Shoppers Drug Mart Employee Reviews for Cosmetician

I really enjoyed all the training and courses provided to the cosmetics department, however I think hiring management needs improvement. It seems a lot of the time they’re too invested in what you do in your free time and your personal life, and they can be quite intimidating.

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Ok for a young person

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Edmonton, AB - 12 November 2023

Decent enough place to work for a young individual. Some management can be a bit toxic due to power struggles. Hard not having much input on your schedule.

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Unrealistic sales goals and expectations

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Thunderbird, BC - 27 July 2023

Pays horrible, commission you get is barely anything. Management doesn’t care about you. Was sick and manager couldn’t find anyone to cover the shift so was made to come in anyway.

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Great atmosphere

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Bay Roberts, NL - 6 July 2023

Loved working there when i was in University. Friendly staff and management. My time there was great. Also loved the discounts. They were accommodating to my school schedule as I was hired as a student.

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Set up to fail.

Cosmetician (Current Employee) - Toronto, ON - 4 July 2023

This is not a great place to work. The FSM, AFSM, and CM at my store are all decent people. My associate is cheap (especially compared to the previous one). My coworkers are also decent people, but turnover is high among non-management and supervisors.My main gripe is with head office. The hours are cut constantly and the workload is the same. They expect frontline staff to do the job of 2-3 employees. Customers (rightfully) get really upset because we can’t perform one of the many services they have tacked on, or because they don’t want cashiers at the registers. Customers are really angry about the inflated prices and love to take it out on frontline staff. This results in a really tense work environment where you anticipate being berated for something outside of your control at least once a shift.Theft is rampant. Head office seems to really care about shrink (micromanaging employees’ discounts, constant updates for LP policies, extra tasks etc) but they refuse to staff the store adequately despite raking in the profits. They contract security guards that are borderline useless— just talking on the phone and occasionally walking around. This is the only retail job I’ve ever worked where I actually felt unsafe.

Pros

-30% discount

Cons

-everything else

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Insights into Shoppers Drug Mart

Based on 1,563 survey responses

What people like

Ability to meet personal goals
Supportive environment
Feeling of personal appreciation

Areas for improvement

Fair pay for job
Sense of belonging
General feeling of work happiness

Decent, but hard to move up or get good shifts.

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Winnipeg, MB - 21 June 2023

For a flexible job this is very good, fellow co workers are often nice and tools for success are given out easily, training is good. However, you'll often work close to open shifts, which overtime is hard to do (example: 2pm-10pm Friday, then Saturday you work 7:45- 4). Some managers really care about their departments, others don't even remember the names of employees. semi high turnover. Most managers are understanding and train well, but they talk about you behind your back if you tell them something personal, within a day the whole store knows. Pretty inclusive for all faiths, beliefs and creeds, LGTB+ and more. Customers are often nice. workload is decent for your department, but you'll often be given jobs by other departments which can make it stressful and overwhelming very quickly. Job security is tough, some managers are relaxed, but, if a manager doesn't like you its very clear and that employee often gets punished/ written up for things that typically shouldn't be, or purposefully left out of work events, missing holiday cards for that one employee, there are often birthday cakes for employees birthdays but the employee that isn't liked by a manager mysteriously wont get one, etc. If you work part time there's almost no room to grow or get full time hours, if you work full time, your hours can still drop below 20/week. Depending on your location theft is bad, and shoplifters can become violent but there isn't much resolution to it. I was very thankful to have a good manager who supports me and makes sure I succeed, but I've observed the other departments -

Pros

flexible hours, easy training, tools for success

Cons

clo-opens, gossipy workplace, hard to move up

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Good management

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Grimsby, ON - 3 June 2023

Good location to work at. Management was good but has changed since I left. Lots of unnecessary competition among coworkers due to commission structure.

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A produtive and fun work place

Cosmetician (Current Employee) - Kitchener, ON - 9 May 2023

I currently work here and I am very passionate about my role as an employee and I enjoy it a lot! It is a fun and interactive place to work, and provides you with great opportunities to succeed.

