retail sales associate

sales associate

retail manager

fitness specialist

retail store manager

New Balance

This company pays well and has good benefits, but the majority of supervisors they employ are horrible, a couple probably shouldn't be in charge of anything.  They seem to care only about giving advantage to favoritism and those who say the things they want to hear.  
  The quiet, hard workers who do quality work and come to work consistently and are dedicated to doing the best they can are the ones that get screwed over and taken advantage of, and not given the chances they deserve to move up to better jobs, instead, favoring personal favorites and ones are simply one of the good 'talker' types that cannot perform jobs well, or hiring outside people with no clue of operations. Very cutthroat if not a member of the 'family'.
   They also nitpic those same honest, hard working employees for every imaginable little thing like putting your jacket on 5 minutes before the 3 o'clock buzzer or for clocking out at 3 on the timeclock despite the fact that the buzzer doesn't go off for various reasons.  
  Good work is never recognized but they do criticize every little thing, whether your fault or not. Most generally they blame someone for a particular issue rather than getting down to the root cause, the reason being is that they do not listen to the operators, only treating them with disrespect.  
  The production lines each have 4 team 'leaders' who essentially act like supervisor wanna-bes, who, instead of support employees, as is in their job descriptions , flock together with the supervisor and watch you work, plot against you, time you with a stopwatch, gossip and who knows what else.  
  The place is just a miserable place to overwork for a paycheck. They continually add more work to already busy, too fast paced jobs, and safety concerns take a backseat to production numbers, for example, instead of machines that raise and lower for people of different heights, they build and make you stand on wooden platforms if your too short to run a certain machine. The quality of work that comes to you from the material cutters is so horrible (nicked up parts and excessive material left on the parts, and often wrong sized parts) , it makes it near impossible to do your job in the fast time they expect it to be done in. And they do not address this issue although is causes numerous rework and bad shoes, not to mention stress on the machine operators.   
  Working here, you would never know this was a billion dollar company, and I would say the reason for that is the uncapeable management at the local level.  Despite the good pay, benefits, and time off, the wear and tear on your joints from excessive operations at a breakneck speed, coupled with a lack of concern by management, this place is to be avoided as a place of employment if possible.

Standard day: come in, put your stuff in your locker, clock in, get on floor, read communication board, go to your assigned zone. 

New Balance holds customers in high esteem so management trains staff to know A LOT about their products. 

Training: On the computer, and on the sales floor. You learn about the technology in New Balance shoes, apparel, and learn tiny details like which shoe lace length goes with what shoe. You'll also know more about the business as you work there.

Pace: When school was in session, some days were slow. Of course summer time and weekends were a bit of a rush.

Personal Experience: Initially, management was alright. Then it went a little off when people left and others were hired. One day could be good with management, others could be rough. I didn't know how to schedule my paid vacations because no one told me, so take it as a warning: don't be naïve, ask questions, or talk to the store manager whenever they're available. With management, you need to plan in advance your "request-offs" and vacation times. Also, management would prohibit phone-use on the sales floor, but have their phones in their pocket or use the landline phone to call their friends. Another thing, management wants you to MULTI-TASK by helping every customer in your section and so on. Also I hated going in the back to get shoes for a customer because management would always yell at me for going back and forth too much so if possible ask another person who isn't doing anything to get it for you. If you're going yourself, tell them you are or they will throw a fit.

There's a lot of lifting and work involved. When shipment comes in you'll be asked to help arrange boxes and so on. Being on the job for me gave me quadriceps tendonitis so be careful. My enthusiasm was high when I first worked here then it went on a decline when I started school and management was getting annoying. Also New Balance is famous for their 993's and 990's (shoes) so A LOT of people try and steal it so BE CAUTIOUS! Management will get on your case if something gets stolen in your zone. Also their walkie-talkie system was bad so even if thieves came it would be hard to communicate with management. It's a lot of standing, of course this is a retail job, but even on slow days where only 10 customers come in the store all day you cannot sit down so keep that in mind. My co-workers were okay for the most part. 

Hardest part: loss prevention, spending almost an hour with a customer and at the end of the day they don't want to buy anything

Enjoyable part: ending my shift, helping some sweet customers

My final words: I love New Balance the company, love their products. Would I ever work at this location again? I pray I don't.

A typical day at work is from 10am-7pm. Each morning starts out by opening the store and making sure everything is clean, presentable and up and running. Whenever someone enters the store, I like to treat them as if they were my best friend by making sure they get the proper pair of shoes and putting them through the entire foot analysis process. I will start out by learning the purpose of buying the shoes, ask if they have any pain or health issues and then I size their feet using a measuring device. Next, I watch the customer walk to determine if he/she needs a stability shoe or a neutral cushioning shoe. The customer finishes the foot analysis by stepping on a device that projects exactly where they place all the pressure on their feet and provides orthotics and arch support recommendations. Lastly, the client tries on several pairs of shoes that I believe will benefit their needs and goals and has the final "say-so" in what shoe they would like to take home.

Through working with New Balance, I have learned much about retail and the importance of fitting someone in the right pair of shoes. I have come to understand the benefits of being thorough and going through the outlined processes in order to achieve a sale. 
 
