To work in a clothing store might seem like such a dreamy, easy job: you’re the first to know what’s trendy, you get decent employee discounts and just have a blast with your colleagues. That’s how a customer might picture it – but is that the full picture?

The reality of working in retail is much deeper and more complicated than that. The retail industry is acknowledged to be one of the most stressful places to work at. But the pandemic only worsened the situation for retail employees, their mental health, and the stability of their careers in physical fashion retail.

I’ve been a fashion retail insider for four years now, so I can speak for a lot of people in a similar position: for any environment that is as pretty, as aesthetically pleasing as a fashion storefront, there are people who have worked tirelessly to fulfill the brand director’s vision. And it’s really not that pretty. 

Working in retail, you have to be mentally strong and know how to take control of your emotions. In most stores, there are very rigid regulations you have to follow. Daily, with a smile on your face, you have to deal with rude customers, you have to work and think fast in a busy environment, feeling constant pressure from your managers, who feel pressure from their superiors –it’s a never-ending cycle. You work long hours and, during holidays like Boxing day or New Year’s Day, sometimes not even getting any extra pay for it. Peak times are the most challenging – the customer flow is bigger than ever, and you might find yourself picking clothes up from the floor for at least 4 hours. To do a task that is so repetitive and demeaning, can very easily trigger your mental well-being because you know that you are worth more.

Work during the COVID-19 pandemic

No doubt this pandemic has hit each and every person, no matter the industry they work in, in one way or another. During lockdowns, most people are able to work from home, however, that is not the case for fashion retail employees. When stores have to shut, workers are placed on furlough; some are even made redundant. This job instability has only served to further increase mental health issues. CV-Library released a research report in July 2020, noting that every 4 in 10 retail professionals have struggled with their mental wellbeing due to the pandemic. Fortunately, the majority of them (56.3%, to be exact) were able to receive mental and financial help from their employer who they believed were doing enough regarding the support. Lee Biggins, the CEO and founder of CV-Library, stated that the main concerns were around job security, thus he encourages employers to be open and honest about any changes or updates with their staff. 

It is a fact, the numerous lockdowns brought upon by the covid-19 pandemic have revealed the flaws in fashion retail – it's one of the most unstable places to work in. It made people question the need for physical stores, with noticeable spikes in successful online sales, pushing retailers to think more ahead of the future, ensuring they have plan B, C, and D ready for when a crisis hits. Some business owners accept the need for change. Paul Lorraine, US president and CEO of Longchamp, stated: ‘’From this point forwards, all retailers will have to be more agile’’ (source: Drapers). But when there’s no option to work from home, retail employees may be feeling unnecessary, unbalanced and unsafe. 

Perhaps it’s a matter to consider for the future – figure out how to involve shop floor staff in the online business to assure them of their job stability in exceptional circumstances, like a lockdown.

Stories from retail workers

To get a more profound insight into the reality that retail professionals face, I questioned some of them in a LinkedIn group Retail Worker Stories, to share their experiences. The majority revealed their concerns around safety at work during the pandemic. On top of job insecurity, being exposed to customers who refuse to wear face masks or follow social distancing rules, further added to the mental and physical health risks faced by retail employees.

One of the Retail Worker Stories members shared: “I have had to deal with the unknown as far as who comes into our store sick or how their attitudes are completely changed because of how the pandemic has affected them personally. I've been at my job for 11 and a half years, and I don't plan on leaving it, but I have seen this bring out the not-so-good in people, and that makes it very difficult when their anger and frustration is put on me when I am just trying to do my job.”

Another member opened up about their experience: “People may think I am ‘strong’ because of what they see during the day, but what they don't see are the times I suffer from insomnia and night terrors. Everyone needs an outlet.”

Besides the concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, the struggles and issues of retail employees existed pre-Covid. The majority of employees describe their day-to-day work as mentally challenging; common reasons being: customers often blaming employees for bad products, set policies or increased prices, issues that should be addressed to the company itself; dealing with inequality and lack of diversity at work; facing unrealistic expectations of increased targets, KPIs when core resources like staff, numbers are decreasing; going through ‘the game of favouritism’ with their managers and getting false promises of either a raise or promotion. All these aspects cause frustration and for some, depression and anxiety.

Thankfully, there are organisations working to support retail workers’ wellbeing and offer the help needed. One of them is the RetailTrust charity, which has taken on the mission to ‘build a healthy, happy, diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects retail’s position as the premier industry in the UK economy’. They provide financial, emotional, and physical support, career development support, legal guidance, and many more, for those in the retail industry. Their helpline is available 24/7 via 0808 801 0808 / ROI 1800 911 810 / Text 88010.

The upside of working in the retail sector

Not everything is as bad when being a fashion retail employee – you learn valuable, life-long, transferable skills such as patience, time management, teamwork, and resilience. Constantly moving around keeps you naturally and physically fit. You get great employee discounts, meaning your wardrobe is always fresh and trendy, without spending lots of money. You are introduced to the fashion business and its structure, build important connections, and it can even serve as your stepping stone into the industry for those pursuing a career in fashion. You become commercially aware and considerate of consumer psychology. You meet some great people, and even make friends for life. If you are a student, the flexible hours and contracts on offer can help create the perfect balance between your social, professional, and academic life. Finally, you learn emotional intelligence and the ability to control the things you can. 

It can become an excellent environment to work in if you are passionate about what you do and tough at the same time. And of course, put your mental wellbeing first, and be strong enough to see things from different perspectives. It’s a constant learning process not only for the employees themselves but for companies as a whole too.