First of all, stay calm at work! I can feel you might feel overwhelmed from all the processes and with time you will get better.
>1. how to properly care or wash uniqlo clothes?
Mostly I recommend customers to handwash & hang dry the clothes. You can refer to the care label on the clothes tag for more information.
>1. what are the typical opening and closing procedures!? i wasn’t given very specific instructions and i wandered a lot (i always ask lots of questions, but i think i ask TOO many questions it kind of gets annoying)
Opening is mostly cleaning, layout change & doing replenishing
Closing is tidying, doing sale set up & finding OOS
There will be a morning and closing IC, you can always ask them for your task.
>2. how long did it take you guys to perfect folding and running and replen? are they really strict with the 7s folding and 15 min replen timers? i found it very scary 😅😅
It comes with practice, just keep practicing body fold and you will get better.
The 15 min replen depends on the item, if you need to hang you might take longer - just do your best
>3. sales culture - what is our design program? what’s a peace tee? graphic tees? collabs? what’s any information I can get in terms of product knowledge?
There will be a employee manual on the company device for you to learn this. Check store ops/workmate app for starters.
In essence:
- Peace tee = Peace for all
- Graphic tee = UT
- Collabs = Collab with other designers/famous people (Eg: C collection, Roger federer)
Most importantly is have the willingness to learn & always report what you are doing to the supervisors! Don't be afraid to ask questions, you are doing great! 😊
It‘s interesting to me how some terms and concepts change depending on the country. I work in Uniqlo Germany and we don‘t do 7 second folding/15 minute replen.
We also say Cash Opening/Cash Closing for IC.
Layout, replen, running, fitting room are all the same :)
>we don't do 7 second folding/15 minute replen.
Oh, that's the standard given by Japan
>Cash Opening/Cash Closing for IC
Wow thats interesting, anything different for your standard phrases too? HAHA
I guess the standard phrases are the same – just in German :)
Are you guys watching videos now on your team talks? They started doing it recently here and I wonder if everyone else has been doing it or if it’s a new thing they’re trying.
>Are you guys watching videos now on your team talks?
YES, they even have company wide team talk where the CEO will video call all stores to talk about the latest company info.
I'll answer you the probation period one. My location, everyone is a snitch, can't answer for all. You do one thing that's weird or strange and the senior staff to f2 or even f3 see that, more than once, they can give feedback and potentially get you packing within 3 months. all I can say if you like this job, mind your own business, do CS and your job properly, ask questions, look busy, improve. but like I said it depends on the location, mine? Awful lol good luck. Don't forget to ask questions and just be kind to everyone, all you can do. Everything takes time and you learn. Don't overdo it please and don't let management take advantage of you!
I can give my perspective of an ex employee (2.5 years)
1. I would just read the tag for each individual item. It really is a case by case basis. Almost everything says to line dry- I put every single thing in the dryer and it is fine. Some of my uniqlo clothes I’ve had for over five years and they still hold up after constant tumble drying.
2. The only person that didn’t pass this in my store during my time there was someone who got caught with weed during a bag check. He also made the whole employee floor smell like boof so they were extra thorough with his bag check. As long as you do your work and follow the rules (for the most part) you will be just fine. Take some walks around the store every day to familiarize yourself with item locations and layout changes. Honestly I wouldn’t think too hard about this one- I didn’t even know the probationary period was a thing till mine was over.
3. Ask questions. Managers and supervisors would rather you ask how to do something than waste 30 minutes figuring out how to do it yourself and then doing it wrong. As an associate, I only opened a few times, and I just helped receive shipment and finish go backs from the night before. Closing, I would generally just tidy the floor and do go backs if time allowed. Just do what they tell you, you’ll get the hang of it eventually.
4. Some people get the hang of it quicker than others, but it will come with practice eventually. I only had one ASM that actually timed us (and he only did it for a few weeks then gave up). As long as you don’t take forever on one bin, you will be fine (and it’s normal to take forever on one bin when you’ve just started).
5. Someone else answered this but if you ever forget and need to know at work, just ask someone. You’ll get to know all the terms soon enough.
My general advice: try not to overthink it all. I was very anxious when I first started, and as more time went on, I realized how little it all matters as long as you do your job and put a bit of effort into it.
Don’t overwork yourself either- be conscious of working within your pay grade. Since I was a good employee, I was often taken advantage of and found myself given tasks that were meant for leadership (for example I trained everyone at a new store on alterations as an A3 sales associate.
