retail sales associate

store manager

assistant store manager

Running Room

Working at the Running Room has been a great experience. I love the staff, and environment. Customer service is first and foremost. We do the gait analysis on each customer to ensure the correct support and fit of running shoes. You spend upwards of an hour with each customer and you need to stay patient and positive. If it is a slow day, hours will be cut with short notice. You will work long hours alone on slow day. The staff discount is pretty good, especially Running Room brand items. A BIG  part of the company is running clinics. Teaching people how to run, or helping them to reach their 5k, 10K, 21K(half marathon), or 42K(full marathon) goals. This is the frustrating part, because finding GOOD instructors every 10 weeks is so difficult. They have to be committed to running with their group 3 times a week, sending out at least 1 informative email a week, creating routes, finding guest speakers to talk to their group, and the pay is dependent on the size of the group. But most of all, you must be encouraging and a motivating person that others want to be around.

A typical day at work would involve opening the store in the morning by counting the money, checking emails for any important notes/events.

Throughout the day, you get to meet various people who are looking to get good shoes or runners who have been at the Running Room for a while. I learned the different types of shoes that Running Room sells, how to transfer products from store to store, and of course using the Point-Of-Sale system. 

Sometimes I would present nutritional talks to various groups from beginners to full marathon runners where I cover the basics of nutrition, what foods to eat/avoid, how to shop smart, and what nutrients you should consume.

Finally, I was a running instructor for new runners where I ran with them, gave them advice on how to run without getting tired, and using proper breathing techniques to avoid collapsing.

A great retail position to work at as a young student, or mature adult looking to pick up a little extra cash. It requires you to be a runner, knowledgeable about running and/or willing to learn a lot more about it. Probationary period is 6 months. Depending on the location of the store, you may end up working on your own for the majority of the time as well as the locations could be very quiet or very busy. Management isn't the greatest, due to a bunch of changes to increase their money while making the sales person life harder. Doesn't consult store sales associates or managers about ideal changes to stores, and depending on how much money the store makes determines precedence of receiving stock over others.

Easily one of the worst shoe retailers to work for; no benefits + no opportunity for advancement. You could be meeting sales quotas and get not recognition, no commission or no advancement. The manager has seen a lot of employees leave due to unnecessary unloading tasks onto employees. The customers on the other hand are a joy to deal with, and probably help create the environment that is worth coming to work for. I left in 2020 because I did not get along with the manager nor did I agree with her, instead I got shunned and left on the back burner. Her methods of hiring are quite extreme & had costed her many employees within their first week.

Great place to work especially if you are a running / fitness enthusiasts as get to interact with other like minded people... Interesting learning high-tech shoe technology from knowledgeable Reps & staff which you can then use to advise appreciate customers! Running Room has lots of long term employees (good sign.) Management are willing to work with employees scheduling.. which suits student trying to balance schooling with income earning. Generous staff discounts. Good training & management support. $ Pay & work hours are competitive with other retail stores.

If you just need a job or for a tick on your resume, then It'll do. For minimum wage and 0 benefits you must have great knowledge about brands, sneakers. Work with cash, all cards, work as a merchandiser, as a salesperson, and be excellent at customer service. There is no growth zone, no life-work-balance. All summer, due to the large number of customers, you can work without your lunch at all. Because everything turns into some kind of race, when you need to serve 2-4 people at the same time... 
From + - its our people, energy from our positive healthy runners, running evenings, some discounts on our products. That's all. 

Overall I liked working there, colleagues and customers were great. I had great help from colleagues and the manager until the new manager took over. She did not give me any hours to work only for her daughter. I felt like I was slowly pushed out. She seemed nice but one had to be cautious around her. Everything was for her daughter, daughter was working at different running room. She wanted her daughter working in this running room and she was also double faced. That is why I want to give only 3 stars. Thankfully I found another job.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Great environment. Manager is a really nice person

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Is a lot of work but is not stressful

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Really nice environment. All the employees like running abd healthy lifestyle

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Client assistance in deciding the best running shoes. Break to have lunch and organizational activities

Most of the day was spent helping customers assess their individual shoe and apparel needs.  Running can be extremely stressful on the body so it's very important to wear the proper shoes and clothing to maximize enjoyment of the sport.  Throughout the day shelves were stocked and new inventory processed and placed in the storage area.  There really was no hard part to the job.  The most enjoyable part was speaking with customers and other staff.  It was a fun place to work.

If store management likes you and you perform you will get preferential treatment in regards to hours and days off. If not you will get minimal with no recourse but to look for employment elsewhere. Best part of the job was the run club  members who you get to know on a personal level and not just a sales purchase. Zero percent chance for any overtime. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Retail sales associate 3 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour
Store manager 1 salary reported	$35,000 per year
Assistant store manager 1 salary reported	$28,000 per year

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