associate manager

store manager

assistant manager

customer service representative

sales associate

Zumiez

*FROM A 2ND ASSISTANT POV*

One piece of advice that I give to anyone going into retail at any store (been in retail for 4 years): during your interview, ask about that stores standings in the district (sales wise, if the store is short or fully staffed, and how experienced is the store manager) this will have a HUGE impact on your employment at zumiez, or any retail store in general.  

PROS: 
As for my personal experience, I was with the company for years. I went from seasonal sales to 2nd ASM. I loved this job, and had my mind set on advancing in this job. I will say Zumiez is the place where you will find passion for the job, especially as a manager.  I think the fact that you are able to express yourself as much as you can (laid-back dresscode, opportunities to share music in the store, brands that are easy to connect to as a young adult, etc.) really does factor into finding passion for this job. 

The company is good at recognition. Recognition is highlighted in the managers duties and company standards, so workers can feel achieved and appreciated. They will tell you that your doing a good job whenever your beating sales, properly getting done tasks, and going above and beyond for your store. 

thats literally it for pros. 

CONS: 

1. Store Managers and District Managers:

 • Zumiez is a very competitive environment. in every aspect. Associate vs. associate, manager vs. manager. The SM’s are constantly talking bad about other stores, and other associates even on their own teams. it gets annoying at points. Its immature and unprofessional.

• If a store is falling apart stat wise, SM’s and DM’s will automatically point at the ASM’s and basically say that its their fault they're in the position they're in right now. I’ve worked at multiple zumiez, most of the tome I was covering at stores that were short staffed. and all SM’s had something to say about their management team, but never self evaluated and said “hm, maybe IM the problem.”

• Managers do not properly communicate. at all. If your doing something wrong, or theres something for you to improve on, a lot of managers will have a hard time taking the time out of their day to show you the right way, out of pure laziness. 

2. Advancement/training 

• Its so hard to get promoted internally. I had to fight for my spot as a second ASM, since Zumiez will take advantage of you and make you do more work without extra pay to prove your worth for promoting. This is a problem at a lot of stores for some reason. 

 I had to have multiple ASM’s and other store SM’s vouch for me to get promoted, because my SM and DM at the time weren’t interested in hopping in on it. Then, when I finally got the opportunity, my SM made a 90 day plan for me to beat high sales goals and keep up with manager tasks perfectly. If i failed the assessment, I would be fired. Promotion should not work like that. I was so stressed. 

• Then when it was time for me to go from 2nd to 1st, it was mission impossible, my former boss gave me 1st ASM duties, but never made a training plan and was not communicating on what i need to do to achieve promotion. 

Coverage/reliability: 

my SM got promoted, and my DM didn’t prioritize getting a new SM in there for almost two months. When we finally got a new manager, they promised to promote me via text, then when they got in there, they switched up on me and instead of telling me that I’m not getting it, just went behind my back and started interviewing externals for the position. 

DM also expected 3 2nd ASM’s to run the store properly with no raise and no guidance on how to run a store on our own during those two months. For me personally, that DM based my promotion on my performance during those 2 months, which were obviously terrible, because i'm a 2nd ASM, not a store manager. 

Other things: 
• during that two month period, i was forced to work 10 days in a row with no off days in between. 
• DM in my district takes an bad approach to coaching, goes out of their way to intimidate you. 
• my new SM has bullied their team for not meeting her expectations. People are constantly leaving because of their attitude and lack of appreciation. 

really depends on what staff is like/store standing. But these SM’s are really unmonitored, and will do some really unprofessional things. watch out, and don't fully trust your higher ups. 