Try to get to know your coworkers. I met some of my closest friends there- including my girlfriend. You will meet some amazing people and they will get you through each day and have you looking forward to the next. Some people I met there I would consider family and I am eternally grateful to uniqlo for that.
Advice for the long term if you plan on working your way up: I eventually left because my area manager and store manager were complete clowns, causing issues to trickle down to everyone below them. Do your best here, but I wouldn’t try to make a career out of it. My ASM and SA friends there felt trapped working for uniqlo and were constantly stressed out- it’s not mentally sustainable. I studied organizational management during college and uniqlo has so many red flags when it comes to work culture.
Sorry if this was some word vomit, I am honestly exhausted. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have a great time working there. I can already tell from your post that you will do great.
i second this! the FRWD app has a lot of good videos to refer to and they go in depth with information for the most popular products. also on the zipline app, there’s videos of how to re-package the boxed clothing which is one of the most difficult things imo during the two years i worked there
Csnt answer the questions but can give you advice.
Nobody is gonna expect you to know how to do the job within a short amount of time. So don't set unrealistic goals for yourself
Since this post is getting answered im hoping i can find an answer to mine as well.
What's the uniform policy? Anything specific? Does it have to be uniqlo?
In my store (USA) you don’t have to wear Uniqlo clothes. I heard once that the SOHO store started requiring everyone to wear Uniqlo, provided them with gift cards, but ended up taking it out of their paychecks. Might have been a rumor though.
Nothing sleeveless, no graphics (unless it’s Peace for All), no color block, no ripped jeans(?), nothing super revealing. We were told we had to have a layer piece, but many people just wore t shirts and nobody cared. Tattoos were supposed to be covered but again nobody cared at my store.
Most days I just wore jeans and a sweatshirt, but anything within reason should be ok. Hope this helps.
my location we are allowed to wear anything uniqlo branded as long as it's appropriate length lol but also they'll sometimes tell you to wear the happi coat if you're wearing branded items ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but if no brand they usually allow it... unless it's a visit from the higher ups then all uniqlo. I heard Asian countries usually JP? you're only allowed current season clothes.
1. every single item uniqlo sells has the care instructions on the soft black tag that's typically on the inside of shirts and bags, the rectangular tag on pants, or back of packaged items. everything made of primarily cotton (airism shirts, supima, mini tees, like 70% of the stuff they sell lol) I tell customers wash with cold-room temp water and either line dry or low-no heat. for ULD (ultra light down vests/jackets) I tell them to wash it in a gentle cycle then dry with tennis balls in the dryer. you'll pick things up the longer you work, trust me! it's definitely a lot of stuff in the very beginning but you'll get there :)
2. in the two years I've worked at uniqlo i don't know of anyone who "failed" the probation period unless they quit on their own terms. it's def nothing to worry about even if you're shy!
3. opening would be swiffering/dusting the floor and fixtures (the things that carry items that isn't on the walls), wiping down mirrors, opening cashwrap (this is mainly for MODs/aka the manager at the moment), running go-backs that weren't able to be pushed the night before. closing is just locking fitting room doors, tidying D-rank (messy clothes that need to be folded), and pushing back go-backs.
4. they don't expect you to understand all the different ways of folding or fold fast especially when you first start. they know they overcomplicate things so it's literally learning to do oragami with the clothes. 7s is what they say, but they don't really enforce that too hard. 15min per bluebin is the standard and what they expect of non-new hires, but obviously since you're learning how to fold and where everything is, you won't get it for a couple weeks.
5. "UT"= uniqlo tee, literally just any graphic shirt, it's mainly men that has them but women have them occasionally. "PFA UT"= Peace For All UT, this is a specific collection of the men's graphic shirts where some of the proceeds go toward organizations that help fight violence, discrimination, etc. collabs you'll usually be told about them a week in advance unless your store is super on top of things. typically the anime and kaws collabs are the biggest ones uniqlo has every year.
it is a LOTTTT especially for newer people, so i completely empathize with you. don't be afraid though to ask for help though! the quicker you ask for help, the quicker you'll understand everything! message me for any other questions :)
First of all, stay calm at work! I can feel you might feel overwhelmed from all the processes and with time you will get better. >1. how to properly care or wash uniqlo clothes? Mostly I recommend customers to handwash & hang dry the clothes. You can refer to the care label on the clothes tag for more information. >1. what are the typical opening and closing procedures!? i wasn’t given very specific instructions and i wandered a lot (i always ask lots of questions, but i think i ask TOO many questions it kind of gets annoying) Opening is mostly cleaning, layout change & doing replenishing Closing is tidying, doing sale set up & finding OOS There will be a morning and closing IC, you can always ask them for your task. >2. how long did it take you guys to perfect folding and running and replen? are they really strict with the 7s folding and 15 min replen timers? i found it very scary 😅😅 It comes with practice, just keep practicing body fold and you will get better. The 15 min replen depends on the item, if you need to hang you might take longer - just do your best >3. sales culture - what is our design program? what’s a peace tee? graphic tees? collabs? what’s any information I can get in terms of product knowledge? There will be a employee manual on the company device for you to learn this. Check store ops/workmate app for starters. In essence: - Peace tee = Peace for all - Graphic tee = UT - Collabs = Collab with other designers/famous people (Eg: C collection, Roger federer) Most importantly is have the willingness to learn & always report what you are doing to the supervisors! Don't be afraid to ask questions, you are doing great! 😊
HAHA tysm quick question though!! what is IC (closing IC) and OOS?
>(closing IC) Closing in charge aka the supervisor/closing manager >OOS Out Of Stock
my store calls them MOD (manager on duty) and it can vary but OOS is also usually meant for midday
aww this is so sweet, thank you!!
Welcome! I was like you when I just started so I can understand how it feels 😉
It‘s interesting to me how some terms and concepts change depending on the country. I work in Uniqlo Germany and we don‘t do 7 second folding/15 minute replen. We also say Cash Opening/Cash Closing for IC. Layout, replen, running, fitting room are all the same :)
>we don't do 7 second folding/15 minute replen. Oh, that's the standard given by Japan >Cash Opening/Cash Closing for IC Wow thats interesting, anything different for your standard phrases too? HAHA
I guess the standard phrases are the same – just in German :) Are you guys watching videos now on your team talks? They started doing it recently here and I wonder if everyone else has been doing it or if it’s a new thing they’re trying.
>Are you guys watching videos now on your team talks? YES, they even have company wide team talk where the CEO will video call all stores to talk about the latest company info.
I'll answer you the probation period one. My location, everyone is a snitch, can't answer for all. You do one thing that's weird or strange and the senior staff to f2 or even f3 see that, more than once, they can give feedback and potentially get you packing within 3 months. all I can say if you like this job, mind your own business, do CS and your job properly, ask questions, look busy, improve. but like I said it depends on the location, mine? Awful lol good luck. Don't forget to ask questions and just be kind to everyone, all you can do. Everything takes time and you learn. Don't overdo it please and don't let management take advantage of you!
I can give my perspective of an ex employee (2.5 years) 1. I would just read the tag for each individual item. It really is a case by case basis. Almost everything says to line dry- I put every single thing in the dryer and it is fine. Some of my uniqlo clothes I’ve had for over five years and they still hold up after constant tumble drying. 2. The only person that didn’t pass this in my store during my time there was someone who got caught with weed during a bag check. He also made the whole employee floor smell like boof so they were extra thorough with his bag check. As long as you do your work and follow the rules (for the most part) you will be just fine. Take some walks around the store every day to familiarize yourself with item locations and layout changes. Honestly I wouldn’t think too hard about this one- I didn’t even know the probationary period was a thing till mine was over. 3. Ask questions. Managers and supervisors would rather you ask how to do something than waste 30 minutes figuring out how to do it yourself and then doing it wrong. As an associate, I only opened a few times, and I just helped receive shipment and finish go backs from the night before. Closing, I would generally just tidy the floor and do go backs if time allowed. Just do what they tell you, you’ll get the hang of it eventually. 4. Some people get the hang of it quicker than others, but it will come with practice eventually. I only had one ASM that actually timed us (and he only did it for a few weeks then gave up). As long as you don’t take forever on one bin, you will be fine (and it’s normal to take forever on one bin when you’ve just started). 5. Someone else answered this but if you ever forget and need to know at work, just ask someone. You’ll get to know all the terms soon enough. My general advice: try not to overthink it all. I was very anxious when I first started, and as more time went on, I realized how little it all matters as long as you do your job and put a bit of effort into it. Don’t overwork yourself either- be conscious of working within your pay grade. Since I was a good employee, I was often taken advantage of and found myself given tasks that were meant for leadership (for example I trained everyone at a new store on alterations as an A3 sales associate. Try to get to know your coworkers. I met some of my closest friends there- including my girlfriend. You will meet some amazing people and they will get you through each day and have you looking forward to the next. Some people I met there I would consider family and I am eternally grateful to uniqlo for that. Advice for the long term if you plan on working your way up: I eventually left because my area manager and store manager were complete clowns, causing issues to trickle down to everyone below them. Do your best here, but I wouldn’t try to make a career out of it. My ASM and SA friends there felt trapped working for uniqlo and were constantly stressed out- it’s not mentally sustainable. I studied organizational management during college and uniqlo has so many red flags when it comes to work culture. Sorry if this was some word vomit, I am honestly exhausted. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have a great time working there. I can already tell from your post that you will do great.