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Cosmetician

Cosmetician/Cashier (Former Employee) - Langley, BC - 6 April 2023

Very Fair and always pushes you to do better. I left because I needed somethinh close to home, with a better pay. Companyis great to work for otherwise

Pros

Lots of help

Cons

Minimum wage

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Really depends on management

Cosmetician (Current Employee) - Maple Ridge, BC - 14 March 2023

If management doesn't know how to manage your life here will suck. It's difficult for them to find good management. Pay isn't great nor good benefits.

Pros

Free products

Cons

Theft, rude customers

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Fun job

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Winnipeg, MB - 25 February 2023

This is one of the more fun jobs I worked. I was there for just over 7 years and enjoyed my time there. There are lots of perks and at my location they were very flexible.

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Don’t expect to get enough hours to rely on

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Belleville, ON - 4 February 2023

This company has some great things going for it. The optimum program and Loblaws in general just can’t seem to stop making huge financial gains despite a pandemic and some negative press about their manipulative marketing campaigns about price freezing My experience as a part time employee and also as a full time employee has been adequate but after 23 years with the company there is less than a $4 an hour wage spread between myself and new hires. Terrible reallyI will stay because the location, hours and discount work for me if I were beginning a career and not near the end of one I would get out. A major focus of the head office seems to be driving online sales and achieves this but constantly offering better deals online or shorting the stores supplies The head office does nothing to support a safer environment and one in which employees aren’t constantly being forced to act like security guards. If I had a young family member looking for work I would forbid them to work in a shoppers store after 5 pm for fear of their personal safety Not the worst employer ever but much room for improvement. Sad that such a huge company with record profits is so cheap with the very people who have made them all that money

Pros

Pleasant coworkers

Cons

Low wages

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Fun/rewarding job if you're a cosmetician

Cosmetician (Current Employee) - Brampton, ON - 27 January 2023

Working as a cosmetician is the most fun/rewarding position you can work in shoppers. Lot's of brand trainings, free product and commission. Working in customer service has it's challenges like annoying customers, and having to stand for long hours but overall it's pretty fun when you have good management, and nice coworkers. Some staff are miserable and tend of be jealous of the cosmetics team because it's the best department to work in but overall so worth it if you love beauty products.

Pros

Commission, gratis, treats from associate

Cons

standing for hours, annoying customers

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Hard work

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Saint John, NB - 29 December 2022

I began this job in 9th grade barely 16, it taught me a lot about work ethic and how to adapt. My only wish is that the benefits for part timers were better as I wish I could return

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I'm sure some stores may be fun but in my experience it's awful. The people from

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 29 December 2022

I'm sure some stores may be fun but in my experience it's awful. The people from Head Office never even say hello or introduce themselves, the company claims to have Blue Culture but that's hogwash because if the top people don't even acknowledge the front line staff then what does that say? I would never recommend this company to anyone. Stay far far away, there are so many truly Canadian companies you could be proud to be a part of.

Pros

30% discount on regular prices(not electronics)

Cons

Miserable management, zero culture, greedy corporation.

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Fun place to work

Cosmetician (Current Employee) - Winnipeg, MB - 12 December 2022

Enjoy coworkers and work environment. As a cosmetician it’s required that you have some background and knowledge on cosmetics and skincare as the role is commission based.

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Learnt so much

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Cornwall, ON - 20 November 2022

I really enjoyed working there, i had so much fun and i learned so many things to help in the real world. The management was really good and I was able to have flexible hours

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Bad

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Peterborough, ON - 17 November 2022

Was not a good place to work at, the team was very problematic, the people were demanding. Working part time but getting full time hours. Would not recommend

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Fun

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Fredericton, NB - 9 November 2022

I loved working in the cosmetics department. Friendly staff and clients. Great at respecting personal life. I would take this job back in heart beat!

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Fun and easy way to get commission

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Surrey, BC - 24 October 2022

Honestly it’s fun and easy just boring days when it’s slow and Karen’s.Good discount and gratisDoing makeup on customers gets a bit annoying due to not a lot of sales out of it

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Great people in an old location

Cosmetician (Former Employee) - Coquitlam, BC - 21 October 2022

The locations sticky fingered customers were the only problem from my time in this company. Many long-term employees there, as well as the usual entry-level workers. Everyone was welcoming no matter who they were. Management was super nice, but they seemed overworked at the time. Hopefully things have gotten better since then for them. Learning cosmetics was always a good time as well.

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