assistant store manager

airport manager

sales

regulatory affairs specialist

LOccitane

What is the best part of working at the company?
Warning to potential employees: I would not recommend working at this airport location. ( iah houston )

Turnover is extremely high, and employees do not stay long, which reflects the overall environment and management issues. During my time there, it was clear the store lacked stable, effective leadership.

The store manager was new to the role, and it significantly showed in day-to-day operations. The workplace often felt disorganized, and communication from management could create unnecessary tension within the team. At times, it even felt like there were efforts to create division among employees rather than encourage teamwork.

Overall, the environment felt unhealthy and unsupportive, largely due to management style and leadership structure. I would not return to this location and would caution others considering employment there.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part of the job was the work environment created by management. Knowing the manager would be present significantly affected morale—days when she was there felt extremely tense, while shifts without her were noticeably more relaxed and productive.

She appeared to take her role too intensely at times, which created an uncomfortable atmosphere for both employees and customers. There was consistent pressure to interact with customers in a very specific way, even when it wasn’t appropriate, and a strict “her way or no way” approach to sales and tasks. This lack of flexibility made it difficult to work naturally or confidently and added unnecessary stress to daily operations.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment varied drastically depending on whether the manager was present. When she was there, the atmosphere was tense, highly controlled, and stressful, with employees feeling micromanaged and pressured to follow strict expectations in customer interactions and sales. It often felt uncomfortable and draining to work under her leadership.

When she was not present, the environment was noticeably more relaxed, collaborative, and productive. Employees were able to work more naturally, communicate better, and focus on customer service without constant pressure or fear of doing things “the wrong way.”

Overall, the difference in atmosphere was significant and directly tied to her presence.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
When she was on shift, the day started and stayed tense. There was a constant sense of being watched and corrected, with pressure to approach customers in a very specific way and follow her exact expectations for sales. Even simple tasks felt more stressful because of the fear of doing something “wrong” or being called out. The energy was tight, and employees tended to stay on edge throughout the shift.

I've worked at a couple of retail companies but L'Occitane is the best. I feel that the company truly cares for their employees no matter the position they hold. My manager has always been flexible with my schedule which I appreciate since I started working for L'Occitane when I started college. I feel the management has the retail workers' backs; I don't receive the same amount of verbal abuse I did at previous retail jobs. 

The company gives proper incentives in the form of free coffee, lunches, gratis, generous product discount (40% off), and, most importantly, bonuses in your paycheck. I especially appreciate how L'Occitane does their bonuses, instead of commission which can foster a toxic competitive environment, bonuses are received if the store reaches and exceeds the monthly goal which makes the store work as a team. If everyone is doing their job, then we all benefit. 

The only con is that the computer and cash register system is rather out of date. We are very behind in comparison to other retail stores. We should be able to order online and ship to the customers and have the store receive credit for the sale. The Cash register system is rather clunky, we should be able to process returns without the customer card physically present, much like other retail stores. We've come a long way since I started in 2016, but we are still years behind what other stores are doing. 

Operationally the company could use some streamlining, sometimes it seems the communications from corporate are rather disorganized. 

I love the products and had been using them for years before ever working at L'Occitane. They are 95-98 percent natural, made with high-quality organic plant material that's sustainably farmed and are super healthy for your face, skin and hair. That meant they were easy to sell and I felt like I was making a difference for the customers. Also, in the three years I worked at their retail stores, the company made huge strides towards becoming more natural, removing any products or ingredients that were chemically derived, and upgrading the packaging so it is more environmentally friendly, like adding refills that require less plastic. I loved this more conscious approach from management. And, they are becoming more socially conscious, as well, like creating some products to support specific NGOs.    
At The Westchester mall, our store was small so our team worked closely together and we always strived to be supportive of each other, making it fun to come to work. Because the boutique is small, everyone's contribution mattered to the team effort, and everyone needs to help with a variety of tasks required to run the store. I enjoyed this aspect of the job, because I learned everything that it takes to run a small retail business. I enjoyed the variety of tasks and was never bored, even on slow days. Don't come here expecting to only sell products. You will need to do a little of everything. It would be beneficial to add an assistant manager to support such a busy location, especially as sales are increasing. 

I was a Keyholder with the company for a couple of months and during that short time I learned so much about the products and the consumers. Really like how the founder was committed to his philosophy of using nature to heal and soothe skin.  The culture of L'Occitane is great. Most of the time you are working alone, you can use your creativity by building gift boxes and packaging products in pretty bows to entice customers to buy. I also like how you can spray your favorite fragrances to draw people in. What I did not like was the absorbant amount of time you had to spend learning about the 10+ different campaigns they would have going at one time. It would literally make your head spin. And that is not including the weekly company emails with last minute merchandising and sku changes. The store I worked in did not have the budget for an assistant manager, and there is only one full time and that was the store manager, so the lack of hours, coupled with all they want you to remember to keep up with promotions and sell to customers it doesn't add up.This job is for a former or current stay at home mom that doesn't need to work but loves the product and and would like the discount. Or a young college/high school student that needs flexibility. Also if you are not comfortable with touching others this isn't the job for you. The company puts alot of emphasis on demonstrating the products on the customers hand or face. In the market I worked in it was hard to include that as people in Northeastern Ohio are not too keen on being touched by a salesperson.

Under direct supervision of Senior Director of Design/Retail Operations, cross worked functionally with Marketing, Visual, Store Operations, Real Estate & Construction departments to launch retail boutique openings in the northeastern U.S. region. Responsible for the development of key strategic operational plans for commercial design teams & for ensuring that the design initiatives were successfully delivered on schedule within budget, with a high quality outcome reflecting each store brand's image. Conducted comprehensive research into the District of Columbia metropolitan’s consumer market by observing existing product lines & pricing offered, comprising a best potential revenue basis. Secured & managed a team of non-contract educators to ensure store designers, planners & coordinators adhered to company branding design and specifications criteria. Captured team member internal/external work schedules & individual progress in order to meet assigned turn over dates & quality standards. Administered in-store education; new product launches; business building & refresher courses. Created loyalty of brands through increased sales, education & the “in-boutique” presence. Developed strong relationships within local business community, product distributors, customers & personnel by maintaining ethical relationships with current and new suppliers.

This company experienced a great deal of growing pains while I worked there. New boutiques opening all over NYC, without the proper amount of staff to cover the existing ones. Promotional materials and product shipments often arrived late, or packaged illogically. Sales goals were also incredibly unrealistic. 

The company's culture at the time was occasionally abusive, with little regard for the physical and mental well being of its staff members. We were forced to have boutique doors open in the dead of winter with no heat curtains installed. There are executives at this company who are some of the most superficial and underhanded people you will ever meet. If staff members advocated for themselves they were labeled a troublemaker and forced out the door - which is what I experienced. 

There are some positive things about working for this company - a nice discount and occasional gratis on high quality products. Their L&D program is also terrific and you will learn a lot about skincare and fragrance while you're there. I also had a great relationship with several of my coworkers, who were all bright and had a lot of talent to bring to the table. It's a good company to cut your teeth in the beauty industry and then get out before you get dragged down in the non-stop verbena scented drama.

Employees both in store and at corporate during my time where sold an ideal image of the companies origin and mission. This coupled with the in-store experience was intoxicating. As the company grew it lead to a hangover. The quaint french brand known for its innovative Mediterranean products became a shadow of itself after its growth due becoming public on the Hong Kong Stock exchange and shift on market concern. Its focus on Skincare due to price point without true investment in proprietary technology has made it a snake oil salesman. This company unnecessarily went through these changes for profit (which is understandable but still a shame). What that meant for the employee experience trickled down to a steep decline in value i.e. hiring people off craigslist, not having competitive pay, and making top performers feel replaceable for arbitrary reasons such a looks or integrity (i.e. not wanting to push an ineffective $100+  anti aging face cream on a 26 yr old). Training department basically imploded. Overall if you spent some time working there, you would learn a lot because of the massive responsibilities even a part timer must learn to stay a float; which was rewarding. Marketing and visual are very important there as its execution is integral to the in store experience.

When I first started with this company I could feel the "prosperity" the company would preach about.  This company does do amazing things with foundations such as the American Blind Society, and the Women in West Africa.  However when it comes to their own back yard, after several shifts in upper management the "prosperity" is like a unicorn.  

They cut back payroll, yet expect you to have coverage for peak times, but wait you don't have the hours for coverage.
Only salaried managers are given 40 hrs.
Moving up is difficult unless you can find the balance of selling, cleaning (when no one is in the store), stocking (again when no one is in the store) and giving facials (if you have the coverage,) so you can sell a $108 cream, and its regimine that has more ingredients than most "natural" companies use.

Accountability is key, yet store managers are not coached in improving their own growth.

Working for L'Occitane was one of the most fun times in my life. I met an incredible amount of people that I still have in my life today. It's retail. It's awful. That's the same for every company. I ran five different districts for them over a six year time period. Our HR person was true evil. I hear she's not there anymore so that's a positive for anyone looking at working here. There is a salary range for everyone and they will try to pay you the lower salary. Ask for more and they'll come back with the top salary. Salaries vary widely and they are based on your location in the country as well as the profitability of your location. I made about 30K a year in bonus alone, although that was before the 2008 recession, so it's probably very different now. Who your manager is matters. That's true everywhere. I got so lucky to work for phenomenal women who mentored me and helped me to grow as a person. 

L'Occitane is something of a tricky company to work for. Should you negotiate a good pay rate for yourself in the beginning (ask for more than you would think to, you might just get it!), you will find yourself well compensated for working a non-commissioned sales associate job. The standards of product knowledge are high, and the level of responsibility that every associate has is higher than one might expect at a job with hourly pay. This is truly boutique retail at it's most personal level. There will be days when your location is understaffed and you will be the only associate working in the store for the entire day. There may be long stretches of time after a transfer, resignation, or firing that you location may be without a manager, and you and your co-workers will be left to run the show with a remote manager "overseeing" your location.

So, if you don't mind busting your butt and being inconvenienced at times in the face of really decent retail pay, then go for it!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Assistant store manager 1 salary reported	$18.50 per hour
Airport manager 1 salary reported	$24.50 per hour
Sales 1 salary reported	$14.50 per hour
Regulatory affairs specialist 1 salary reported	$140,057 per year

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