retail merchandiser

warehouse associate

receiving associate

reset merchandiser

merchandiser

L&R Distributors

This is probably the only review you’ll find, but I hope it helps someone make an informed decision joining this place. Writing this because I didn’t see any reviews for before I joined - I wish there was. This L&R Branch in Encinitas is for a cosmetic company called SJ creations that was acquired in 2022. It’s a small business, office size around 18. 

Highlights - No work life balance, lack of leadership & direction, start-up company feel, micromanage culture, high paying due to high turnover rate

Infrastructure: There’s not much infrastructure or reliable systems in place to make the everyday workday productive. The company has been around for 20 years but feels like a start up company still trying to find it’s way.   There are new shared word docs and excel spreadsheets created everyday, so much gets losts that the same information can be repeated on 5 different spreadsheets in several file locations. The mentality is, oh it still works so we’ll keep doing it and as you gain more responsibility, you’ll be tasked with creating spreadsheets that are timely and may be viewed one time - outdated processes. Time and productivity doesn’t seem to be valuable here but rather the focus is on that you’re constantly working nonstop.

Work Culture/Culture: The teaching style is having an added comment after everything to “teach a lesson”. Managers are added on every email and will email employees telling them how they think it should be written. Since it’s a small business you can’t get away from it like you can in bigger companies so beware. It’s exhausting and ineffective method but it seems to be engrained in management throughout the office. I’ve never experienced micromanagement until here and it’s pretty severe. I googled characteristics of a micromanage culture and 16 of the 21 traits were reflected here. If you walk around the office a lot of people looked drained and are kind of isolated because of the excessive amount of workload spread across a small number of people and having managers want to have control over everything. Not much autonomy, they bring in working professionals and use them as outlets for their command systems. It’s a stop and go type of work flow because they want to make every decision and for you to follow. No feeling of togetherness as a company due to upper management wanting everyone to work, work, work. Management still trying to figure out how to cultivate a culture while being stuck in their didactic ways. 

Interview: Upper management is very charming and they’re all great people in their own regard, but this is how they get you in the interview process. They make it seem like it’s a great place and when you come on board, they flip a switch. On my first day, I was sitting in the office with upper management and they referenced a former employee who no longer works there due to wanting a more flexible job and said they’re dead to me…on my first day. It was said again 2 more times in my first week. They don’t really care for employees. Office size is 18, there were 9 people who quit last year and 4 people who quit in 3 months of me being there. Turnover is talked about pretty casually and people stay for an average of a year or less before leaving. Not much job security if you’re not putting in extra long hours and doing exactly how they tell you to do it. And then there’s the burnout that catches up with people during their short time here. 

A typical work day working for L& R Distributors the company itself is not hard to work for it's who the company provides service to which is Kroger stores. Majority of the ones I work for most of the Drug Managers don't give any assistance meaning helping maintaining that area. The stores are tore up and trashed upon every visit the stores never get cleaned until the Cosmetic Rep comes in to put up they Order and which it is very sickening Kroger Corporate likes to ride L&R backs about what their employees are not doing when their Drug Managers as well as associates in that department don't do their job. The store never gets clean until the Rep comes in to put up their order the stores are trashed nobody condition the stores and the Kroger stores in the Southwest area are the WORST most of them. The stores are horrible  it makes you hate your job because every time you go in there the stores is trash, trash and much worse then the week before, you working like a dog to make a store look pretty for one day to upload your pictures into your portal the next week upon your return to work that store again it looks horrible then before so like I said it's not the company that's bad it's who the company service is bad and they don't care they always say oh I got to make sure I get my stuff taken care as well the Cosmetics is your stuff too to take care of and they still don't do their job when it comes to Cosmetics they'll stock everything else through the HBC department and never touch cosmetics. 

I have one team member. We work really well together and have been partners since 2011. I love my job. I reset cosmetics in different accounts up and down the east coast as well as some work on the west coast. I have learned so much from working for L&R Distributors. I started out as a route representative. I would service the accounts in my area. This would include cosmetics, shoe and sew, and towels. I then transferred to the reset department of the company. The management of this company is not the greatest. I can say good and bad things about them. A typical day of work at L&R Distributors is resetting and merchandising cosmetics. Sometimes the resets are on stationary, toys, hosiery, shoe and sew, towels, and paper cups and plates. I have learned how to merchandise and reset different types of products. I have also learned how to manage my own schedule, as my bosses are not in the state that I live in. The communication to them is through email and phone unless there is an emergency. There really isn't anything about my job that is hard. When you love your job pretty much everything comes easy. I love every aspect of working with L&R Distributors except for the fact that the work is only in the spring and the fall.

What is the best part of working at the company?
They give you control over your work. Trust you and are supportive. Great communication.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Performing resets during working hours of the stores. More of an issue with having customers around while trying to do. Not getting in the product you order or getting product you didn't order. You play the messenger and not always easy. Sometimes you get push back from the stores.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Depends on the stores you're working in. The company itself is great and enjoy the the job. Have a great company communication app that connects everybody and allows one to see what everybody around the country are doing. Never feel like you don't have tools or resources. Really supportive team of people.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Drive to location, check in with store management and talk about anything new or see what they have for you, take product out, work it onto shelves, clean up the areas, order your out of stock, put your backstock away, and check out with the store. Sometimes a reset will be performed, which can take some time to do. Really enjoy the amount of freedom one has with this job. Only set days when you must do the job but one can go in really early, midday, or later in the afternoon. Lot of freedom and independence but great support team if need help.