As a first highschool job this is ideal. I started when I was a junior in high school as a seasonal sales with low hours at minimun wage for my city. After showing drive and pushing far past my goals I became a regualr sales associate and I stayed "above joe"(you're rank in your store) consistently for about 6 months and eventually became EOP (employee of the period) for a few month's and back and fourth for awhile. I was not old enough for promotion at the time but I had expected one as soon as I turned 18. Sadly this did not happen due to my store not reaching our goals or so I was told. We then got a new store manager and he "turned the store around" soon after I then talked to our district manager about promotion. I was told there was no open positions after about 2 months past my 18th birthday. Over time we lost our second and a position became open. I was expecting to get it as the current manager actually a good friend of mine started even prematurly training me to move up because he needed permission from our district to approve the promotion. He was told he's not allowed to promote me? And had to find a second assistant manager. He did and this new second did a bad job and was fired. After bringing my promotion back up to the district he said our store was no longer doing well enough for promotion. I did exceptionally well as a sales associate, not based on what I believed but the weekly statistics proved so. My manager seeing my anger did everything he could and alloted me a small pay raise for my dedication. I worked there for two year and my raise was from 9 to 10 just a bit before minimum wage went to 10 then I got a raise of 50 cents to make 10.50 after minimun wage raised to 10. Soon our district manager essentially gave my manager no ther choice but to quit and brought in another store manager( I went through 3 managers during my entire time here) and was told through my previos manager that my new manager had a mission of making me quit and join a new team. I didn't want to believe this. I stayed and worked there and everything was okay besides all the change and we were extremely understaff. However soon after we got new hires my house dropped dramtically from 24+ to 8 hours a week. I had to compete with the new hires for hours even though I had 2 year worth or experience and knowledge of zumiez. Although my hours didn't drop for other new hires with previous managers. I was expected to do just as much as a second assistant manager as a sales associate. I didn't mind too much because of the pay raise I guess but once I needed to compete with new hires for my hours I had worked hard for I needed to leave. Overall zumiez is a good first job for about a year then move on to more serious jobs you can do better. The enviroment is extremely chill and the personnel are nice but management can be unfair. As an example your district manager is supposed to visit your store at least once or twice a month I believe my district manager visited my store once or twice every 6 months. I met and talked to my district manager a total of 6 times in the 2 years I worked.( I work just about everyday for about a year and quarter and was scheduled to work everytime our district manager told my manager he was going to come in. Many times he did not show). After everthing I left zumiez with exceptional people skills that can be applied anywhere hence a good first high school job, although expect not many hours at first and shuffling your schedule around with work because it changes completely every week and you may not get the schedule until the last payed day of that week(Saturday)

A typical day would consist of me setting daily sales goals for my sales associates/management team as well as motivating my team to achieve our quotas by using positive reinforcement, encouragement , and setting a positive example. Along with motivating i would have to delegate task such as product movement, stocking, markdowns etc. through out the day to be completed before close. In the mist if these things I would ensure to my customers, the best customer service that I could provide! I would come off to customers with a "friend" approach, instead of the "typical salesman approach" that just greets customers and throws promotions at them. I would personally get to know them: their name, their interest/what they like, where they work at, hobbies etc. Then I would identify their wants/needs for the day, and find the product(s) that will satisfy their wants/needs!

I've learned quite a few things working with this company, one would be better social skills! Not everyone can just spark up a conversation with every stranger they meet, talk to them for 20 minutes, and get them to buy something at the same time. It takes a certain level of emotional intelligence and social skills to achieve that.

In management we had 4 managers, one store manager, one 1st assistant manager (me), and two 2nd assistant managers. Overall , we had a very solid selling management team, all very self motivated individuals who always strive to be nothing but the best. With me being in management I would help my 2nd assistant managers on different teaching approaches for the sales associates, as well as train sales associates on different selling techniques that i have learned over my 6 years of retail experience, as well as the multiple hours I have studied and observed on sales within this past year.

One of the hardest part of my job I would have to say is the actual selling part, not because of selling itself, but because of the location of my store. My store is located in the lowest volume mall in Tampa, and to top it off , my store is located on the side of the mall where their is the least amount of stores located. Which means we didn't receive as much clientele as other stores may have. But with having that as a disadvantage, it actually gave me and my team an advantage of being better sales people. Because sales aren't handed to us, we have to work on being the best sales people we can be to each customer. Hands down, if you put my team in a different mall against other Zumiez employees we would destroy them in sales at their own mall. And we have proven that with being number 1 in our district multiple times all though we are one of the lowest volumes malls in our district!

One of the most enjoyable parts of the job, was the environment. Zumiez really encouraged people to just be them selves and allowed people to express themselves by allowing employees to wear whatever they want, as well as play any type of music we wanted in the store (of course as long as its family friendly). I also enjoyed being able to talk to people and build new relationships with people,

What was the best part about working at this company?
--Inclusive
--The environment can be fun & relaxed
--Decent for a first job

What is the most stressful part about working at this company?
--Doing things correctly.
Instructions on how to do your job properly are extremely inconsistent between my store's managers and between other stores as well.
--Managers do not communicate with each other. At all.
They're notorious for neglecting their responsibilities, which ultimately fall on the sales associates shoulders when we're dealing with the jobs our coworkers were supposed to do days ago. Management just doesn't know what we're supposed to do a lot of the time.
--People are not motivated.
Frequently, there were days when my co-workers decided to not perform their jobs and lounge around with the manager for that day, which then turned into a heaping workload handed off to me or my other coworkers.
--Receiving hours was stupidly biased and distributed unfairly.
We were constantly over hours, which resulted in most of us receiving 4-hour weeks during the slow seasons while their friends would get 16-hour weeks.
--The sales goals they would give us were just unobtainable if it wasn't a holiday season.
Managers would get on us for not meeting our goals despite our store being completely dead. We'd be lucky if more than 10 people walked in on a slow weekday.

