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Confessions of a Former Victoria’s Secret Employee
What it’s really like to work at the lingerie retailer
Victoria’s Secret has a glamorous air about it. You can faintly smell the iconic Bombshell fragrance as you walk past the store. The dimmed lighting with strategic spotlights casting down onto the mannequins that show off the newest arrivals gives the store a luxurious and sexy vibe. I mean, who wouldn’t want to work there?
As soon I was old enough to start working I imagined what a dream it must be to work at Victoria’s Secret. I wanted to feel like a personal shopper and help women feel beautiful and confident in their undergarments. When I was 19 years old, I decided to submit an application. Before I knew it, I was wearing all black, adorned in a headset, and helping women choose the right bra to fulfill their needs.
Sales goal pressure
The pressure for all sales associates to meet their sales goal is huge. Essentially, their job security depends on it. Victoria’s Secret employees work with their SPAH in mind. SPAH or “Sales Per Hour” is the sales goal that is set by the company. At the store I worked at, I had to sell an average of $300 in merchandise for every hour that I worked. If I was working a five-hour shift that day, I would be expected to have $1500 in sales under my…
