- decent pay- fairly high paced- how good the work will be depends on whos managing- can be very understaffed at time and hard to rely on shift covers

Pros

good pay and flexible hours

Cons

understaffed

Was this review helpful?

It’s a great place

Causal Sales Assistant (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 30 August 2022

i love working here. I love the culture and the way that the store is set out. Overall, I would recommend working here

Pros

Discount

Cons

Nothing

Was this review helpful?

The Cotton On Group insights

Based on 11 survey responses

What people like

Trust in colleagues
Feeling of personal appreciation
Inclusive work environment

Areas for improvement

Ability to meet personal goals
Energising work tasks
Overall satisfaction

Fast paced, competitive, not much support

Visual Merchandiser (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 20 June 2022

Made some of my closest mates during my 4yrs at COG, even met my partner here; however management pressure/ competitiveness and a lack of support from upper management really took its toll. For a company that promotes being people first, they are far from it; they are completely money driven in all aspects of the company. Head office mostly supports larger stores (ie Chadstone, Bourke st), smaller stores really struggle with training and have a high worker turnover due to poor recruitment. Pressure to meet sales targets starts at the top and filters down through every level; casuals often are rostered based on sales figures alone, rather than availability or reliability. Career progression is very limited without the support of state leaders/ head office team workers to get you a foot in the door. Seen a lot of highly experienced managers get overlooked for promotions where the position went to someone with little to no experience/ training. I loved a lot of my time at COG but the best thing I’ve done for my career is leave.

Pros

50% off discount for myself and friends/ family

Cons

Poor work culture, management, training and team member retention

Was this review helpful?

People First & Development Support to progress

Area Manager (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 26 April 2022

Passionate and driven leadership team who enable and support everyone to be the best they can be. There is a lot of support and a great people first culture. There is a lot of room for progression and many different roles and locations you can work in, not to mention 5 brands you can transfer in between.

Pros

1 hour lunch breaks, 30 minutes is paid. Generous uniform and staff discounts, free platform with learning resources and inspiring leaders who also encourage work life balance

Cons

Salary for internal team

Was this review helpful?

Good first job

Casual Sales Assistant (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 18 April 2022

Working at an outlet store can be a lot, it's fast paced and very demanding. I find that there is little opportunities to get to know your team members as you don't get the chance to talk to them, especially when you are appointed to different areas of the store. It's just go work and go home. It's very, i'm solely here only for the cash, vibes (only for outlet stores i'm assuming). Supervisors and managers can be very too much and in your face to get things done. It was worth the 50% ig.

Pros

1 hour break, 50% full priced items, shopping after shift

Cons

multiple short hours, little opportunity to expand and the environment of an outlet store

Was this review helpful?

Rate your recent company

Share your experience to help others

I love working at Cotton on, it is an amazing company who will help you with progression through a dev plan

Customer Service Team Member (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 16 April 2022

Cant love this company enough, it’s fun, it’s fast paced, never a moment of doing nothing even on non busy days! Company cares about its workers, if you want to get higher up, they will help you achieve this! Area manager, AMAZING, HO, wonderful ppl…

Pros

Relaxed

Cons

None

Was this review helpful?

Fun and fast paced environment

Christmas Casual Sales Assistant (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 28 February 2022

Interview process was fast and got the offer in one day.Staff were fun and friendly. Staff rooster communication was not the best and inconsistent.

Was this review helpful?

Fun retail workplace

Sales Assistant at Cotton On Body (Current Employee) - Melb VIC - 4 January 2022

Quite an enjoyable retail job, other staff are friendly and easy to talk to, no intense pressure to meet KPI goals but are still encouraged to do your best.

Was this review helpful?

Act sweet at first, then treats you badly towards the end

Sales Team Member (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 7 December 2021

Cons: - Unpaid overtime- Managers lack compassion and understanding of the employment law. They would misinterpret the law and ask you to do what they want - Horrible rosters, they give you shifts for the next 3 weeks, then delete them 3 days prior to the shifts, then call you in the morning to come to work ASAP. - Was told to lie to customers about the price to increase the sales number- Little support and training from the managers- dismiss you when you speak up about your rights, even from the HR- overall Cotton On is a fast-fashion, they talk highly about the value of the people, but really what they care about is the money- didn't appreciate your work and would just dismiss you like you don't existPros: - easy job I guess, but not the part where we have to convince customers to spend more money where they don't need it- some people would say the 50% discount, but I don't shop their brands

Pros

idk

Cons

no appreciation, lack of compassion towards other, lack of support

Was this review helpful?

