The starting salary isn't that good, but it depends on your boss. I started at $9.50 as a sales associate over a year ago and have never received a raise. My coworkers who have worked at other locations other than mine have told me that employees get raises if the store does well but it is only a couple of cents. However, the new manager has been starting people at $10+, so it depends who hires you and how much you've made in previous jobs. Try to negotiate a better wage and you may get one.
During certain seasons (spring, summer, holidays), it gets really busy. It's almost unbelievable how many people come shopping at this small store at times!! Things become a mess very quickly and go-backs pile up in minutes. Times like this are incredibly stressful (I almost quit once because it was just so overwhelming and frustrating). Furthermore, many of the people who shop here seem to hate cleaning up after themselves or have no regard for the employees. They pick up neatly folded clothing only to look at it for two second and then throw it back down. If they need a Large, they throw the whole neat pile over just to pick up their size with no attempt to keep things neat. The dressing rooms can be the worst. Some people take 15 items into the fitting room (there is not limit at Loft) and then leave the room with all the clothes on the floor and bench with no attempt to clean up after themselves by putting the clothes back on the hanger.
FURTHERMORE, many people steal. This has been my first retail job so I don't know how common this is, but on any given day, if you look for sensors in the fitting room, you will definitely find one. We also have larger thefts. Some men just walk into the store, grab a pile of clothes, and then run out!!! These situations are very frightening especially when you see them because there is nothing you can do!! I would recommend that this company hires security guards. I would also recommend that the company pays their employees better as we have so many responsibilities and $9.50 is a terrible wage for the amount of work I do and how nice I have to be to some rude people.