Former B&M worker shares what customers don't see - and 'rudest' habits in store

07 November 2023 , 14:41

718     0

He revealed what life was like working at the famous bargain retailer (Stock Photo) (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)

A former B&M worker has revealed secrets of the iconic bargain store and the maze that he would have to go through when stacking the shelves.

Known for its low prices and hundreds of different products on offer, B&M is a shop where you can easily spend hours scouring the aisles looking for treasure - but what is it really like to work there? Darren Dowling, a former employee, has shared his experiences.

As he's worked at other retailers such as Poundland, Asda and Cineworld, he compared working in B&M to doing a marathon due to the amount of steps he'd have to do a day.

Admitting he had never seen the "range of stock like it" Darren, also known as Dazza online, shared how customers would ask him about certain products and admitted he wouldn't know where it would be either. He would "find it funny" when people assumed he would know "off by heart where one of the million products are." He even claims that most of his colleagues "wouldn't have a clue" given the sheer volume of items.

Not only this but because of how big the store was, he was amazed by how much walking was involved during his shift. "The other thing about B&M people need to realise is that we do a ridiculous amount of walking. I wish I counted my steps because I'm pretty sure I walked a marathon most days. You'd always have to go from one side of the store to the other. I'd go home and my feet would hurt," he told The Sun.

'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'

Recalling his time at other stores, Darren shared the rudest customer habits people would have, especially when he worked at Asda - where customers would even leave members of staff "in tears". We all love a bargain, and it's no secret if you time your supermarket trip well you can get first dibs on some yellow sticker products.

Although it's one job all supermarket employees hate, Darren spoke about the challenge of trying to put yellow stickers on products and said: "I think most people noticed just how rude certain members of the public can be when it came to us doing reductions. People would hang around waiting to be the very first to get their hands on reduced items. I've no problem with that as we all love a bargain and some people can't afford to buy as much and rely on discounts to feed their families. But sometimes you'd literally be in the middle of doing it and people would be bumping into you and reaching over you to grab the items before anyone else."

Niamh Kirk