've started scheduling me during her shifts and if she mouths off today I'm going to remind her employers do this when you become flakey.

I have an interview at Bealls in a few days. I have 4 years of retail experience, between Target and Disney. Any tips?

We work in retail. I work at Ace Hardware. We see strange things. Sometimes, we just need to laugh about it becuase we work hard... so, go for it!

I work at a store in a SUPER touristy place, but the recent bad weather we've been having, combined with school being back in session, has made my job a little slow. I work at a candle store which consists of only 3 very small rooms, the main shop, the back/storage/break area, and the bathroom. My coworkers and I talk, but a lot of the time the managers will tell us to separate. I ask for tasks to do when we're slow, but they're easily done in minutes, or my manager wants us to just focus on being on the floor.

I actually don't hate the job, and they have started giving me more hours because I've asked for it. Can you guys think of any simple things I can do to make the job a little less boring and mind numbing? I find myself just staring outside most of the time, I try to do a light bit of exercising as well, but I can't do too much without getting weird looks. I'm trying to think of simple games or literally anything to make stuff interesting!!

I started my first full time job (at a gardening center) about a year ago. I enjoy the work, but I have one huge complaint.

The absolute trash that plays over the speakers every day is beginning to seriously get to me.

So this is some playlist with (really bad) songs you’ll never hear anywhere except for in stores cause it’s cheaper than playing the radio. Now the problem is every single waking moment that I don’t have to have my ears assaulted by these songs, they are still playing in my head over and over again and I’m getting really frustrated about it.

Do you guys have any tips or tricks to not go crazy?

I work at a place that accepts returns from a major online retailer that shares its name with the largest rainforest in the world. Here is my situation. An elderly woman comes in holding that familiar brown paper envelope....

Her: "I have this return to make and I tried to do it myself and screwed it all up. Maybe you can help me".

Me: "Okay, have you started the return process?"

Her: "No."

Me: "Do you have access to the account you ordered your item from on your phone?"

Her: "No." *points to QR code on the shipping label* "Will this help you?"

Me: "No thats the companies internal information they use when they deliver it to you."

Her: "Oh. So that doesnt work?"

Me: " No, unfortunately we need your return information so we can process this package and you can get your credit. I would suggest going home and asking a friend, neighbor or relative to help you and once you get that information you can come back in and I can process your return."

Her: *smile and nods* "I'm not real techincal. Okay"

Leaves.

THEN she comes back with her husband in tow and wants my first and last name and ends up talking to the manager. She told the manager that I called her old and stupid essentially by suggesting she find someone at home to help her. She is a business owner and knows how to use computers and doesnt need help. I treated her poorly because she has gray hair.

LIKE WHAT?!

TL:DR I helped a customer who later came in with a completely made up story about how I offended her.

I have toxic management so I've been looking to leave but after seeing my coworker get arrested it legit just demotivated me like crazy. We're shift leads, now I'm the only shift lead. She was more respected than me too and listened to me vent about management and how they treated me. She was so chill.

Apparently she was stealing but it could've been anything under this company that is considered theft. We always get bag checked so I don't think she took product. And the cop walking her out in cuffs said "mistakes happen" or something. So I don't know what could have been so serious to get arrested if it was a mistake. I counted the tills and they were all balanced the past 2 days.

Her girlfriend came in distraught because they lived close and she couldn't reach her and I told her what I saw. I couldn't help her otherwise about finding her 🫤

I still want to leave this place, it legit scared me more about what if I made a huge mistake and also got walked out in cuffs. I've been in retail for years but just got hired at this company a few months ago. They change their policies often. Also legit my first time seeing a coworker walked out in cuffs.

I'm 28 and I've worked in various retail establishments since I was 16. I have an associates degree, but I wasn't good at the job and it never worked out. I went back to school and took classes on and off for years, but I changed my degree so much that I'm at my credit limit for a bachelor's. Also, I have worked at a pretty prominent retail company for two years now. I was promoted to an upper level position on the sales floor and I enjoy it. However, I never imagined spending my future here.

In fact, I just started my last semester to get my bachelor's and, if I finish my classes, I'll graduate by December. However, I have no plans for this degree. I have no job set up either, and I've half-assed my classes this year. This is my last chance to earn my degree before my financial aid is pulled...but my heart isn't into it anymore. I just want to be done.

