u/deerlysaily

I have a question for people who have worked in retail for a long time or who understand how large companies/Burlington operates, because this genuinely confuses me.

First, I want to say that I really like my receiving team. I feel lucky because everyone works hard, gets along, and honestly feels like family. My supervisor is also one of the kindest people I've ever worked with, so this isn't a complaint about her.

To give some context: in clothing, there are usually about five tables with two people at each table, so around 10 people total. In Q-Line, accessories, and home, it's usually just one person per station, and sometimes if we're lucky, there are two people.

Lately we've been receiving between 24 and 27 pallets a day, which is a lot for a relatively small team. The clothing team can work through pallets over multiple days, but the rest of us have to process whatever comes in that day. Because of that, it often feels like we're constantly trying to catch up.

My supervisor has been pushing for us to get more hours or stay later so we can finish everything. Honestly, I feel like receiving should be scheduled for 8-hour shifts instead of 5-hour shifts. When I work 8 hours, I can finish my tasks, clean up, and leave everything organized. In 5 hours, sometimes the conveyor belt is still running when my shift ends because there's simply too much merchandise to process.

The receiving area has been a mess lately because we're so backed up. Boxes stay on the belt, pallets end up in the hallways, cages are completely full, and sometimes we have to pull people away from receiving just to run merchandise around the store. It feels like we're not getting enough support to handle the workload. My supervisor keeps fighting for us, and even recorded the mess to bring to her higher ups for approval of more hours, and nothing.

What confuses me is that receiving is such an important part of the store's operation. If merchandise isn't processed, sales associates can't put it on the floor, and customers can't buy it. Yet it seems incredibly difficult to get additional hours approved.

So my question is: what is the corporate logic behind this? Why do companies often hesitate to give receiving departments more hours, even when the workload clearly justifies it and the team is struggling to keep up? I'm genuinely curious about how that decision is made.

Question for people who have worked at Burlington for a while, especially in receiving:

How long did it take you to actually feel comfortable and good at the job?

I’ve been here about a month, and the lack of training has been a huge set back. My store basically throws people into the role with very little guidance, so I’ve mostly been learning from kind coworkers as I go. I started in accessories, then moved to clothes, and I’ve improved a lot and feel way more comfortable working than before, I even take more shifts now, but I still feel slow/clumsy sometimes even though I’m working as fast and efficient as I can.

I can usually finish 4-5 racks of clothes top to bottom alone depending on the workload, but I still feel self-conscious because I don’t feel good or fast enough yet. Most people also work in pairs while I’m usually alone, so sometimes my brain starts thinking people don’t want to work with me because I’m new or slower (which probably is far from the truth.)

Realistically, how long did it take you guys to fully understand your area and stop making small mistakes? Any advice for getting faster or learning quicker in receiving would also help a lot.

Also my supervisor told me she’s planning on moving me to Home for a while, so I can learn how to process home goods, so If you guys have tips on that area as well, it’s more than welcome.

I got hired last week and did my first shift on Thursday. I wasn’t even supposed to start yet (my official start date was the beginning of May), but they needed extra people because of how much merchandise they had, so I said yes. They put me in the accessories section, and with basically no experience, I had to attach alarms to over 400 bags. It was a lot to keep up with, bags were falling off the table, and I had to grab a huge bin just to hold everything because of the volume. Even my co-worker said that it was a rough day for someone new to start. I also ended up staying an hour and a half past my shift to finish because of how many they were, and aside from a quick explanation at the beginning, I didn’t really get guidance for anything.

Today was my second shift, or my original first shift. I let the supervisor know I was new (she wasn’t the one there last time), and she said she’d help me understand things, but that never really happened. The same coworker from last time helped me for like 2 minutes, which I appreciated, but after that I was on my own again, which I understand, she has her own station to work on.

On top of working through a huge pile of bags again, I also had to put price stickers on caps, belts, socks, and other items, add tags when things didn’t have them, add alarms to other accessories, organize carts, break down boxes as I went, help other people get their boxes, and move a ton of accessories and self-care products to different carts. It just felt like I was juggling a lot at once and more, and more merchandise kept coming back to back.

What made it harder is that my station was packed in piles the whole time (keep in mind I'm a very fast paced person, I have experience in fast paced environments from previous jobs), and it felt like I was doing the workload of more than one person, while other stations (including other new hires) seemed a lot more manageable and way less loaded. At one point I finished a batch of caps and then got told I did them wrong, which was pretty discouraging since I was doing exactly what I saw in my orientation day.

I honestly got overwhelmed and ended up leaving early. I don’t mind working hard, but it felt like a lot to take on for a second day, and one person, especially without much guidance. I’ve never worked BOH before, so I feel like I could’ve used more support or at least a more gradual start. I feel that job is for two people working together, or a more knowledgably and older employee.

Right now I’m trying to see if I can switch positions, because between that, some rude behavior from coworkers/supervisor, and the workload, it’s been a rough start. I don’t want to quit since I need the money, but I’m definitely reconsidering if this is the right fit.

If you guys know other stores that hire fast, I would deeply appreciate the info.