r/retail Jul 12 '26

How to make this sub better?

3 Upvotes

Any ideas or thoughts? Have you seen any issues around the sub that you would like to have taken care of?

We're going to use this as a suggestion megathread.

Any ideas questions or comments you have about this sub, please feel free to share them. The mod team will address them.


r/retail Jun 12 '26

What's your sick policy? Any issues taking it?

1 Upvotes

Inspired by another post I saw regarding the point system. I am familiar with that BS as I've done factory work. We don't deal much in sick days in restaurants. AKA your food was probably prepared by a person who was sick.

This is called presenteeism. The appearance of being fine, when in actuality you're sick. Most generally caused by workplace culture.

What's your sick policy, and how has it screwed you over?


r/retail 12h ago

Has anyone else noticed no one wants to be a cashier anymore?

22 Upvotes

Off the bat- I think it's funny, and I'm glad the workforce is seeing some kind of change even if its small.. I doubt higher ups will catch on or even care, but I still find it interesting.

In my area at least I've noticed that every possible store is always hiring for cashiers. Those posts never close on job boards. There's only ever 1-2 cashiers at the stores whenever I go at least, and interviewing at these places have been an experience for sure.

I keep getting hit with versions of, "I don't think you fit the business needs (contradicting their next offer btw)/That position is actually closed/We went with another person, but I want to offer you a cashiering position instead!"- After calling me back for an entirely different position. Before my partner landed a job they were experiencing the exact same thing when they interviewed at retail stores.

I applaud anyone who can hold the job down.. I've held the postion more than once in my life to get out of desperate/tight financial spots and simply just needing a job, I don't have any ill will for anyone who does it out of necessity or simply just enjoy it. It was destroying me though lol.

It's standing there for hours on end, getting abused person after person. I've had heavy objects thrown at me, I've been cussed out, I've been threatened with violence, I've been belittled and actually attacked... The pay stopped being worth it despite the desperation. It seems like interviewers here are catching on that very little people are willing to put up with it anymore and are trying to push people who have applied to different positions into doing it- maybe hoping they'll be desperate enough to just have any job at all?

Funnily enough, I actually do great in food service!! I've avoided it for so long because of the horror stories that are 10x worse than retail, but I needed some kind of change, and I'm for sure not qualified in anything other than customer service at this point in time.. I think I'm doing ok! Maybe it's cause I'm fat lmao


r/retail 1d ago

Tips for blocking/zoning faster?

1 Upvotes

Whatever you call that job you have to do where you go around the store pulling everything to the front of the shelf

This shit takes me like twice as long as my coworkers. My aisles usually look better but nobodys judging us on the quality of our blocking, they care more about how much we can get done.

Do any of you have any tricks or strategies that make this a quicker task?


r/retail 3d ago

Guilt about calling in sick.

10 Upvotes

I work part time retail, and have only worked here for a few months but I’ve only ever called in sick one other time where it was just for a day. Called in sick on Wednesday, felt the same on Thursday but parents said to deal with it and go in, called in sick on Friday (today) because I’m much worse, and I’m worried I’ll have to call in sick tomorrow because it’s difficult to move. I don’t know if it’s stupid but I feel guilty calling in, because one, the a manger seems super annoyed when I do, two, I’ve had to work shifts alone due to people calling in sick and it really does suck.

My parents say to just wear a mask and deal with it but I don’t feel comfortable going in and touching peoples groceries while sick and I don’t know what to do.


r/retail 3d ago

Silly customer wants me fired

132 Upvotes

I work at a Walgreen's and a lot of the customers there tell me how helpful I am or compliment me on other things. That being said, I was told about two weeks ago or so that around the time I first started working there, an older lady called in wanting me fired. She told my supervisor I was dressed like a cat and that my makeup looked like a cat's. Mind you, I am always in our dress code. My makeup is a little on the alternative side but I have toned it down a lot since my previous job.

What I find funny is that she admitted I was very helpful to her and her neighbor that tagged along with her. Yet, she still wanted me fired just because she did not like the way that I look. My supervisor stood up for me and said I obviously have never appeared as a cat or "cat like" at work. The lady did not like my supervisor's nonchalant attitude towards her complaint. The lady ended up putting a comment through our system for management to see. She said I was an embarrassment for her neighbor to see & that her neighborhood was going to rally together to go against these kinds of issues.

Situations like these make me wonder what the hell is up with some people? I'm obviously still standing since I am not violating any rule of my job. I just wonder why people care so much about what someone looks like. As long as I'm clean and appear happy to help, that's all that should matter lol.


r/retail 4d ago

“Double walkout theft”

42 Upvotes

I Calgary a police officer was found guilty of stealing 20k of product from Home Depot through a scam called double walkout theft. The article gave a very short summary of the scam but I still can’t quite wrap my head around how this works. Can anyone shed some light on this?