The absolute most enjoyable part of the role is the freedom and flexibility. The management at L&R actually care about their employees they consider us more than just a number and I really like that. They're real good at offering you tips or advice on how you can improve your work performance and move up in the chain. Working for l&r was actually the best job I have ever had and I am absolutely devastated that I am no longer employed there because I had intended to be there for the remainder of my days. Unfortunately I was let go due to job abandonment although I did not abandon my job and I was actively trying to reach management personnel to see about returning to work after a medical leave. It was honestly a complete miscommunication and I am actively trying to get my job position back just don't know how that's going to turn out but as far as recommending this employer I highly recommend it was a great company to work for only thing that I felt needed to be changed was the hourly pay because you do an awful lot of work for what they start you out at just seems like you should make a little more than $15 an hour for the work you have to do it's very demanding very fast paced but I enjoyed it tremendously they will be truly missed if I'm not able to obtain my position back.

I have been working with L&R Distributors, Inc. for some time now, and I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with the company's culture and its commitment to recognizing its employees. The company values its employees and creates a positive work environment that fosters growth and development.

The culture at L&R Distributors is one of collaboration, teamwork, and support. The management team is approachable and supportive, and they encourage open communication and transparency. The company's commitment to its employees is evident in the way it treats them with respect and professionalism.

One of the things that really stood out to me about working at L&R Distributors is the way the company recognizes its employees. The management team regularly acknowledges employees' hard work and contributions, which motivates us to continue striving for excellence. The company's commitment to recognition creates a sense of appreciation and loyalty among the employees, which fosters a positive work environment.

Overall, I highly recommend L&R Distributors, Inc. as a great place to work. The company's culture and commitment to its employees create a positive work environment that encourages growth, development, and collaboration.

Even though this job makes it very easy for parents or school students to have a flexible schedule and still make money the pay versus the cost of living and gas prices does not equal. They don’t give you best enough to cover gas and even if you work all week long depending on if your product gets delivered on time you could only get 20 hours a week. They hire you on as part time but want you to work like you’re full time and wanna help you get 40 hours with no benefits , like paid holidays, insurance 401K and sick pay, but your ADP will show you are accumulating sick pay and when you go to use it your boss will tell you “ I’ll put it in” then pay day comes around and you’re told by the lady that deals with paychecks that since you aren’t full time you weren’t eligible. Manager was supposed to communicate but they didn’t. Communication don’t happen here, you’re on your own, and the district manager will be hard to get ahold of unless some one cc’s them in a email or they call you that’s it. They will put you with a manager that knows most nothing about what you will have questions about so you are left with no answer to make the customers happy. You get screwed. You put wear and tear on your vehicle. And there’s nothing you can do about it. I wouldn’t recommend this company. At least not in the Houston area. 

It's not as flexible as it used to be. If your order isn't deliver the day you plan to work the store you need to rearrange everything for when it arrives. It's not uncommon for 3 or 4 delivery attempts and then multiple stores with delivery at same time and you have to squeeze them all in before the end of the week. Use your personal vehicle drive to each store. Most stores only have receiver there until noon or 1 so need and early start. There's also a lot more expected  then in the beginning. More types of items and more orders mixed up. Each store has different setup, some have makeup, socks,incense, towels, toys, face masks, skin care, appliances, travel stuff, insoles, hair accessories and more. Things are getting mixed up often because too many things going on. Then they will schedule a phone meeting in the middle of the day while your trying to merchandise a store.  Also, each person wants things done their way. Store manager wants things one way. Then receiving wants things differently and LandR tell you to do it a different way. Can't make everyone happy 

One thing I recently learned about this company that I'm not happy with is not everyone gets a holiday bonus. Every company I've ever worked for either everyone gets a Christmas bonus or no one does or no one but management get a holiday bonus. Who gets the bonus is determined by your district manager so if you don't get along with them don't expect to ever receive one. 
You expect your employees, the ones out there doing the job, representing the company to care about what they are doing when you show how much you care about them by not giving them a bonus? Seriously?
They don't treat their customers aka their clients right. What's stopping them from picking a different company to do what we do? Nothing so why would you wrong them the way you are?
Warehouse can mess up your order but when it comes to returning that means up it's a big NoNo. Returns are unheard of which is wrong. 
You have flexibility but if your store ends up on the late list watch out. Even tho it's not really late bc they fail to recognize their own call cycle schedule during winter vs summer. 
They talk a good talk but they don't know how to walk the walk. 

This company thrives off of telling their employees one thing and then doing the opposite. They will fault you for vacations, for calling out sick, even for things that stores tell you to do.

Your bosses will NEVER have your back. They tell you to do what the stores ask and yell at you when you do because it isn't what the bosses want you to do. Nothing ever correlates. 

This is a job that sets you up to fail from the moment you start. Complete lack of training. The pay is way minimal for the fact they think I'm going to check my email at 10pm if "we need an immediate response." It's as if they find reasons to write you up instead of praise. You will never hear "good job" or "thank you." There is absolutely no IT support.

This is a mind numbing, thankless job that will eat you alive unless you can ignore literally everything that anyone says to you. Hey bosses: don't forget that without us lackeys you wouldn't have a business to stand on seeing as you'd never leave your desk or get your suit dirty. Do better. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Retail merchandiser 508 salaries reported	$17.62 per hour
Warehouse associate 30 salaries reported	$18.52 per hour
Receiving associate 1 salary reported	$18.00 per hour
Reset merchandiser 45 salaries reported	$23.04 per hour
Merchandiser 8 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour

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