Abercrombie & Fitch Reviews

Pros

Aber has on of the best M.I.T. training in the business. It is an excellent program that allows you time to lear how to run the business.
There is something ALWAYS going on, something to do, something to fix, someone to train, etc
Always looking to advance your position. I got my own store after being a M.I.T for 3 months, and 4 months as an Assistant Store Manager.

Cons

You are required to recruit young, attractive, aspirational, and meaningful candidates for possible employment. It can be extremely difficult to find good looking, and aspirational people with a college degree that want to work with a small salary.

Advice to Senior Management

I don't have advice for them. I was once in their shoes. Anything I say, I am sure they already know. I would say, don't let work take over your lives. Make sure you make time for you.

Pros

Relaxed environment with a very easy to follow training program. Once employed you are taken under the "wing" of the store manager who week-by-week helps you learn the different concepts that the company wants you to "master" in order to be named an official Assistant Manager

Cons

The biggest downside for me was the workplace environment. You work/manage almost all high-school and college age kids who can be quite immature and cause you to have to deal with lots of immaturity. Also, the atmosphere of the retail store can be extremely annoying as their is mandatory non-stop music blaring on repeat.

Advice to Senior Management

I would recommend that the management seriously looks into the mandatory music that is played 24/7 within the store and the sound level it is played.

Pros

I really enjoyed working with my co workers. They were very friendly and kind. They are great easy going people.

Cons

At times I felt that I was under appreciated. I think they need to understand that everyone else has other jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

Become friends with the employees.

Pros

the cool people and the discount is pretty much the only thing worth working there for

Cons

the hours and the fact that upper management doesnt care about employees at all

Advice to Senior Management

try and care about employees more because employees who are valued work better and contribute the company more

Pros

great people all working towards a common goal
fun environment, fast paced
great experience, growth, opportunity, benefits

Cons

long hours
unrealistic expectations at times

Advice to Senior Management

ask for more feedback from the field, restructure some departments to provide more avenues domestically for more store side/HO related positions. reevaluate expectation with measurable objectives to be more consistent company wide and the resources should adapt with the expectation, as well as compensation. create a relocation department with a better system to assist through entire process, possibly regional..

Pros

The atmosphere is super fun and everyone is very outgoing and energetic. The company also offers great benefits and 401k.

Cons

Promotions are given not based on merit, but on who they like the most. Their biggest focus is on hiring beautiful people.

Advice to Senior Management

Brown-nosing, being energetic and loud, and recruiting is how you get noticed.

Pros

Good healthcare plan and benefits, good coworkers

Cons

The company is completely obsessed with how "great looking" you are, and Senior management promotes heavily (99%) based on looks. Prettiest girls always got promoted to SM the fastest. DM often threw temper tantrums. There were unrealistic expectations for store experience -- upper management demands perfectly board folded, size stickered stacks of clothes and yet we never have enough budget hours to accomplish everything. You will at times feel like a janitor, as we have to direct the usually teenage models to clean the store before open (1 model can't possibly clean a huge store in the 1 hour before open so the manager usually has to do half of it).

We lost over 200 units a week due to theft (we were a Target store) and yet company refused to give us LP agent to help. The handicap fitting room didn't even have a lock on it! People would sneak back there and pop sensors off the clothes and there was nothing we could do about it except give them "great customer service." What a joke! You would think they would at least lock up the fragrances but they are out everywhere in a dimly lit environment, ripe for the taking. Yet you will get yelled at for out of control shrink.

The people can be great, especially other managers, but the models and impacters are oftentimes spoiled high school/college kids who routinely forget to print their schedules and don't show up. Many of them try to do as little as possible, so it is a constant battle to make them do anything. Turnover is extremely high, managers quit all the time and so do part-timers. This is endlessly frustrating because by the time you are able to finally train someone they leave. And who can blame them -- the beautiful people we are supposed to employ usually can find jobs that pay more than 7.50 an hour. Managers are underpaid relative to other retail companies. Also, expect to be inundated with never ending gossip about who is hooking up with who, and endless rumours in general.

Work life balance can be difficult, especially if you are visual manager (and then expect to work 6-4am during floorsets and updates). I average about 9 hours a day (with 1 hour unpaid break that is mandatory). Expect to work all holidays and nights (night shift is from 2pm-11pm). Getting a full weekend off is rare. This job burns most people out fairly quickly. The one plus is Abercrombie is a good name on your resume and will open the door to many other retail jobs that pay more. My co-workers have left for Guess, Louis Vuitton, Henri Bendel, Armani etc.

Advice to Senior Management

District Managers need to be more accountable for their promotion decisions. Stop promoting girls just because they are hot and flirt with you. Give us more budget hours to get done what we need to.

Pros

Great advancement opportunities (I have heard). The work environment allows to really just be yourself and do your job the way you think will get the job done most efficiently.

Cons

If you do not like the abercrombie and fitch style you will be very unhappy there. You need to accept and take in the culture.

Advice to Senior Management

I believe that Abercrombie and Fitch does a great job in letting their employees know what is expected out of them and why it is so.

Pros

flexible hours, dress pretty, easy going, and relax environment to work in. i would recommend people to give the company a shot.

Cons

minimun wage. the stores are often too crowded during the busy seasons, and we don't go on proper breaks as planned.

Advice to Senior Management

treat people with respect, and do not think you are better than the rest of the co-workers. other than this, it's all good

Pros

Fun environment
Constant interactions with people
Good atmosphere
Always doing something different
Never too slow
Unique interesting customer base
Popular brand

Cons

The low pay
The fact that it is retail makes it a pain during holidays
Many employees
Having to keep up with the clothing trends.

Advice to Senior Management

Perhaps get to know all of the employees better. Make all the employees work during closing. Have more interaction with customers.