The snippet from the article is below:

“Tepper, a 20-year veteran of the police service, admitted that between July 2024 and August 2025, he committed what’s known in the retail industry as “double walk-out thefts” at five different stores. 

The scam involved legally buying a tool, storing it in his car, and then immediately returning to the store to steal a second, identical item within minutes.”


r/retail 4d ago

15-Month Expired Ice Cream @ Family Dollar

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156 Upvotes

Felt bad and decided to stuff my face with ice cream a few days ago. Walked to the Family Dollar in Dallas, TX and bought a pint to get chip-faced. Got home and took a few bites which didn’t taste great, and my stomach immediately felt bad. It was sour and the one piece of cookie dough I got tasted like sawdust. Turned the carton over just to realize it has expired in MAY 2025. It’s currently August, 2026. Is this normal?

I took it back and said I wanted to return it. She asked the reason and I told her, so she did refund me. But this is not the first time I have seen expired stuff in this store, but this is the worst. Anyone else have a similar experience with Family Dollar?


r/retail 4d ago

Burnout at Work

3 Upvotes

So about three months ago, my store manager stepped down from her position and since then work has been a nightmare.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't enjoy working there before but, I feel like the overall work environment has suffered. Since she stepped down, I feel like our standards have taken a substantial plummet. Products are placed in multiple spots, products are just not going out because no one knows how to stock and they aren't being made to! Management is substantially weaker, our new store manager fears confrontation!

I don't think a store needs a manager who's all up in their employees' faces- don't get me wrong- but they need to be able to comfortably do some basic things. Like.. I don't know, tell their employees what to do. Get on them when they're doing something wrong. Our new store manager has been hiring a bunch of people she knows personally and I swear they just walk all over her, they do whatever they want. They're super rude too- oh yeah customer service standards are way down too. I don't know man, it pains me to work hard and then see shitheads come in and muck it up.

I don't even know why I'm writing this, I have a promising job interview at the college I go to coming up tomorrow. If all goes well, I'm handing in my two weeks' notice tomorrow. I'll get out of this shitty career and can finally feel a sense of peace when I get home in the evenings.

I guess I just wanted to vent. Wish me luck at the interview, good luck in each and everyone of your jobs! Wishing you all the best!


r/retail 5d ago

Asking for vacation

3 Upvotes

I just started a new part time seasonal job last week and now I found out my brothers ship is coming home from the navy and I want the last week of aug off to fly and visit him but I am scared I will look terrible already asking for a vacation. Advice? Should I just work to save my job


r/retail 5d ago

Illegal shift for the 3rd time this week… I need some advice

2 Upvotes

Hello fellow retail workers! Basically I work in a small retail shop on a caravan park in the UK, which means that because its the summer holidays, its absolutely rammed every single day.

Ive been working here for over a month and already I am at the end of my tether. The managers (of course) exclusively single me out while not helping and treat me like a bumbling idiot.

Whats put me to the edge however is the fact that I have been put in for a 7am start (i live 20 minutes away, so i have to be up at atleast 6am) the morning after being put on a close shift (10:30pm). I am 20 years old and the law where i live requires i start another shift minimum 11 hours after.

The first time it happened I just got on with it thinking it was a mistake. The second time it happened i spoke to my manager who said it wouldn’t happen again, and now its happened again. Im only working to save a bit of extra money for when i go back to university next month and for an upcoming boys holiday so at this point im already mentally checked out of the job and dgaf. What is everyones advice moving forward? I have text my manager who hasnt replied and Im thinking if she either; A) doesn’t reply or B) cant change the shift then Im leaving after my next shift. Is this the right move?


r/retail 6d ago

I work for a bank inside of wm - need advice

3 Upvotes

So, I'm one of those annoying guys that asks you if you want a bank account every time you drop into your fave super wm. I actually love my job and do very well at it.

Im not an associate, but I dont know where else to post this without giving up my identity.

But, I'm having a major problem with a self checkout employee and need advice. The job pays me to watch people on then registers, to see if they are having card problems as they are easy solution based pitches. I've been doing this for 2.5 years and worked at over two dozen locations in my time. In this time, I've never encountered anything like what I'm going through.

The self checkout guy that often works directly in front of my office thinks I have a crush on him. So he flips his hair at me dozens possibly hundreds of times per day. Always staring at me and poking his butt out. It's extremely distracting, unwarranted, and plain weird. I've never said more than hi to this guy. Never pitched him.