What is the work environment like in this company?
--Extremely cliquey.
I can't even count the number of times I was left doing my co-workers' jobs while the manager and other sales associates sat around and chat.
--Extreme favoritism.
Despite my disabilities, I was given extremely labor-intensive jobs for my condition while those who were close with the managers would get easier tasks.
--The customers who come in are usually very laid back, and our demographic is something I can relate to and work with easily.

I resigned from Zumiez not because of the job itself but because of the management I was under. It was a challenging environment but one that I became accustom to and excelled in. I had fun and learned a lot in my time there. 

The training systems they use are immersive, educating, and fun. Overall the company is the best in their field and employ a lot of smart, innovating people, who will continue to keep Zumiez growing and expanding. The culture is what keeps you there, if nothing else. 

It was a fun, fast paced, freeing environment that does allow alot of your personal interpretation and spin on things when running your store. 

That is both a blessing and a curse. It was challenging and rewarding owning so much of the overall operations and function of your store but it is also a lot more stress and responsibility with your pay being thousands under positions at similar titles. Most companies have specific roles assigned for certain processes but at Zumiez the SM will have them all, with no extra compensation.

After turning disaster into gold I was still disrespected and I'm positive that my managements tactics would not align with HR protocol. Here's a direct quotation " Positive results aren't everything, and wont protect you." From what? There was no documentation and my store was green in all measures, with nothing to fault me on right before I was going to ask for a raise.  

After sacrificing so much of my personal life, relocating, the constant stress and being paid a sub par salary I decided to leave. Your personal goals and priorities will not be a prioritized no matter what you put in.

Zumiez wont just be a job, it will become your life, with all the positives and negatives that come with it.

My coworkers were great, I loved the culture and the work trips the company pays for. It was a fun job and I learned a lot through being able to develop and operate in my own manner and through trial and error. In my position and own results I felt empowered, from direct management, I was not.

I've been working at Zumiez since November of 2011. From day one I was treated with disrespect from the staff. With in my first week 2 lower staff members told me they didn't approve of me being hired. Both said someone else from inside the company deserved the job. After 5 shifts of being trained (not by the store manager) I was left to fend for myself. On Christmas eve another staff member showed an insane amount of disrespect by screaming obscene insults at me on the sales floor in front of customers. His punishment a mere slap on the wrist & a don't do that again. And all is well, I take it upon myself to do research on the brands & how to build a skateboard myself, on my own time, since no one had the time to train me. The staff focuses solely on sales, so after asking repeatedly for them to do the other work expected I take it upon myself to do it. I'm sick of wasting my breath at that point. It's now the end of August I've made the company over $100,000, am in the top 20 in my district & number one in my store. I'm shocked to learn I'm being put on probation. Now it's not a matter of me not doing my work, but that I haven't made my store enough money & not in the specific way they want. Not every sale has been a certain amount of money & consisted of a certain amount of items, and for every hour I work they expect more in return. So let's forget the fact that in 9 months I've made them more than they'll pay me in 5 years. To Zumiez all anyone is, is a number, they don't care if the store is clean, or running right. They want your money. They want forceful sales militia who will do whatever it takes to bring in money. I've seen managers ask children - how much money do you have, well let me show you how to spend it. They will sell you items you don't need. If you're a guy who thinks a girl shirt is a men's they won't stop you, at the risk of losing a sale. BOYCOTT Zumiez. Put an end to this horrid way of doing business. My probation is supposed to be up for review on 11/1 but on 10/20 they decided to suspend me even though I improved drastically in my dollar per transaction ratio & my unit per transaction ratio. When I tried to appeal to my bosses sympathies by explaining I need my job & health insurance cause I found out I have breast cancer, she said she was sorry but her mind was made up

Zumiez is a popular retail company specializing in action sports and streetwear apparel and accessories. Working for Zumiez offers employees the opportunity to be part of a vibrant and dynamic retail environment. Here's a quick summary of what it's like to work for Zumiez:

Retail Atmosphere: Zumiez stores have a unique and energetic atmosphere, catering to customers who are passionate about skateboarding, snowboarding, and urban fashion. Employees often share these interests, creating a sense of camaraderie.
Employee Discount: One of the perks of working at Zumiez is the employee discount, which allows staff to purchase clothing, footwear, and accessories at a discounted rate, making it an appealing job for those who are fashion-conscious.
Youth-Oriented Culture: Zumiez caters primarily to a youthful demographic, so employees should be comfortable engaging with teenagers and young adults. This can be a great fit for individuals who enjoy staying up-to-date with youth culture trends.
Sales and Customer Service: Customer service and sales skills are crucial for success at Zumiez. Employees are responsible for helping customers find products, answering questions, and providing product recommendations.
Visual Merchandising: Employees often assist with visual merchandising, ensuring that the store displays are visually appealing and products are well-presented.
Flexible Schedules: Zumiez often offers flexible work schedules, making it accessible to part-time workers, students, and those seeking work-life balance.
Career Opportunities: For those looking to advance their careers in the retail industry, Zumiez provides opportunities for growth. High-performing employees may have the chance to move into management positions.
Training and Development: Zumiez invests in training and development programs to help employees improve their product knowledge, customer service skills, and overall performance.
Overall, working for Zumiez can be an exciting and enjoyable experience for individuals who are passionate about action sports and urban fashion, and who thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused retail environment.