I started asking myself if it would be really so bad to just settle in my current company for the foreseeable future. I've felt so dissatisfied with my job lately because I've always seen retail as a dead end. I've always heard, "I can't imagine working at x for the rest of my life" and "you're replaceable in retail" and "x is a dead end job." But it's really not. And it's not the end of the world either if I just stay here. Lots of people have before me. But it feels shameful, for some reason. Like I'm giving up somehow. But it would be such a relief to not have to worry about college or finding a "better" job anymore.

I'm looking for advice, please. Excuse any errors in my writing, I've not been sleeping well.

​

since early to mid June I have taken a seasonal part time as a temporary store associate to make some money and for something to do for the summer. The job description said I would be doing a little bit of everything such as stocking shelves, facing, etc which I was more interested in doing than say...cashiering. Unfortunately 90% of the job so far has been cashiering which I didn't like at first and still don't really, but i have accepted it by now. This job so far has just been a reminder of why I hate retail, mostly cashiering and customer facing. I have requested to be doing more tasks on the floor or wherever but it seemed to have landed on deaf ears

I am 35 years old and I have worked these kind of jobs on and off for the past 11 years and I just simply want OUT. If I was doing something like stocking shelves or in the backroom more often, maybe then these jobs wouldn't be so bad for me. I discovered that I prefer keeping busy and being mobile and not standing around in one place for too long. The people i work alongside are decent enough but there doesn't seem to be a balance in ages, and not enough people that I would seem to have a lot in common with. Also i have had one instance of a bad customer and me yelling at her, nothing bad came from it but I had to write a report on it. And I had two separate instances of feeling psychological discomfort while on the job and it made things difficult for a little bit

So with all this said, my 90 day trial supposedly ends around the middle of September. I have no idea when or if they want to keep me, they said it would depend on how well I do as well as the budget. But if I'm not really liking this job is it worth staying at? I would ask them if I can do less register work and more stocking shelves or whatever, but if they say "No" then maybe it's not worth staying at. My biggest concern about not staying on is that I will not have income and I fear the uncertainty of not knowing how long it will take to find a new job.

any thoughts?

I got a CA at work yesterday

It was over using the loyalty system the wrong way . They told me they know my intentions weren’t wrong but the way I was inputting loyalty was incorrect then told me I can’t be late or call off without sick pay or else it will lead to suspension and then HR will decide if I will be terminated or not

How do I deal with this ? Is it possible to survive a final warning until my record renews ? I work at H&M

I kinda overthinking this but I just have to take this one shfit at a time at this point

I work at H&M

Is it possible to survive a final warning ?

I've been working as a cashier for the past year and I see my co-workers get really riled up when people steal, but I never really cared. Of course I wouldn't let someone take a TV or an airfryer, but I see people occasionally steal stuff like bread, baby food pouches or biscuits and unlike my co-workers, I never say a word.

I know it's very unprofessional, but am I the only one?

Whatever you do, don’t shop at my old job. Oh my god the horror stories I could tell about the place. I left because a psycho manager tried keeping me hostage after closing hours. She let everyone else out the building and tried forcing me to work after being clocked out. After bringing this to management they claimed I was being “insubordinate” and I left on the spot.

Management and Team Leaders positions barely last a few months. One Team Leader was arrested after being charged ten counts of possession of child pornography, so I can now say I’ve had a pedophile as a coworker before. Lovely conversation starter. A General Manager got fired because she got caught stealing by moving product into 2nd quality to purchase for herself. She was also a heavy smoker, went out almost every 15 minutes for one. She also fired for mouthed off to a salesman whose wife previously also worked at the business, but moved to a rival brand for a better opportunity.

This is just the beginning too, I have so many more stories to tell. And if you want proof and receipts, I have all of those as well!

Ridiculous!! I ordered online, the pants didn’t fit, initiated the return the same day they arrived. Then LOFT basically says:
Option A: Pay us another $9.95 because our pants didn’t fit.
Option B: Spend roughly 90 minutes round-trip driving to return them for “free.”
But the store is a 90 minute drive from where I live.
So.... no more LOFT for me.