STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Kitty · Hermes

Part-time retail job?

itsapinkthing · Coach

I worked in retail management for 15 years.
Yes, they hire people to only work weekends. In fact working weekends is a big PLUS! Here's the thing in the summer a lot of Mamagers play favorites for employees who already have worked for them. For example, college students returning for the summer, high-schoolers who worked evenings and weekends during the school year etc. But if you really don't care how many hours you get, go ahead give it a shot. I loved my time in retail, ha and not a lot of managers would say that, I actually miss the back-to-school season.

Kitty · Hermes

itsapinkthing wrote:

I worked in retail management for 15 years.
Yes, they hire people to only work weekends. In fact working weekends is a big PLUS! Here's the thing in the summer a lot of Mamagers play favorites for employees who already have worked for them. For example, college students returning for the summer, high-schoolers who worked evenings and weekends during the school year etc. But if you really don't care how many hours you get, go ahead give it a shot. I loved my time in retail, ha and not a lot of managers would say that, I actually miss the back-to-school season.

Any recommendations of stores to apply to?

itsapinkthing · Coach

I worked for limited companies (Express and Limited Too). I liked them and they paid fairly well too. Big department stores sometimes offer more varieties in positions though, and hire more people.

kenzie · Chanel

I worked in retail management for two years right out of college and I definitely hired people to just work weekends. Especially, someone like yourself, who is older and therefore (hopefully), more responsible than some of the high schoolers I had working for me.

When I quit working in retail management, I had a crappy temp job that didn't pay me enough, so I worked a part-time job in retail. They were super flexible with my schedule. I had a set schedule of only working Tuesday and Thursday nights. It was great. I loved my discount. I miss my discount. However, I don't really miss working in retail. Even if I did, at my current job, I work so much overtime that I don't have time to work a second job.

As far as stores to work in, I worked in Rampage for my part-time job and I loved it. I loved the clothes there and the discount was good. I would also check into local boutiques. One thing I found, though, was that my entire paycheck of 'extra' cash from the retail job, went right back into the store.

honey · Gucci

a lot of it depends on where you work. i second/third what's already been said. i will add that at this time of year it might be hard to find a part time job just b/c of the huge influx of students on the job market. i've been looking for one for about a month with no luck, but i'm also really picky about where i want to work.

as nyla said you really need to have discipline not to funnel your check back into the store. even with stores you *think* you don't like, when you spend a good chunk of time there you'll end up finding stuff to buy.

sfclinevandy · Coach

One summer I worked at Banana Republic and we had LOTS of people working part time that also had other jobs. I remember a drug rep, flight attendant and a couple teachers working for both the extra money and the nice discount and I'm sure they only worked weekends and nights.

Chic · Marc Jacobs

I was in retail/retail mgt. for 11 years and I would say the best paying jobs would be Nordstrom, smaller stores that also work on commission BCBG(would not recommend this one), Harold's and other similar stores. Since you are working a smaller amount of time you have more of an ability to make good money. Since the weekends are the busiest times. Most smaller stores also give at least 50% off discounts because you are required to wear the clothes. Small boutiques pay nothing, I think I made $ 8 a hour at one and only got a 30% off discount, the usually are only open on Saturdays and imagine that it would be harder to get a job for just one day. I did work at the Gap when I was in HS and they had a great discount way back then, but they also had to clean out the dressing rooms, that was not fun!

The smaller stores was my favorite I met some amazing friends there and miss seeing them, but there also is a big push to make your numbers. I have been toying with the idea of getting a job at a Lilly store since that is my summer wardrobe, but purely for the reason of working for clothes, not making any money.

Another thing is that my wardrobe really expanded when I worked in retail, and I would buy things that I really didn't need but after staring at them all day I wanted everything. So just be careful.

jacL · Coach

I worked retail in college and liked it. I worked for a department store and they were super flexible--I had different schedules every semester and some semesters I worked only one night a week. It was an awesome way to make a bit of money and get a discount (which you have to be very careful about so that your whole check and maybe even more don't go back into the store). I think it would be fun to work in a boutique, but I don't know how flexible they would be. Department stores are flexible because they are always in need of good employees, so they don't really have a choice. They are also nice because they have such a variety of merchandise--I bought almost every single gift at the store I worked for.

I almost worked for Gap once and decided not to take it because they required that you wear their current deason clothes while on the sales floor. To do this, they provided you with a great discount, but for what I needed the job for, too much of my money would be gong back into the store. With a store like this, you also have to be sure that you like their clothes enough and they fit you to be able to buy so many of them, otherwise it is a total waste.

Let us know what you decide on!