The Book Grocer
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    The Book Grocer
    (12 reviews)
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    Company Reviews

    Working at The Book Grocer

    3.812 ratings in total
    5
    4
    4
    2
    3
    5
    2
    1
    1
    0
    91%
    Rate salary as high or average
    67%
    Employees recommend this employer to friends
    Work/Life balance
    4.2(12 ratings)
    Career development
    2.4(12 ratings)
    Benefits & perks
    3.3(12 ratings)
    Management
    3.3(12 ratings)
    Working environment
    4.0(12 ratings)
    Diversity & equal opportunity
    4.2(12 ratings)
    Ratings for The Book Grocer are shared as-is from employees in line with our community guidelines

    Reviews

    Showing 12 reviews sorted by most recent
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    4.0
    Retail Sales Assistant
    Jun 2022
    3 to 4 years in the role, former employee
    Book Grocer offers a friendly team, competitive pay, and flexibility with competing commitments that larger, more rigid organisations can't or won't offer.
    The good thingsBook Grocer have assembled a great team and accommodate a range of personalities with different needs and skillsets. Their flexibility in my 4+ years with them was extraordinary given the challenges of the pandemic, changes to their business structure, etc. In this time I worked in both their retail stoles and warehouse. If you show initiative there are plenty of opportunities beyond your assigned role that crop up from time to time. Plus, it's a book lover's dream. I departed feeling very grateful for the opportunity.
    The challengesAs others have mentioned, the retail arm working hours are subject to availability and consumer demand in locations that are often experimental, so stores may close at short notice. Such is the market. The company is small enough to experiment with new business strategies, so go with the flow.
    1 person found this helpful
    3.0
    Retail Sales Assistant
    Nov 2019
    1 to 2 years in the role, former employee
    Good coworkers, no training, never a permanent store, closes down with no notice.
    The good thingsRelaxed working atmosphere. Can’t basically wear what you want. Good staff
    The challengesNo training, left alone without proper assistance as back up. Fly by night company. Don’t expect the store to stay open longer than 6-12 months
    2.0
    Bookseller
    Mar 2019
    No job security
    The good thingsThis is a good job for anyone in school or someone who doesn't need much work and isn't looking for a long-term commitment. You get to work with books, and the pay is good. The store I worked at had a close group of employees, which was nice.
    The challengesThere is no HR, so if you have any issues you have to speak directly to the owners, which is difficult. The owners handle everything, including HR and marketing, which means a lot of stuff gets lost in the shuffle. There are no opportunities to advance in the company, and because the stores are temporary, there is no job security.
    3.0
    Shift Supervisor
    May 2018
    1 to 2 years in the role, former employee
    No career here!
    The good thingsGetting to work with books!
    The challenges(Lack of) central management, bizarre short-term leasing structure for all locations leads to zero job stability and possibility for career growth, shift supervisors are given greater responsibility for only $1 extra an hour, hours per week limited by short shift lengths. Suitable as a second job or for students/parents.
    4.0
    Bookseller
    Mar 2018
    Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
    Loved the job, wish there had been more work available.
    The good things- For a book lover, this is a dream job: Great products and the opportunity to share my passion with others. - Lovely customers and a great working environment. - Working solo meant that you had control of when tasks were done, within reason. - Communication between other staff members was efficient, owing to everyone working solo shifts and the overlap time being brief.
    The challenges- Not enough shifts available. - - When the store closed, Iost my job.
    3.0
    Casual Sales Assistant
    Feb 2018
    Good books, great customers, management that couldn’t care less if they tried.
    The good thingsBeing surrounded by books. Interacting with customers who share a love of books and chatting about our favourite authors. Coworkers who genuinely care about the store and work hard to make it a comfortable place for all.
    The challengesThe management. There’s very little communication between the higher ups and the store. Emails and messages go unanswered for weeks if they’re answered at all. It made us feel ignored and unsupported, as if they didn’t care about our store or our concerns. We were given very little supplies for the store. Just the shelves, books and a couple signs. All other store decorations, from furniture, music, and book recommendations to genre signs and price signs were brought in or made by staff. Often with supplies we bought with our own money. We were diligent in filling out stock spreadsheets and asking for stock we knew sold well in our area. This was always ignored, and our sales suffered from it. Deliveries were few and far between. The store always had empty sections and regular customers were unimpressed by the lack of new stock. Shifts are only 4-5 hours and there aren’t enough of them, so the pay isn’t great.
    5.0
    Sales Associate
    Oct 2017
    I would continue to work with this company in the future
    The good thingsNot stressful, very fun
    The challengesIt's a bit difficult to get enough hours to make a living wage
    5.0
    Casual Bookseller
    Sep 2017
    5 to 6 years in the role, current employee
    I've made friendships and created memories that will last me for a lifetime.
    The good thingsSupport from Management/HR Team Flexible working hours A very unique range of titles Amazing regular customers in the CBD stores Creative expression over the store Being involved in decision making processes
    The challengesBeing a remainder bookstore unfortunately The Book Grocer does not have the latest arrivals, this can become quite challenging when customers are looking for specific titles, it's only a small thing though.
    5.0
    Casual Sales Assistant
    Aug 2017
    Less than 1 year in the role, current employee
    A book-selling dream!
    The good thingsGreat upper management, lovely coworkers, and a really diverse range of books that make a better book selling experience!
    The challengesCustomers don't understand we aren't a big-name chain and won't have brand new releases immediately, but it's such a minor issue and they are very understanding.
    3.0
    Casual Employee
    Apr 2017
    Fortitude Valley QLD 40061 to 2 years in the role, current employee
    an alright job with some pretty good money.
    The good thingsdiscount books, relaxed working environment
    The challengespoor management staff, a seeming lack of care for casual workers, not very flexible hours
    3.0
    Sales Assistant
    Sep 2015
    Meh
    The good thingsTrusted to work independently; excellent discount on product
    The challengesLittle to no support from management; management very passive aggressive when communication is necessary
    5.0
    Sales Assistant
    Sep 2015
    Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
    It took an inter-state scholarship offer to convince me to leave, and even then I was very hesitant.
    The good thingsThe fantastic support people at head office, the wonderful pay and the extremely flexible working hours. A wonderful company philosophy and great approach to customer service/experience.
    The challengesFinding more hours, less hours weren't a problem. There was lots of physical work which I enjoyed, but others may not.
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