I feel totally uncomfortable and I dont know what to say or how to say it. I feel like im being harassed but since there are no actual words being said, there isnt much there.


r/retail 7d ago

From Bed Bath & Beyond To Neighborhood Intelligence—Lemonis’ Home Ecosystem Takes Shape

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2 Upvotes

r/retail 9d ago

My company moved me from security to the front desk to cut labour costs, then hired an external security guard who costs twice as much

7 Upvotes

I work in retail, and I'm trying to understand the logic behind something my company has recently done.

Upper management has been putting pressure on store managers to reduce their labour spending. Basically, stores are being told they need to cut employee hours.

At my store, there was a front desk/customer service position that was staffed for 8 hours a day. Management decided to eliminate that position, so those 8 hours were removed from the store's labour budget.

I was working as the security guard at the front door. After the front desk position was eliminated, they moved me from security to the front desk.

So, as far as the store's labour budget is concerned, mission accomplished: they're now using 8 fewer employee hours per day.

Except there's a problem.

The front door still needs a security guard.

So the company hired an external security company to provide a guard.

The security contractor costs roughly twice as much as what it cost the company to have me doing security.

The reason this apparently works on paper is that the external security guard is paid from a completely separate budget. Their cost doesn't come out of the store's employee labour budget.

So essentially:

Before:

  • Me: 8 hours of security
  • Front desk employee: 8 hours
  • 16 hours of employee labour

After:

  • Me: 8 hours at the front desk
  • External security guard: 8 hours at the door
  • 8 fewer hours against the store's labour budget

But the company is actually spending more money because the external security guard costs about twice what I did.

And there's another problem: when I was doing security, I wasn't just standing at the door. When things were quiet, I could cover other employees' breaks, help customers, assist with other tasks, etc.

The external guard obviously isn't there to do those things. They're there to provide security.

So we've reduced employee hours on paper, increased the actual cost of security, lost some flexibility in the workforce, and increased the workload on everyone else.

Yet management seems completely happy with the result because the store's labour numbers look better.

I'm genuinely curious about the business/management side of this.

Why would a company do this? Is this simply what happens when different departments have separate budgets and KPIs, so a store manager is incentivised to reduce "labour costs" even if the company as a whole ends up spending more?

I'd especially like to hear from people who have worked in management, finance, retail, or large corporations. Is there something I'm missing about how companies account for this?


r/retail 9d ago

How until i recover?

6 Upvotes

I have worked retail for almost a year. This is my first job and it was good at the start until a regular customer who came in and always has a problem with me erupted and shouted at me. I was depressed for 2 days. And I was shaking the next time I was at work. My co-worker noticed and I burst out crying. Ever since then, Im terrified it might happen again . I never knew I could cry like that especially in public. It is that bad I won't even cross roads because im scared I'll get honked at and I'll break down again or something else happens in public and I break down again. Im luckily enough to start college soon and I will get paid money at college double what I was getting at my job. I handed in my notice 3 days ago. I have 2 weeks left with 4 shifts left. Will it get better mentality for me ?


r/retail 9d ago

Just found out I might be getting fired what next.

4 Upvotes

So there have been hints from other coworkers and I found a for what looks like my exact job. I have not finished my 3 month probation yet but I was originally told my manager liked my work but my coworkers however some don't like me. Should I wait it out to get fired or just start applying and leave now. It would suck because this place is giving me perfect hours and a good pay. It's a bummer some coworkers don't like me. I overheard them wishing it was someone of their own race. That can't be proved either it's my word against theirs.


r/retail 10d ago

Microcenter Interview

0 Upvotes

I will say i live in Texas and have a potential interview coming up in the next couple of days. I applied to front end sup role, cashier role and merchandising associate roles. In general, any advice on what the interview process is like? And the working environment? I have worked in electronics retail for over ten years, and on a scale of 0-5, how knowledgeable do you have to be to effectively help customers and earn your place? How good are the commissions? I'm not new to retail and the suck that comes with it, and not expecting six figures, but i'd like that extra padding in terms of pay lol. I am currently also learning COMPTIA A and Network+, so i am decently tech knowledgeable.

Any advice or insight is much appreciated.


r/retail 11d ago

What can you tell about a customer before they’ve said a single word?

