sales associate

store manager

manager

visual merchandising manager

responsable des achats

Oak + Fort

My time at Oak+Fort was enjoyable because of the incredible team I had the opportunity to work alongside. Unfortunately, the turnover rate is quite high because the staff receive inadequate hours dependent on performance. Oak+Fort is not as widely known in Ottawa as it is in Vancouver; it is not a busy work environment. However, management expectations regarding sales goals can be unreasonable and there is a lot of pressure placed on the floor managers and sales associates who receive insufficient training. The commission is contingent on both individual and store sales goals accomplishment, so expect to be making minimum wage at this location. Additionally, anyone can get hired here as long as they dress similarly to the brands aesthetic vision. 

The reason why I am rating this work place a 2-star is because management is dismissive regarding incidents related to staff safety. This location is beside the food court on the second floor of CF Rideau where members of the community facing substance use disorders and housing insecurity are sometimes present. Though loss prevention is important, it has been obvious in many instances that upper management prioritizes profits over the well-being of their own staff, which has been disappointing to observe. 

The work environment is not the worst, but there is definitely room for improvement. I have overheard various managers speaking down upon the sales associates including expressing intent to terminate them over trivial matters. Rather than promoting divide between employees by speaking negatively of them behind each others back, there is a respectful way to go about this process. There is a progressive discipline procedure outlined in the employee handbook in which the management should be adhering to. 

For the most part, the client demographic is fantastic to work with and the store volume is smaller, making maintenance easier. If you are used to busy retail environments, Oak+Fort will be a walk in the park. 

to start on a positive note, my store’s staff and the compensation was great (i was making $24/hr). however that still wasn’t enough for the stuff i had to deal with. 

i was thrown into my role with very little training, and expected to pick up their very specific rules of merchandising right away. weekly floorsets were very stressful, with very little hours given/time to complete. on top of that, weekly virtual walk-throughs of the store with upper management often left me in tears. even the smallest “error” made them lash out, and tell me i didn’t care about my job. if i followed their instructions to a tee, i’m told i shouldn’t do that. if i do my own thing, i’m told to follow instructions. 

oak + fort think they’re so much better/more important than they actually are. they expected us to keep the store in tip top shape ALL DAY even during the holiday season, and sending photos at the end of every day! 

bad work life balance: every other manager in the company i talked to worked unpaid outside of their hours to get everything done, company is fine with it. 

very cheap on hours: very little time for any of the managers to get everything done, while providing customer service. then you get yelled at if it isn’t done, or if you don’t make sales. 

they’d constantly switch things up on us. they’d make me set up a store promotion that takes forever, then change their minds right after and make you redo everything.

bad quality: customers/staff would constantly complain about the bad quality and high price, yet no one cared. in fact, they’d have us THROW AWAY “damaged” product if we couldn’t sell it. yikes! 

i’ve always stayed at my jobs for 1yr minimum, but i only lasted 4 months. never in my years of merchandising or management have i seen such a disaster of a company. there was 3 people in my role in less than a year, the turnover speaks for itself.  gone through many district managers too, yikes! 


A typical day at work: As I work at the Toronto Eaton Centre, it is usually very busy and the work environment is very upbeat and friendly. 

What you learned: As I worked both as a cashier and a sales associate, and also assisted in some stock related duties, I have learned how to cliental with customers. I have also gained great customer service skills and learned how to work well in a team setting. 

Management: Management is very small, but also very efficient. I love working alongside my managers and team members, and the environment is fun and fair. 

Workplace culture: Workplace culture is diverse, and open. It is friendly and very loving. 

The hardest part of the job: The hardest part of the job would have to be finding new tasks to do. Although the eaton centre location can be very busy, often it can be very slow. So finding different tasks such as swiffering, dusting, organizing can be always easy to do. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find new tasks. Overall, this job was not difficult and it was very enjoyable. 

The most enjoyable part of my job: The most enjoyable part of my job would have to be working with my team. Working with my team members and manager would be the best part of my job. Especially as I switch between roles of being a sales associate and a cashier, communication is a huge aspect of my job.

