Urban Outfitters is a multinational clothing corporation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They mostly retail fashion apparel, footwear, activewear and gear, beauty and accessories, and housewares for men and women. Aside from these, they also sell cassettes and vinyl records.
The company was founded in 1970 by Richard Hayne, Scott Belair, and Judy Wicks. Before acquiring eatery brand Pizzeria Vetri in 2015, they have focused mainly on selling clothing, accessories, footwear, cosmetics, music records, and housewares.
They have operations in United States, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, U.K., Spain, and Pakistan and have more than 20,000 employees. In Philadelphia, they’ve won awards like the Alfred M. Campbell Award, and a National Preservation Award.
Employees get 40% discount on all store items. The company matches a good amount of employee 401k contributions once they reach a certain threshold. They are given separate vacation days and sick days.
Employees see flexible work hours as one of the best points in working for the company. For sales associates, the experience varies depending on the culture of their assigned store.
How old do you have to be to work at Urban Outfitters?
18 years of age is the minimum requirement to work at Urban Outfitters. The positions available for people of this age are sales associate, dishwasher, and product flow team leader.
Urban Outfitters Careers
Positions are available in various departments within the company. But, most of the positions available are more often in the store retail and customer service department. Here are some of the positions in Urban Outfitters:
Sales Associate: They are responsible for overall customer experience, team communication and collaboration, and merchandising in the store. They are expected to start authentic and personalized conversations with the customer to share advice, knowledge, and personal experience about the products. They must share styling ideas, alternative product choices, and complementary pieces to enhance customer experience.
Team Leader: They coach and train the sales associates in different skills to improve the store’s customer experience. They assist in merchandising and creating displays for the store. They are expected to be up-to-date with Company information to ensure associates are aware of the latest initiatives.
Department Manager: They coach the store’s team members on department knowledge, store operations, visual standards, and business acumen. They mentor and train qualified team members for advancement in the store’s organization. They set and communicate the expectations and objectives to the team while emphasizing customer experience standards. They foster the culture of teamwork and strong communication within the store.
Material Processor: They receive, ticket, and pack merchandise in the warehouse. They are expected to be closely attentive to details in order to sustain optimal productivity in the workplace. The position is physically demanding and involves lifting items weighing up to 50 pounds. They are required to be flexible in the performance of other various tasks in the warehouse.
Quality Control Coordinator: They serve as the liaison between the corporate office and distribution centers in matters regarding apparel quality assurance. They assist in coordinating repairs, quality audits, returns, and sale of unacceptable merchandise. They mediate with the vendors for any breach regarding product quality and compliance. They maintain internal and external communications to uphold the business’ policies.
Store Brand Manager: They lead and inspire the store’s team in creating the brand’s ideal retail experience. In creating this experience, they optimize the store’s customer experience, merchandising, in-store creative marketing, activations, and leadership. Overall, they ensure that the store and the team are driving sales and customer engagement.
Receiving Associate: They use their passion for design, music, and style to create an engaging shopping experience for customers. They are expected to understand and love the Urban Outfitters brand and customer. They must be willing to learn and adapt in maintaining ongoing customer connection.
Receiver: They work with the Store Brand Manager in creating local and efficient decisions that will maximize product receipt, placement and replenishment. They are expected to make said decisions while maintaining the product flow policies and procedures set by the company. They also assist in boosting sales and other key metrics of the store.
Art and Graphics Assistant Designer: They are responsible for helping design and execute arts and graphics for all product classes of the private label. Arts and graphics could include wall art, novelty, stationary, kitchen and bar, and textiles. They are expected to be motivated and experienced in creating solutions from design conception to the final sample.
Assistant Buyer: This position exists for every department of an Urban Outfitters store. What they do is they assist the department’s Buyer in creating an appealing and exciting product assortment. The product assortment they create should be in accordance with the demand, trend, and season while keeping required sales volume and profits in mind.
Urban Outfitters Application
Job application is primarily done through the careers section of their website. Interested applicants must fill out a one-page form which would show information about their career.
Applicants can either apply through the website or via in-store applications. Of course, in-store application is only open when a store is actually looking to fill vacant positions.
When submitting an online application, it is recommended to provide relevant work history with your updated personal contact information. For in-store applications, wearing apparel similar to the merchandise of the store can help boost the image of the applicant.
Online applications can be linked to your LinkedIn and social media accounts. These can provide the employer a more thorough assessment of your application, which may boost your chances of being hired or, at least, considered for an interview.
Applicants must be prepared for open, one-on-one, and group interviews. They seek individuals who know their strengths and have the desire to work for them.
Things to Know About Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters seek to create a culture of creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurialism. Ability to work in teams and knowledge of the latest fashion trends are some qualities that they are looking for in applicants.
They are one of the retail brands who have made a tremendous comeback, financially, following successive closure of various retail stores. Unfortunately, they have been subject to numerous complaints and criticisms by different ethical, ethnic, and religious pressure groups.
The company is known for their retro, bohemian, and hipster fashion sense. They have always incorporated fashion and style influences of the past. This approach gave them success in being seen as a popular alternative retail brand.
In 2007, they were given the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award. In the same year, they were given, by the Urban Land Institute, the Global Award for Excellence.
Application Links
Company: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/
Careers: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/careers
Application: N/A