Very friendly culture, unfortunate management.

Sales Assistant (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 8 June 2020

I worked there for a Christmas period, and we had a manager for two days before she left and we were left understaffed and under-trained. Because of this I was given a very high paced environment and not many opportunities to learn things like register and store procedures. However, I did focus on customer service and did my absolute best to continue to provide quality service for our customers and keeping the store looking at the correct standard.

Was this review helpful?

Jobs at The Cotton On Group

in Melbourne VIC

See more jobs

Assistant Store Manager - Factorie Bourke Street

Melbourne City Centre VIC

30 days ago

Assistant Store Manager - Cotton On Body Westfield Southland

Cheltenham VIC

15 days ago

Store Manager - Factorie Broadmedows

Broadmeadows VIC

17 days ago

Store Manager - Cotton On Body Eastland Shopping Centre

Ringwood VIC

3 days ago

Store Manager - Factorie Westfield Plenty Valley

South Morang VIC

17 days ago

Competitive, rude staff and management

Retail Assistant (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 25 January 2020

- If you're a casual you wont get a lot of hours - Management is unfriendly and unhelpful - Fast work pace during holidays and weekends - If you don't make sales you don't get shifts

Was this review helpful?

Fun Workplace

RETAIL SALES ASSISTANT (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 18 January 2020

- Fun and supportive work environment- makes you want to go to work - Great job benefits - Has helped me learn to think fast and work more efficiently - Great little family environment

Was this review helpful?

Good place to work as a casual

Christmas Casual Retail Assistant (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 11 December 2019

The employee benefits and the hourly rates for casuals are really good. The people I worked with were really supportive and helpful and I had a wonderful time.

Was this review helpful?

Cotton On

Manager (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 29 October 2019

Exciting and fun company to work for. Probably more stressful than it should be for the salary. Pros and cons of working for a privately owned company where the owner will often drop in

Was this review helpful?

Had better but had worse too!

Casual Employee (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 11 October 2019

Good discounts. Management and Head Office think they are better than they are. No direction from Area Managers or State Managers- they are never in the stores. Uncertain as to what people in management actually do. Staff are ok. Not very social. Do the shift and leave. Good for a first job I guess but not if you have been in the industry awhile.

Was this review helpful?

Great incentives

Social Media Coordinator (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 2 October 2019

Working at cotton on has been great, they offer great work incentives and really care about their employees and want everyone to be the best they can be.

Pros

Free lunches

Was this review helpful?

Stock controller

Stock Controller (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 21 August 2019

My position as a Stock Controller at Supre Dandenong Plaza was a highly demanding role managing stock in & controlling stock going out. In other words I ordered stock for the store and kept an extra eye on the stock people walk out with. A family business & now a company that has ventured with Cotton on, Jay Jays .... Everyday was a challenge & I really enjoyed working for supre

Was this review helpful?

Inspirational management and fantastic work environment at a fast, breakneck pace

Area Manager (Former Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 24 May 2019

Incredible pace means that not all aspects of the role could be met every time. Management was inspirational and company offered complete support but the work/life balance dream is a difficult one that often went by the way side with long hours and days. Despite this I would work for the Group again as their values, beliefs and ethical stand aligns with my own.

Pros

Great management coaching and development; continual online learning and support

Cons

Long hours

Was this review helpful?

Great if your fantastic at meeting KPI's

Casual Sales Assistant (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 8 April 2019

COG's values that they show employees are more like buzz words rather than put into practice. Only valued as a Team Member if you meet there KPI's......

Pros

Employee Discount

Cons

No growth, no long term opportunity, treated as a number, fake facade!

Was this review helpful?

Good for first-time workers or Part-time

Sales Assistant (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 25 March 2019

Loved working for the company and admired their passion for their brand. Opportunities to learn many new things. Would recommend as a first job or part-time job for uni students. Management can be very biased, probably the only negative.

Was this review helpful?

Poor treatment of Casual team members from management

Senior Sales Assistant (Current Employee) - Melbourne VIC - 11 March 2019

For a company that prides itself with "people first" Cotton On does not display such a thing. Casuals are basically left to do everything on the shop floor while store managers get the credit for their hard work. There is absolutely no recognition for hard work in this company. Store managers and higher management look at team members like second class citizens basically always blaming them for everything that is wrong with the store and sales. Very KPI focused and team members are expected to reach unrealistic results at the end of the day otherwise they will cop some kind of pressuring or bullying from management which creates a stressful work environment. OHS regulations are never abided by, as a team member you are expected to haul boxes after boxes from the backroom on a daily basis with no help from anyone.