How to Choose the Best Company to Work For in Retail

If you work in retail, the company and brand you work for will make all the difference in your salary, pay and in the enjoyment of your job.  According to the Forbes directory, the top 10 companies listed below offer the best type of experience that a retail employee is looking for.

1. Overstock.com

2. REI

3. Maurices

4. Nike

5. Coach

6. Hot Topic

7. Costco

8. Nordstrom

9. L.L. Bean

10. Best Buy

The best tip to remember which choosing a job in retail is to let your personal interests and passions guide you. It is sometimes worth accepting a job with a slightly lower salary doing something that you love, than taking a higher paid job and hating every minute of it.

For instance, if you work for a company like Hot Topic, your pay may not be extravagant but you will have a lot of fun with the company’s dress code (which is pretty much ‘anything goes’). This company has been very popular with Goths, punks and rock and rollers for many years, and means you can work a regular job if you don’t want to have to remove all your piercings and cover up your tattoos. Employee bonuses include concert tickets and a very flexible work schedule. 

If you work for a more conventional retail clothing store, such as Maurices, you’ll enjoy discounts on their clothing and other benefits. Or if you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you might want to consider a company like REI or L.L. Bean, both of which sell high-end gear and offer great perks. 

Of course, the technophiles of the world will enjoy an electronis store company such as Best Buy or Apple, where their retail skills will be applied to selling and explaining all the latest and greatest gadgets.  Like all the companies on this list, these two tech giants boast a friendly work atmosphere, an important aspect of any company that requires its employees to deal with a sometimes difficult public.

While each company on the list is quite different from the next in most regards, each company also enjoys a reputation for paying and treating their employees well.  Day-to-day benefits are a big part of what makes each company a leader among retail employers.