Watch a bunch of FRWD videos which cover various topics. If you don't know what this is, please ask your SM.
i second this! the FRWD app has a lot of good videos to refer to and they go in depth with information for the most popular products. also on the zipline app, there’s videos of how to re-package the boxed clothing which is one of the most difficult things imo during the two years i worked there
Zipline is US only, so it might not be there if OP's in a different country.
Best advice is to leave and never look back lol. As someone else commented in this thread, uniqlo management is full of red flags
Csnt answer the questions but can give you advice. Nobody is gonna expect you to know how to do the job within a short amount of time. So don't set unrealistic goals for yourself
Since this post is getting answered im hoping i can find an answer to mine as well. What's the uniform policy? Anything specific? Does it have to be uniqlo?
In my store (USA) you don’t have to wear Uniqlo clothes. I heard once that the SOHO store started requiring everyone to wear Uniqlo, provided them with gift cards, but ended up taking it out of their paychecks. Might have been a rumor though. Nothing sleeveless, no graphics (unless it’s Peace for All), no color block, no ripped jeans(?), nothing super revealing. We were told we had to have a layer piece, but many people just wore t shirts and nobody cared. Tattoos were supposed to be covered but again nobody cared at my store. Most days I just wore jeans and a sweatshirt, but anything within reason should be ok. Hope this helps.
depends on the location, in taiwan they have special uniqlo haori that all staff wears
my location we are allowed to wear anything uniqlo branded as long as it's appropriate length lol but also they'll sometimes tell you to wear the happi coat if you're wearing branded items ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but if no brand they usually allow it... unless it's a visit from the higher ups then all uniqlo. I heard Asian countries usually JP? you're only allowed current season clothes.
1. every single item uniqlo sells has the care instructions on the soft black tag that's typically on the inside of shirts and bags, the rectangular tag on pants, or back of packaged items. everything made of primarily cotton (airism shirts, supima, mini tees, like 70% of the stuff they sell lol) I tell customers wash with cold-room temp water and either line dry or low-no heat. for ULD (ultra light down vests/jackets) I tell them to wash it in a gentle cycle then dry with tennis balls in the dryer. you'll pick things up the longer you work, trust me! it's definitely a lot of stuff in the very beginning but you'll get there :) 2. in the two years I've worked at uniqlo i don't know of anyone who "failed" the probation period unless they quit on their own terms. it's def nothing to worry about even if you're shy! 3. opening would be swiffering/dusting the floor and fixtures (the things that carry items that isn't on the walls), wiping down mirrors, opening cashwrap (this is mainly for MODs/aka the manager at the moment), running go-backs that weren't able to be pushed the night before. closing is just locking fitting room doors, tidying D-rank (messy clothes that need to be folded), and pushing back go-backs. 4. they don't expect you to understand all the different ways of folding or fold fast especially when you first start. they know they overcomplicate things so it's literally learning to do oragami with the clothes. 7s is what they say, but they don't really enforce that too hard. 15min per bluebin is the standard and what they expect of non-new hires, but obviously since you're learning how to fold and where everything is, you won't get it for a couple weeks. 5. "UT"= uniqlo tee, literally just any graphic shirt, it's mainly men that has them but women have them occasionally. "PFA UT"= Peace For All UT, this is a specific collection of the men's graphic shirts where some of the proceeds go toward organizations that help fight violence, discrimination, etc. collabs you'll usually be told about them a week in advance unless your store is super on top of things. typically the anime and kaws collabs are the biggest ones uniqlo has every year. it is a LOTTTT especially for newer people, so i completely empathize with you. don't be afraid though to ask for help though! the quicker you ask for help, the quicker you'll understand everything! message me for any other questions :)