A typical day at work would include refreshing store racks and tables. Re-merchandise products due to sell through and help customers with whatever they need assistance with.

The workplace culture can be toxic as management only cares about themselves and no one else. They put a lot of pressure on employees who are at the bottom of management team such as floor managers and Leads. No paid vacation or benefits even if you are full-time. Sales associates become very competitive due to high sales goals even on non busy days. And lastly they don't provide proper training and still expect you to do the work and bring results.

Hardest part of the job is dealing with customers who don't know how to shop, have no manners and make a huge mess everywhere all while having to merchandise the store and help them at the same time. 

Most enjoyable part of the job will have to be some of the people you work with and that can depend on the location you work at.

Unfortunately, my time at Oak+Fort was quite stressful, especially for a retail job. The sales expectations are unrealistically high, making it challenging for employees to succeed. On days when the store is notably slow, there is still an expectation to generate significant sales, which feels unrealistic. 

Management seems to overlook the fact that not all customers appreciate pushy sales tactics; many prefer a more subtle approach and may only seek assistance when it is needed. This lack of understanding can lead to a negative shopping experience for those who are more reserved or prefer to shop quietly. 

During my time there, I’ve had customers express their frustration about the inconsistency in sizing; they would choose a top, and the small would vary amongst the same style. To top it off, management is disorganized and frequently understaffed, which adds to the stress of the job. 

Management here is all around terrible. They are not there to support you and provide extremely minimal training yet have very high expectations. They will only schedule you for 4-5 hour shifts, which is not enough time to complete all the tasks you are given. They will not allow you to clock out, even if it is already past the time your shift ended. On most days, they do not allow breaks and if you go on one they will force you to clock back in before your time is up. Tons of negative re-inforcement and a very toxic work environment. Management is very condescending in the way they speak to you. While their expectations of you are extremely high, management is very lazy and will stand around doing nothing all day while they command you around and put way too much on your plate with no support. Would not recommend working here to anyone.

During my time here was such a great experience. All the employees were very friendly and we all worked as a team to help the company succeed. What was really amazing was actually working with the owner collaboratively and freely. A lot of owners of big companies often hide in their offices but not with this company. The owner would always be on the front lines working with each department and was so kind. The only reason why I left was because I had moved out of the city and the commuting was too much. There would always be staff appreciation lunches or events for the holidays as well. Decent pay and benefits was great!

I am a former employee at an Oak+Fort location and the management was really bad. They had to constantly find new hires because most employees would turn over. They would also not allow you to take a two day vacation off because they “need our support”. They also don’t understand that we have our own lives that we have and expect us to dedicate it all to our job there. They would also move you to different stores without asking you. Not worth being paid minimum wage and being overworked. They expect us to complete goals that are impossible to complete in 10 minutes or so. The only thing that was good about this job were the co-workers that I met.

head office and management have created a negative work space, they all talk bad about eachother. they will treat and look at you like scum. they need a serious structural change or something for a more healthy work environment because these issues will come to light in a more serious manner. evoking fear and hatred in your employees does not work, i hope they educate their managers and those head office people who show face every once in a while. it was not worth the mental induced triggers, although fellow sale associates were nice but we shared all common sense of being victims to those on major power trips and egos.

I worked in head office for 2 years and was so excited for the opportunity, and so disappointed with what it turned out to be. This company cannot hold on to good employees, does not pay them well, micromanages from the top down and there is no company transparency or trust. It was a terrible work culture/environment and would only ever be a stepping stone of experience for people in the Vancouver fashion world. Bad pay, bad employee treatment when seeking support to stay with the company and grow a career. Work hard and don't complain, do what your told environment.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Sales associate 8 salaries reported	$16.45 per hour
Store manager 3 salaries reported	$58,667 per year
Manager 3 salaries reported	$71,667 per year
Visual merchandising manager 4 salaries reported	$23.31 per hour
Responsable des achats 2 salaries reported	$240,000 per year

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