If you did, how is it? Do you like it? What do you do most of the time? How is the pay? How many hours do you work? I am looking into doing this and would like some feedback or experience about it. Thanks!

 

Unless you are high up (store manager, pharmacist), don't expect much from this position... my ex-stepfather was a store manager/pharmacist, so he was raking dough, but retail is retail.

If you are a retail person (and trust me, there is such a thing as a retail person), then the job will suit you fine. Personally, I would aspirate higher. Especially because of the wages that you'll make at this type of establishment and your living in the BA (read: expensive).

The hours are usually not very good, meaning that you could be working a closing shift, and then opening the store the next day... this means little sleep/personal time between... discounts (as I last remember) were only a crudy 15% off (Longs Drugs is cost plus 10%). And as a manager, be aware that you will definitely put in more than 40 hours a week as managers are/were typically salary.

And depending upon your location, you most likely will always be pretty busy.

Do you have any skills? Possible that someone on the boards could give you reco or a headsup on an opening position near him/her...

 

Sorry if I sounded somewhat disparaging there... I used to work for a retail drugstore (Longs Drugs) before... during and after my HS years (7 years). After seeing all the 30, 40, 50, etc year old people that worked there day in and day out without so much as climbing up into a comfortable lifestyle, I decided that retail (drugstore) would not be an option for myself any longer.

Managers would come and go (the college grads anyway), but there would be retail "lifers" that hadn't any other options in life (no education, no real aspirations/direction/motivation), so retail management is where they remained... with the ever hopes of being promoted into a store manager position. Such positions were really determined upon new store openings, retiring store managers, and definitive hard work that equates into increased store sales. Maybe 20-40 years of hardwork may see you in a store manager position. Maybe.

Good luck.

 

Mickey,
What's your story?

Retail management is only as good as the company you work for. I work in automotive retail, and I love what I do. I have a passion for what I do and that passion is my motivation. I hope I'm a lifer at the company I work for because those guys make 250-300K a year and drive $80K+ company cars.

 

I just finish with a B.S. in Business Management. In my 20's, done a lot of office and computer work but never really any retail management stuff except at a small business, so I was hoping this would be a good start or at least teach me about retail management. I love working around cars too, I really wanted a job at a New Car dealership but I can't really think of what to do there. I know they won't hire me off the bat as a manager or anything. I wouldn't mind doing office work but these guys usually hire CHICKS.....

 

Again, please note that when I refer to "retail" here, it is pertinent to retail drug/grocery stores where the average wage is between ~$7-13/hr.

Working automotive retail could be quite lucrative... one of my old acquaintances works for the SF Mercedes parts department. Last I heard was he was making 80K/yr and that is not even at mgmt status, of course, commissions come into play heavily on this one.

Working at a retail "drugstore" may be good for your experience, from a managerial perspective, as well as providing a way of knowing what you do and do not want to do for the rest of you life.

Wish you luck man, and if you want something really exciting that provides use of managerial skills with unlimited income potential, become an entrepreneur.