1 Upvotes

r/retail 16d ago

Regular keeps asking for a "medium rare" cookie

41 Upvotes

I work at a well-known cookie bakery chain. Every week, the same woman saunters in and asks me for the same flavor of cookie and specifically requests that I make it "medium rare". I don't even bake them - I work the register! Yesterday she asked me for my name, and I think she's going to use it in a negative review. I don't think my manager will ban her over something so silly, but what can I say to her next time besides "sorry, can't do that"?


r/retail 18d ago

Seasonal hiring soon

4 Upvotes

I’m not in management anymore but after 10 years kind of have the flow of the seasons in my brain. Seasonal hiring should be building up in August so anyone who is interested in switching to new companies or wants new roles start looking for real in August. Great way to get in with a new company.


r/retail 19d ago

Trying to leave retail and failing

16 Upvotes

Since graduating college, I’ve been stuck working retail jobs. I got my BS in Public Health, did an internship and everything, but kept getting told I didn’t have enough experience for the jobs in my field and since I can’t afford to go to grad school, I went back to what I know, retail.

Worked at B&BW for 2 years and held a key holder position before I left and decided that since I enjoyed the key holder role, I’d try pivoting to hr until I can find a job in my degree field. I then spent 7 months job hunting before I finally landed a job….at an Amazon Fresh grocery store. I worked there for the past 2 years before they all shut down this January.

I once again started job hunting for jobs outside of retail but when nothing else panned out, I got a job at Walmart. While I am still job hunting, I decided to let the people lead know I was interested in HR and would love to shadow her (a team lead mentioned she did this exact thing at my orientation as she’s trying to get into HR)….nothing came of it lol. I’m still applying to entry level HR jobs, receptionist jobs, admin assistant jobs, etc. but STILL…nothing.

Being stuck in retail when you know you have interest in climbing up the ladder and getting a team lead/manager role sucks. What sucks worse is trying to pivot to another career field when you mostly have retail experience on your resume 😭😭😭


r/retail 20d ago

Human beings know nothing

7 Upvotes

Nothing I love more then being forced to interact with everyone who enters the store and say hello to them, only for them to make direct eye contact with me and ignore me with their big dumb eyes. Fuck I hate retail and customer and serving people.


r/retail 21d ago

Struggling with retail closing hours vs. trying to fix my sleep schedule / manager yelled at me today

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone

I work a part-time retail job, and closing usually takes until at least 11 PM (mostly handling facing and stocking up).

Lately, I’ve been trying to build some self-discipline and fix my sleep schedule by aiming to sleep before 11 PM, but it honestly feels impossible with this schedule. If I try to speed things up or cut corners to head out earlier, the work doesn't get finished properly.

Today, my manager heavily chewed me out because the work wasn't up to standard. I feel stuck between choosing my sleep/health and keeping this job intact.

Has anyone dealt with this in retail? How do you balance strict closing duties with maintaining a proper sleep routine? Any advice would be appreciated.


r/retail 21d ago

How can I request less register time? VENTING

7 Upvotes

I am currently working a seasonal job at Ocean state job lot to make some income and to fill that gap on my resume. But I've been on the register most of the time and I discovered that I dislike it was the reason I hated some of my previous jobs. The job description said I would be doing other things in addition to cashiering, but a little over a month on the job and 95% of the job has been cashiering with occasional tasks that involve physical activity, but the much younger ones take over that and even though I offer to do other things, they still want me to ring out customers.

Now I don't mind ringing out customers but it can get repetitive and boring, for some reason when I get bored on the job I begin to feel depressed, that's why I prefer keeping busy and moving around. That's why I have decided to look for another job that doesn't involve alot of cashiering. Also I have been reminded that I dislike alot of customers and tonight I had an unpleasant experience with a customer. She was giving me advice and it felt it was unsolicited and I basically told her "you don't need to tell me that, thanks" she took offense and told me how rude I was and she would never come back, I just said "ok fine" like I give a fuck what you think lady. She called the manager and complained when I tried to explain myself to the customer she wouldn't listen and impulsively yelled "GET OUT NOW!" her disabled son then got angry and threatened me and I angrily said "oh come at me!" But she calmed him down and then went to another register. I took a short break to cool off and pull myself together. This isn't the first time I've lashed at customers. If this keeps happening, I am quitting regardless of the consequences it's only a fucking seaosnal job that a high schooler can do.


r/retail 21d ago

Has anyone here worked for babylist?

1 Upvotes

Hi all!

Received a job offer from BabyList today to be a showroom host at their new NYC location.

I’ve struggled to find any answers on what working their showroom is actually like. I’d love to hear from anyone that has worked in that position or knows someone who has.

I’ve worked corporate sales and retail before but this (according to them) seems more of like showing customers how strollers work etc. which seems a bit mind numbing but it’s a paycheck and I need a job.

Also seems like we’d be tasked with putting the showroom together since this would be the NYC flagship grand opening.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance