I used to work in visual at Macy's (pre-covid) and saw there was a visual manager job open near me and was wondering if it was worth it to apply. I've heard it's not like it used to be, though.
17 replies (most recent on top)
@2ks As a nelly fruit, if thats this persons experience, they are entitled to express it. This forum isnt your store.
The company has a horrible culture dominated bt "pointers" and reactionaries. So I can imagine how other, less proactive VMs act.
You dont own this forum...or the brand. Police your mother.
I swear I’m always picking up someone’s mess while trying to do my own job. It has it moments, for sure. But most of the time, at least for me I am picking up the pieces of someone’s half assed project and then being asked why something isn’t done.
@em really? We are doing everything to find out who you are. We dont accept that kind of language.
As a visual CAPTAIN of a small store I must say must be better than being a VM. I actually get to do the visual work myself. Training others to do it would be an absolute joke. The sales people can't even get merch. back to my trend statements. In fact I'm so tired of coaching to this issue because nobody really cares. Outside of that my store has a great management team. I honestly don't think I could handle being a VM.
I remember when being in visual meant you had some sort of art or creative background. Now it seems, as you say, "anyone can do it". Or that is what they think.
It’s a great position if you feel like you could work 80hrs a week to get the store looking just ok.
The company decided that the VM should have no direct reports with the expectation that we lean into generalist to accomplish the visual tasks. In a perfect world this would be great! But all store are so understaffed and overworked it’s not even funny. Then take into consideration the complexities of creating impactful visual displays and imagine you have a random person for a day that you need to coach to make that display with less than half of the product that is directed. They may, with lots of help and guidance, make it a decent display. But then you won’t see that same person to do visual for two or three weeks because they are merchandising or ringing on the register. So when they do come back, they remember next to nothing of what you had coached them on. So you start from ground zero. Rinse and repeat daily.
Or you ki-l yourself trying to get everything done by yourself and if you’re lucky, one other person that the store manager decided should be your assistant. It is unrealistic and completely out of touch with the reality of the stores. They want us to be what we were before Covid with less than half the staff.
I love and believe that visual can make a big impact in customer experience and in sales, but not when it’s viewed as something “anyone can do” from people that can barely dress themselves, much less a mannequin that will inspire customers to buy the outfit.
So many of the directives have terrible color stories and boring, if not outright ugly options to dress the mannequins with. And we expect a random new hire to dress them and style them to be impactful. And the VM gets ripped apart during regional visits because things aren’t perfect.
Oh, and don’t forget that you are also expected to coach colleagues on credit, sales, dress code, behaviors, and help with customer issues. While the colleagues still think you’re just a visual captain.
I was an SMM turned VM and I would not recommend it to anyone. I’ve been trying to get out for a while now.
"I'd be interested to know what you decided? To return? Or no?"
Hard pass.
I know a couple of visual managers in F50 doors and they have one person helping them. How can you have 2 people doing all the visual in the store? I can't even imagine what holiday is like.
Best of luck.
Staffing has not changed since Covid.
I am a VM of a $40M door. Previously was an SMM…which is currently a thankless, nearly impossible job to perform. I find the VM role under the new structure is actually more manageable and fulfilling. Granted, it is still Macy’s, and we’re all aware of the limitations that have been placed on most in any Leadership role. I am much happier in this role than the previous, but I am also fortunate to work with a great team as well as a very supportive Store Mgr. The job has its occasional frustrations, but they’re nothing compared to those I’ve endured in the past.
Theyve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on useless collateral...because the Font changed, and to add a different flower.
Its a sh-t show rn honestly. They are trying to implement a sokld direction, but as we all know...that ebbs and flows with the wind. "High Intensity...not to much...to 6 of each item." "We want CLEAN", then sales decrease...we want MASS!" Floor move upon floor move keeps us behind, and they only give help to the Growth 50 stores. Taking us out of our smaller stores constantly. You just cant get ONE fu--ing quarter to maintain standards and elevate. Its infuriating.
Kinda pi---d at myself for not going to LVMH when they reached out. Interestingly enough...Macys (Atlanta) pays more.
Im just praying to the universe that my store is a part of the next round of closures.
I'd be interested to know what you decided? To return? Or no?
Its not fun and really depends on your Store Manager. Im the sole Visual person for a 30M store that needed a lot of work. Its difficult to keep tabs on 300+ forms, countless pieces of collateral, standards, push sales, train Captains AND motivate extremely underpaid Sales Staff.
They certainly have streamlined...but could do a lot more editing. Its just too much workload esp when the company doesnt have a real vision. Things change too often and there arent enough ppl or budget.
Im fortunate to have a great store manager that saw my value. But the appreciation stops there. Its a sh-t brand. The only plus is the schedule.
It's going to be different depending on the store volume and the store manager's decision. Most likely will be less silo-ed than before and you may have to help out more with other aspects of the store. The mentality now is everyone does everything. Unless its a large volume store you are usually by yourself with no team. It does seem like they scaled back, at least at my store, on some of the huge extravagant visual displays too. Everything is more scaled back and minimalist which would probably make the workload easier.
My store is under 20M and we have a Style & Merchandise Manager - SMM. We have no Ops manager so the SMM has to take on those duties as well, being in charge of Fulfillment, Dock, signing/pricing/merchandising team. There is one visual captain. Our SMM is great but I miss having an Ops manager to support the BOH team
Not all current VMs have teams, we have to workload help when needed and it's not always possible with the given hours
Visual managers. Some Nelly fruit prancing around the store with Attitude telling everyone they don’t know how to merchandise. Yuck.
Yes it's different. Gone are the days when visual was fun and visual managers were considered part of the senior management team. And respected as such.
You didn't say why you left?
After covid they eliminated the visual manager position from all stores under a certain volume. Yes. After just a few years before that they promoted the visual leads (they had demoted and /or let go) back to visual managers and told them what great assets they were to the company. Some of us were rehired at a lower pay as a visual captain. We still had to do everything as we always had done but now we had to train the entire team to do our job. Nobody wanted to learn. And we had to do all the jobs in the store as well. Needless to say visual was not important. And the stores look like it. I got out as soon as I found my way out.
I have heard current visual managers have teams but someone still with the company would have to verify that and what the job looks like today. I'd suggest if you're able to contact any of your old visual manager contacts ask them.
I used to love my job. I did visual all the way back in May Co days and into Macy's after the big mistake of a buyout. There's no more of those days. I actually miss my job. But visual is not as it was. They made it miserable. Along with the way tho stores are now operating.
If you're considering returning after reading all the posts and replies on this site maybe you would be a good fit. Think long and hard. It's nothing like it used to be. Personally I would never go back.
I'm healthier and happier now.