I’ve worked at two locations for this company. My first district manager was great and made me really enjoy my job. I was given clear sense of direction and felt appreciated for the work I put in. Even when work was stressful (as retail jobs notoriously are) it was still oddly enjoyable because of the culture and empowering environment. As a manager you are expected to recruit, interview, hire, train, process freight, merchandise the store, execute floor plans and self-scan inventories, complete markdowns, transfers, and receivings, prevent theft, never miss a customer, write schedules, etc… for the absolute minimum pay. Great environment, great customers, and even better employees made up for the work overload.

Once I moved to a different location under a different district manager, my employee experience became horrible. I became stressed 100% of the time. I was given zero direction and felt extremely unappreciated. The culture from my 2nd DM was way different than my first. There was nothing to balance out the bad. It was just bad.

The worst part of the job is definitely loss prevention. You are expected to maintain a great inventory score with no help from the company. No cameras, no sensor detectors. You are told to prevent theft by providing great customer experiences, but aren’t given nearly enough payroll to schedule an adequate amount of coverage to help everyone AND complete your daily tasks especially in a high volume store. This mindset around loss prevention made me paranoid of my customers and made it difficult to enjoy my job.

Wage compensation is so low because they have 3 big trips every year. The experiences from those trips are awesome, but I would definitely rather have a higher salary than go on those trips that are only about 3 days each (and two of those days are traveling).

If you’re not male, don’t even apply. You will get treated differently and taken advantage of. The other workers will think you’re not as useful just from your gender. They see women as an advertisement to get customers and folder of clothes. 

The drama there is unbelievably bad. My co-workers girlfriend hung there while we were on the clock, the co-worker stayed in the back with her for an hour or more. I reported it to the manager, I don’t ever do that, but we were severely overrun by online orders, it was me, the register guy, and of course, the one with his girlfriend. After I reported it to the manager, he quite literally named me off and said “*My name* said your girlfriend was there for an hour,” and of course he said it wasn’t true. 

I had a very bad event happen to one of my family members, of course I freaked out when I got the message and removed myself from the floor and went to the back. The two co-workers came back in there with me, I had tears streaming down my face and was absolutely in shock from the incident. They didn’t give me time to calm down, or even ask if I’ll be okay. All they cared about was if I can clock out since I’m in the back and not working, (I was only in there for 6 minutes max when they mentioned that.) 

After all of that, they fired me due to the incident. Said the normal “you’re fired” speech as the good ol’ “you’re not a good fit.” Kicked me from the work group chats. I came in the next day for work because they “forgot” to tell me I was fired. The one guy literally was like, “uh why are you here?” And called the manager to confirm that I was fired apparently, without being told. 

The whole team is quite literally children. The oldest there, when I worked there, was the manager, which was early/mid 20s. The others were TEENS. They acted like actual toddlers as well. 

If you’d like to apply? Yea go for it, I listed my experience hoping to help and prepare you. 

So my working days consist of restocking clothes, shoes, doing online orders, asking people if they neede help finding anything in particular, and not being lazy on the job because of the point of life nowadays is having money and making sales which everyone can agree on. At the time I've worked at Zumiez I had three managers and they were alright to work with, I only liked one of my managers and he was a hypebeast all over, he would like to talk about Off-White and Nike collabs, Yeezys, Gucci, and all other things that are expensive that he would like to wear, now I like fashion too but I'm not making that much money yet. The hardest part of my job was looking out for people trying to steal, one time a group of women came in and they were sticking out like a sore thumb because they were wearing clothes that you would find in a Real Housewives show or something. So these women come in and my manager immediately told me to keep a watch on them, so I go over there and already one girl came over and asked me if she can get a discount, now I'm not a rude person but I told her, "No." then she tried giving me the puppy dog eyes and see if that worked but it didn't work obviously. Then in a distance, I see this other woman that was in the group tried to steal something and I looked at her dead in the eye and she knew that I caught her and she had to tell her friends to leave the store and they ran out like the flash, so that was my first time experiencing someone trying to steal something out of the store, and the weird part about it is how are you going to steal something if you're wearing clothes that are expensive and that made me think that these women were spoiled. And I guess the most enjoyable part of the job was just having fun making jokes to each other and stuff, nothing too major. And what I've learned from my experience was just coming in on time and don't be lazy and if you just do that, you'll make money.

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