I am extremely grateful to have such great management. Both my manager and assistant manager truly care for their employees and work extremely hard as well. They set great examples on what it means to be a leader and the importance of knowing all the products. I enjoy working with my coworkers. We make a great team and often encourage each other and even help each other out when we need assistance or when they see that one of us is struggling. 

The hardest part of my job is the pay that I receive as well as the hours. I have a bachelor's degree as well as working on my master's degree and working for New Balance doesn't truly allow me to utilize my education. I make $10 an hour and am looking to make a salary that meets the goals set for my family and the hours to spend quality time with my family. The most enjoyable part of my job is having a customer coming back to the store thanking us for our help and sharing their stories about how their back or feet no longer hurt because they were put in the right shoes. I also enjoy getting to meet so many different people and helping them find what they want and need so that they can leave happy with their purchases.

While the benefits and pay offered by this job are great, they’re just a ploy to trap people into staying.  Over the last two or three years, the Skowhegan factory has become a huge joke. The Team Leader position is just a power trip- the majority of people chosen for this role have NO business “leading” other employees. Upper management is a disgrace. These people lack integrity, and the way they treat lower employees is deplorable...it honestly borders on verbal abuse. The amount of associates at this factory who are medicated for stress/anxiety from this job is ridiculous. The only thing the Human Resources Department at this factory is good for is starting drama. They have no compassion for the well-being of employees. The recent turnover rate is quite alarming, especially with multiple long-term (we’re talking 10 and 20+ years) employees leaving. Most employees are given an “exit interview” which is supposed to allow upper management a chance to see what changes could be made...but nothing is ever done about complaints, because anyone lower than a supervisor is just a number. New Balance is a multi-million dollar company, and yet, they are so cheap that it’s almost comical. This company is notorious, as of late, for firing long-term employees (who are paid the most) to save money. Also, most of the machinery in the Skowhegan factory came over on the Mayflower...they’re constantly breaking down, but instead of buying new machines, the company would rather spend money building high-tech sports facilities and sponsoring up-and-coming NBA players. Working here used to be like having a second family- now it’s like spending 40+ hours a week in prison. Honestly, prison is probably better because at least inmates are allowed to talk to one another without constantly being told to “focus” or hovered over with a stop-watch. Don’t apply here unless your soul is already dead. This place is self-destructing from the inside-out, and mostly due to a handful of people in higher-paid positions who are careless. It’s unfortunate when such a well-established company, that is so focused on domestic manufacturing, has fallen victim to the evils of Corporate America.  Skowhegan New Balance employees are expendable and unimportant as long as the company is making money, and it’s a darn shame.

I worked in St. Louis on a software project. 

like most people at this location I am leaving because they could not live up to their promises and because they cannot manage a software project. The stress level was super high for my team and I.

The project is failing because management will not support the team, they put inept people in charge of things who were contractors and could care less if it succeeded and it was more than obvious they had no idea what they were doing, they just smooth talked and constantly said things like "don't worry it will just work out". Sane practices that are required for any project to succeed like communication with other teams and the business were non existent, requirements gathering were non existent, planning was non existent. They seemed to like to shoot from the hip and constantly fight fires. They were using no methodology but calling it agile, we even had retros with a few common themes at the end of every "sprint", usually asking for improvements in planning and requirements gathering, that were always ignored.

Management is great at not listening to people they hire or contract to be a functional expert in a particular field, instead they hire cronies who know nothing and then let them line their pockets and waste millions destroying projects. Another thing management is great at is after not listening to their employees.... problems leading to technical failures arise, management then blame the employees and team for their poor management and indecisiveness. 

To top this all off, Headquarters in Boston could care less. They actively work against the other divisions and from all I could see are run about as effectively. Its no wonder they cant overtake the competition.

Upon entering the store, a customer is first greeted, help is offered, and their experience typically begins by having their feet scanned to provide a 3D image from the ankle down to present the alignment of their ankles, size and shape of their arches, and a digitized scaling of their size. Any issues and/or concerns should be addressed at this time. From there, the customer is recommended arch supports based on their scan and specific models of shoes that would be best suited for them. After selecting several models to try on, they experience personal customer care as they are fitted for both shoes and insoles. As a pilot apparel store in the Southeast, we thrive on clothing and accessory sales as well, and there are always sales on certain items, which are usually pointed out once the customer has decided to purchase their shoes. 
Management and leadership is friendly, and the work environment is comfortable and relaxing. I have learned that sales are always greater when the customer's experience is conducted in a personal, relational, and comfortable fashion. The hardest part of the job is that sometimes customers mistake this specialty store, carrying all the freshest releases, for an outlet, or expect department store prices, and they are unprepared to pay for high-end footwear and service. Also, dealing with customers can be difficult sometimes as some will have major objections to a product they have purchased, yet have had it longer than our return policy allows for the company to provide a replace or refund. The best part of the job is the comfortability of the atmosphere and the repeat customers who often will return and ask for you by name. That is why it's so important to make a personal connection the first time because if they like you they will come back to see you.

