Store Apprentice Review

I provided friendly and dedicated service to shoppers on a daily basis. I helped customers find a certain product, rearrange and organize store shelves, and help fill and stock out Aldi’s sale floor. Duties also included stock management and rotation, accurate and efficient till operation. I advises customers and answered any queries they may have, from stock availability and details of special offers to a product’s price.

Some skills I developed during this programme are flexibility to do different tasks; ability to be friendly and polite, even when tired, or under pressure; Ability to follow procedures correctly, such as using a till; confidence in giving advice and information; having enough stamina to keep going; excellent teamwork; excellent customer service.

I enjoyed this programme very much because I enjoy serving and advising customers, arranging goods in displays and on shelves, rotating and replacing stock, promoting extra products, taking cash and card payments and making sure the till balances, dealing with returns and meeting sales targets. I have also enjoyed this programme to a large extent as I developed my customer service, sales and communication skills.

I felt quite valued by Aldi as supervision and management team was professional and efficient and made me feel like I am a valuable member of the team. I felt valued by Aldi as the management team spent time developing and mentoring me; listened to me; provided opportunities for me to positively contribute; communicated regularly; respected employee’s ideas and gave them proper credit.

The programme was very well structured and organised; I learned about various aspects of retail store management. I feel like the programme is very well structured as it provides people with opportunities to learn different aspects of retail and management and develop a number of valuable transferable skills. Majority of members of staff were very helpful, assisting me with any queries or issues I had; I also received plenty of updates on my progress.

I received lots of support regarding any questions or queries I have had; my training provider was able to answer them effectively and in a timely manner. Overall, my training provider was extremely supportive and has had regular contact with me. They made sure that if i had any issues, they are sorted and that I am enjoying participating in this programme.

Throughout the programme I have received a lot of support both from my managers and other colleagues regarding any issues I struggled with or anything I needed help with. Management team and work colleagues helped me achieve my daily goals and taught me to take initiative to do tasks on my own. Overall, I received a lot of support from my employer.

Considering the amount of money I have to spend on a monthly basis, approximately £6 per hour is quite insufficient. On the other hand, when you compare it to what package participants of other apprenticeship programmes receive - which is around £4-£5 per hour - the Aldi package is quite fine. However, this money is not sufficient to cover the daily living expenses.

There are not many opportunities outside of work. All the work is completed in the workplace and not many opportunities are available outside of work. I participated in one management course at a hotel in the city centre for a day; however that happened only one time. I did enjoy the programme a lot and therefore having more opportunities would have been excellent.

Yes

Such programmes provide you with a number of valuable transferable skills such as customer service, sales, communication, collaboration, professionalism, teamwork, rotating and replacing stock, promoting a number of various products, taking cash and card payments and making sure the till balances, dealing with returns and meeting sales targets.

Make sure that you are ready to go outside of you comfort zone. Working at Aldi is a quite challenging and time-consuming activity; it does not matter what shift you are on, you will not experience an "easy" and "quiet" shift. However, it also means that your day will rarely get boring as there will always be something to be completed.