Flexible hours and friendly co-workers, but manager issues - Bookseller/Barista Dubray Books Employee Review

Working with books is great for a lover of reading, and you get to have some interesting conversations with customers. Plenty of freebies — advance copies and return stock. Access to the industry to some extent through meeting publisher representatives, etc.

Low pay — maximum work expected for minimum wage. Very little chance at progression — someone else needs to retire or else they need to open a new store before you even have a chance at being promoted. Borderline adversarial relationship with upper management — the notion of calling yourselves “Support Office” is laughable. Constant demands with no legitimate support structure beyond “we’re here whenever you need”. Hours are horrible — asking people to be available from 9-9 with a constantly changing schedule is not conductive to having any sort of social life.

If you're obsessed with books and keeping up to date with everything, working alongside other bibliomaniacs, it's definitely the place for you. It's an easy job to step into without any experience or real skills.

Wages are much too low. Especially when you consider the sheer volume of work and day-to-day annoyance (standing all day, inadequate bathroom and lunchroom facilities, a lot of cliques, unprofessional managers). The days are long and the shifts antisocial, and as such, staff enthusiasm and motivation ebbs more than it flows. Some people, across the three branches I worked in, really hate their lives in Dubray. You're at the mercy of staff and managers who range from helpful and really lovely to completely and utterly inept and sociopathic. Customers are a mixed bag, of course, but that's the job (expect a lot of stressed-out screaming throughout December). To circle back to pay, you can find the requisite salary guidelines online, and considering the cost of living in 2026, it's a disgrace on every level. Advancement is very slow, never guaranteed and also poorly paid. Only the deluded or those who lack real ambition in life would be happy here.