general + cons: if you want to work retail at NB, it’s good for short term but not long term. management is not going to help you move up. it’s extremely hard to move up, also very male dominated. management are mostly selfish, biased, abuse their higher up position, take advantage of employees, will mess with your schedule because of personal issues or if they do not like you, but that’s anywhere right.  NB management also tends to cover up wrong doings of people in management, and it’s also a job where it’s easy for management to get away with treating their employees unfairly, there aren’t a lot of regulations for bad behavior, and they don’t make it easy for part time employees to have resources for help or complaints. pay is extremely poor between $11-$14. 4 hour shifts only now in florida because of the regional manager here. raises are once a year, never more than a dollar, 50 cents if you’re lucky, not more than that from what i’ve seen/experienced. once you complete a year, you get a free shoe, and every year you complete after that. it cannot be a shoe worth more than $100 now, new policy. NB is an extremely cheap brand when it comes to their employees, super poor pay, no benefits, and don’t offer full time positions to anyone other than managers and higher ups. minimal training after you get hired, and that mostly depends on your managers and if they’re good or not. they do offer little videos and training videos sporadically through workday. it’s a fine first job, not long term because there’s no future there for the average person or the hard working employee
pros: you get good sales experience, good cashier experience, and customer service experience. you will learn how to work retail, so it’s a good first job. the employee discount is good, 40% off new balance and during holidays (full month of december) it’s 60% off

3/5 stars

They are one of those companies that say a bunch of stuff and follow through with very little.   The only good thing about working at this place are the hours and benefits.  Seniority doesn't mean squat.   Young people who talk but can't do the jobs well get promoted and are the priority over the veterans that do all the c*ap jobs; and there are a lot of those.   Jobs that are set up improperly that hinder your ability to do the job fast enough for their ridiculous fast pace, although you are still expected to keep up.  Billion dollar company using redneck tooling and equipment that looks to be made in someone's garage.   Ask as 'mechanic' there to fix something and you get the same response from most which is "we can't do anything about that".  
   Same thing with the managers, they are more talkers and not doers, more worried about public perception than making employees jobs easier.  They cater to the big talkers and don't listen to the real workers so now a lot of the real workers are fed up and quitting and left behind are a bunch of inexperience and boss wannabes with a few real workers that get pushed to their max everyday.  
  The team leaders they promote are a joke,  most barely do anything all day except act like a boss and offer no real help, only suck the managers backsides. 

That's just a little bit of misery of working here.  If you are a hard worker you will get spit on here and you will be stressed out to no end, and now in the pandemic you wear a mask all day as you go 100 miles an hour and have to get your temperature checked before even entering the place.  Working here was one of the worst decisions of my life,  don't make the same mistake. 

responsible for budget control, purchasing, communication with physicians' offices concerning footwear for patients, insuring proper mix of inventory, conducting inventory at owner request, ordering merchandise weekly and / or special orders for customers,  training staff of new corporate products and policies, meet with sales rep for store to view upcoming products and to choose for store.

most enjoyable part of job---listening, asking questions, and making suggestions of footwear based upon the needs of the individual. then, seeing the joy on faces of customers knowing they got the right footwear.

hardest part of job---really do not feel that I had a hard part of the job.  reason for stating this is because each day, I felt we were in a learning mode which yielded better customer service.

owner allowed me to run the store without much intervention.  liked this because I got to make a decision and the result was mine.  good relationship with owner.

I had a very good relationship with fellow workers.  we had a very good team because we communicated our thoughts, concerns and ideas with each other and made certain we kept the customer in mind.  our motto " what is best for the customer" was a constant reminder when making any changes.

Listening, asking probing questions and providing answers were at top of the list for 'things learned'.  every day, every hour this would be subject to change.  we felt a strong need to be acceptable and willing to change.

Not a horrible place to work but the retail division is a complete mess. No organization of who you should contact above you (aside from HR, etc.) The position was advertised to me differently than it was after I accepted, and I feel that I've wasted my time there. I've also experienced blunt favoritism in the workplace which I am really not a fan of. Also you get emails constantly, very few of which somebody at the store level should have their hands on. I understand the retail division is fairly "new," but this company seriously needs to figure out how to run a business. Also, I feel like everyone I've dealt with in upper management has their own agenda of what "needs" to get done. The product received, in comparison to product requested for customers is often completely different- and nobody will give you a reason as to why they won't listen to your requests. It's a bit like a parent telling their child they can't do something "just because." That, and you'll ask a district manager a question- and rather than answering- they'll give you 8 or 9 email addresses to contact and send you on a wild goose chase.

For a company with a fantastic reputation for being a good place to work, and with a product as stellar as the one they sell... New Balance really needs to get their thinking caps on and hire some actually experienced upper management folks to get their act together.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Retail sales associate 13 salaries reported	$17.46 per hour
Sales associate 5 salaries reported	$17.54 per hour
Retail manager 9 salaries reported	$53,750 per year
Fitness specialist 5 salaries reported	$16.20 per hour
Retail store manager 8 salaries reported	$70,454 per year

Working at New Balance: Company Overview and Reviews

New Balance

New Balance Ratings

Popular jobs at New Balance

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected