The Best Retail Companies To Work For Right Now

• An H&M store in New York. (/Mark Lennihan)
  
• A Costco shopping cart is shown at a Costco Wholesale store in Carlsbad, California September 11, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake

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Looking for a job in the retail industry?
My Forbes colleagues have already laid out which retailers are doing the heaviest hiring this season, and which ones offer the best pay. But are you wondering where you’d be most satisfied? We’ve got the answer.
Glassdoor.com, a jobs and career community where people share information and opinions about the places they work, has just unveiled its 2013 retail industry report card, which sheds light into which retailers rate highest among employees. Glassdoor looked at employee feedback for more than 250 retailers with at least 50 approved company reviews from the past year.
In the No. 1 spot this year is Costco, the Issaquah, Washington-based membership-only warehouse club.
According to the company’s website, the retail giant’s first location opened in San Diego under the Price Club name in 1976. Six years later, in 1983, the first Costco warehouse opened in Seattle. (Costco and Price Club merged 10 years later.)

The site says the multi-billion dollar global retailer with over 620 warehouse club operations in eight countries is dedicated to quality in every area of its business and is respected for their outstanding business ethics. “Despite our large size and explosive international expansion, we continue to provide a family atmosphere in which our employees thrive and succeed,” the site says.
Costco says they provide employees with exciting opportunities, personal and career growth, a friendly and supportive work environment, stability, a workplace focused on ethics and obeying the law, and great benefits.
“Merchandising is the lifeblood of Costco, and our business is centered on our warehouse operations. Most employees begin their careers in the warehouse setting, becoming experts in Costco merchandising and operations,” the website says. “The company also offers diverse career opportunities at our home and regional offices in many other areas as well, such as Accounting, Buying, Graphic Arts, Journalism, Information Systems, Human Resources, and Legal, to name a few. Additionally, Costco is dedicated to recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and loyalty. In fact, the majority of our management teams are promoted from within.”
The company says they’re looking for ambitious, energetic people who enjoy a fast-paced team environment laced with challenges and opportunities. “Our successful employees are service-oriented people with integrity and commitment toward a common goal of excellence in every area of their personal and business lives,” the site says.
Costco received a company rating of 4.0 out of 5, according to Glassdoor. A Schaumburg, Ill.-based employee who reviewed the company said her employer offers the opportunity to move from department to department; great benefits for part-time employees; a flexible schedule; sufficient time for breaks; “and co-workers are friendly.”
In the No. 2 spot is Nordstrom Rack, a chain of off-price clearance stores owned by upscale fashion retailer Nordstrom. (Nordstrom was ranked separately and landed the No. 8 spot.)
The first Rack store opened in Seattle in 1975, and there are currently 141 locations around the country.
A retail associate in Willow Grove, Pa. who reviewed his employer on the Glassdoor site wrote: “Pay is better than most retail, discount is nice, especially during NPG sales, tons of room for advancement, upper management is very approachable, [and] most staff seemed happy with their positions which contributed to everyone pulling their weight.”
Nordstrom Rack earned a score of 3.8 out of 5.


The specialty retailer debuted in 1983 with the mailing of its first catalog. Six years later, the company opened a flagship store in New York City. Today the company operates 313 retail stores (including 245 J.Crew retail stores, eight crewcuts stores and 60 Madewell stores) and 114 factory stores, as well as jcrew.com, jcrewfactory.com, the J.Crew catalog, madewell.com, the Madewell catalog.

J.Crew says on its official company website: “Whether you are a recent college graduate ready to embark on your career or a professional looking for an exciting opportunity, we offer a wide array of challenging career paths. We provide a dynamic, collaborative, creative, high-energy atmosphere for individuals who are quality fueled, product driven, ambitious and determined to personally grow as we develop our company.”
Other places you might consider if you’re looking for a retail job right now: Sephora (No. 4), IKEA (No. 5) and REI (No. 7).

Sephora, a French perfume and cosmetics retailer which operates approximately 1,300 stores in 27 countries worldwide, earned a score of 3.6 out of 5. An employee of the company wrote on the Glassdoor site: “Discounts, even better holiday discounts, gratis, new co-worker friends, healthy in store competition, building of your people skills, rewards for good work
.”
Meanwhile, an IKEA worker wrote: “Great benefits - health, PTO, holiday gift, $3 meal deal, holiday party, team outings. Unique company culture - not your usual corporate structure/environment. Global market leader - biggest home furnisher in the world and getting bigger. Opportunities for development.”
The Swedish international home products company, known for its affordable ready-to-assemble furniture, earned a score of 3.6 out of 5

REI, which stands for Recreational Equipment, Inc., was founded as a member-owned co-op in 1938. The company ranked No. 1 on Glassdoor’s “Best Retail Companies To Work For” in 2011 and 2012. It earned a score of 3.5 out of 5 this year.

Samantha Zupan, a Glassdoor spokesperson, says it’s important to give job seekers a head’s up on what to expect before they accept a job offer in the retail industry, especially during this busy time of year. “This can help create a better work experience,” she says. “If you are considering a job in retail, [this report] and the Glassdoor site can help you to uncover insights into a specific company’s work environment, culture, and pay all based on employee feedback. Plus, you can often find details from employees about work load, availability of hours, and perks like discounts on merchandise,” Zupan concludes.

–shailendar kumar 
pgdm 1st year
internet