Express reviews

3.5

60% would recommend to a friend

(4,404 total reviews)
avatar

Greg Scott

72% approve of CEO

41% positive business outlook

Express has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 4,404 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Express employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews
3.0
Mar 23, 2016

Great Culture - Unrealistic Expectations

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I worked there for over 20 years, so that says something. The company has an amazing culture, but once you are out of it, you realize it is almost cult like. I loved the opportunities presented, the discount was good, and overall a stable job. Definitely on the better end of specialty discount retail (its not Forever 21)

Cons

The company will not recognize that brick and mortar retail is dying. They allow returns of online transactions in your store and then hold you accountable. There is too much focus on daily performance (sometimes hourly performance) to even breath. The DMs will call relentlessly and ask unanswerable questions and demand an action plan to things that are not actionable. You are only allowed 1 weekend off and then often are guilt-ed into not taking it while the DMs only work m-f. They will claim to work busy weekends but that means sitting in the office for 3-4 hours and then call it a day. They say the focus is on customer experience and customer engagement but they don't give you the tools or payroll to focus on that.

2.0
Mar 1, 2016

Delusional

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

To say I do it for the money would be an understatement. The pay is great for managers and DM's, but minimum for associates. I've never been paid so much to essentially be told to work less.

Cons

If you are a true customer service specialist or an expert in clothing, this is not the place for you. I am an expert in men's wear with 10 years experience, and am treated terribly for being TOO knowledgeable. The company bases everything on chain of command, with the top receiving all the training. I've been a Co-Manager for almost a year and have yet to receive a single day of training. I'm capable enough to know how to do everything within the company, but every company is different. I can do it my way, but how can I do it the EXPRESS WAY if I don't know what that is?

2.0
Feb 14, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Relatively fun job depending on the day, you'll always generally be busy and have something to do which is enjoyable, as is interacting with customers. 40% discount is nice, but you wont get to use it often. You'll have a lot of time off, and can usually trade shifts around if you give a heads up notice relatively easy.

Cons

Short shifts, generally 4 hours long to something 6 or 8 if they really need you, minimum wage pay for a ton of work, you only get a 25 cent raise every 6 months, after the holiday season your schedule will most likely go down to 1-2 4 hour shifts per week, if you close and the stores a mess prepare to be there for multiple hours after your scheduled time until everything is good. Very little actual training, you literally watch a video and then are sent out onto the sales floor, if your co-managers are good they'll help you learn as you go, but you'll more than likely make a mistake, get yelled at, then learn the proper way to do it which is annoying. Overall, you can definitely find a job with consistent hours, and because you're earning minimum wage, there's really no reason to take this job over any other one, unless you're trying to get the 40% of discount which is nice if you actually made enough money to buy the clothing you spend all day folding. No commission so you really have absolutely no reason to "drive sales", nor should you care if they "make the day" or not, and If you like forcing people to hand over personal information all the time, or pushing things like perfume onto them, this job is for you. The absolute only reason to take this entry level job is if you for some reason love the brand as I did, and it quickly burnt out once you realize how little the corporation or management cares about you, because remember, if they could pay you any less they would. If you do anything like floor set, be prepared to work terrible hours, like coming in at 2 AM during the holiday season, and 5 AM during the rest of the year.

Viewing 52 - 54 of 4,404 Reviews

Glassdoor has 4,508 Express reviews submitted anonymously by Express employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Express is right for you.