Plato’s Closet located in Minneapolis is one of the leading resale franchises today. It sells the latest gently used and branded teen fashion such as clothes, shoes, and other accessories. So, the customers can recycle their items and get paid on the spot without an appointment. The franchise founded in 1998 is the child store of Winmark Corporation. Other niches included under the Winmark umbrella are Play It Again Sports, Once Upon A Child, Music Go Round, and Style-encore. Here we will see Platos Closet Careers.
Notable Qualities Of Plato’s Closet
The following are the notable qualities of Plato’s Closet:
- The prices on merchandise in Plato’s Closet are 90% less than the regular retail prices.
- The clothes offered in resale are clean, affordable, high-quality, and branded.
- The customers can sell to the company any time irrespective of the season and appointment for getting paid on the spot.
- The company goes hand in hand with the trend because it keeps the items sold by the malls in the last one or one and a half years.
- The company has a good knowledge of fashion and customer service.
Job Application To Plato’s Closet
Online applications do not get accepted by Plato’s Closet. Thus, the candidates must either directly visit the store or fill the application form and submit them in person.
The following are the steps for filling the application form:
Downloading The Application Form
The candidates can download the application from the careers section under the Plato’s Closet website.
Filling The Application Form
The candidates must first select one or more Plato’s Closet locations where they wish to get employed. The first page from the PDF is as shown below:
The following section, located on the second page, asks the candidate to fill in the personal details, source of referral, legal eligibility for employment in the U.S.A., position applying for, expected salary, work type, and connections, and previous employment experience with the company.
The second section on the second page, as shown below, includes more detailed information about the candidate required for hiring. This section asks the candidate whether he/she expects reasonable accommodations, has ever been a felon, and undergone military service and special training.
The following is the third section on the second page that concentrates on the candidate’s educational qualification. It asks whether the candidate holds a High School GED, College Degree, Vocational, and other related qualifications. They can also mention some additional comments regarding education.
The following section is present on the third page. It asks about the skills and employment history of the candidate. The Skills section contains information regarding the computer software packages and the languages they are fluent in. The Employment History refers to the previous employment history of the candidate. The candidates must mention the most recent employer details first.
The following section gets continued after the above section on the third page. The candidates can enter the details of a maximum of three employers and the most recent one on the top. The company tends to contact the previous employers according to the form. Thus, the candidates can mention the names of the employers they do not wish to get contacted.
The following first section on the fourth page asks the candidates to enter the names of the references. The references are the key people who can answer the questions about the qualification, skills, and other aspects relevant to the hiring process. The relatives or the candidates themselves cannot get considered as references. However, the candidates can mention additional details about their qualifications.
In the final section of the fourth page, the candidate must declare that the details entered by him/her are complete and accurate. If the company finds that any of the details provided are false, the company may disqualify the candidate during the hiring process or terminate him/her after employing. The candidate must carefully read the related terms and sign the application form.
Later, the company staff will enter more details regarding the employment and unemployment of the candidate.
Printing The Application Form
The candidates must print the filled form and submit it to the Plato’s Closet store for applying to the company. The candidate can sign the form by hand after printing or through the e-signature before printing.
Requirements To Work For Plato’s Closet
The following are the skills required to work for Plato’s Closet:
- The candidates must enjoy working in a conductive, fashionable, team-oriented, energetic, enjoyable, and creative environment.
- They must get ready to find opportunities and climb up the stairs to career growth.
- Candidates below 16 years of age can apply as customer service representatives or sales associates. For other roles, candidates above 16 years of age get preferred. Candidates looking for supervision and stocking must be greater than 18 years of age.
Plato’s Closet Careers
Different roles offered by Plato’s Closet are as follows:
Inventory Manager
The Inventory Managers are reliable employees possessing organizational, analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and a large amount of data interpretation skills. They must prepare detailed reports on inventory, stocks, adjustments, risks, and shortages.
Customer Service Representative
They are also called customer service advisors that address the customer issues and resolve them within a certain period. They must interact with the customers to listen to their complaints, provide their order status and details of the products they ask for. Some companies might also ask the Customer Service Representatives to talk to the customers walking, assist them in enjoying the services, and process payments.
Backstock Associate
The Backstock Associates receive and unpack the items, inspect them for faults, tag them, enter related records, and organize them on the shelves. Thus, they generally work behind the scenes. They must maintain cleanliness and better displays at the stores.
Shift Manager
The shift managers assign the tasks to the employees and look after their issues related to the shifts. They must coordinate the responsibilities of the employees according to the workload. They must know about the products, advise the customers accordingly, and address their needs.
Cashier
The cashiers mainly handle the cash registers in different areas within an organization. They might also be responsible for pricing, purchasing, transaction handling, merchandising, and selling. They must also know about the product details and recommend the customers accordingly.
Assistant Manager
They work with the store managers to maintain accurate and regular financial records, store operations workflow, profits using the sales strategies, and boost efficient collaboration with other employees. They look after the daily activities of the employees, train and support them when required.
Buyer
The Sales Associates, also called Buyers, must be customer-centric and ready to work with the teens. They must select and buy the teen’s clothing and accessories. Thus, they must know well about the latest trends. They must also organize, stock, and maintain the inventory and the store. The entry-level candidates may find this role appropriate.
Retail Sales Associate
They might rearrange the clothes and the stores and know about the fashion, brands, and the prices. It is an entry-level job, and the candidates can work either full-time or part-time starting with a minimum salary.
Store Manager
The store managers look after the daily activities, performance, and operations of the store. They must ensure excellent customer service. They take overall care of the staff members by managing their performance, recruitment, organization of training for them, workplace scheduling, and handling damaged products.
Keyholder
The keyholders are responsible for opening and closing the stores and performing other administrative operations. Thus, it is a good choice for entry-level candidates trying to make a career at the managerial level. They must look after the overall performance, tidiness and assist the customers when required.
Team Leader
The team leaders provide direction and guidance to the members under them. They must motivate the team members and assist the customers by solving their queries. They must track the team performance, help the team members to improve, and forward the reports to the manager.
Benefits For Plato’s Closet Employees
The following are the benefits for the employees of Plato’s Closet:
- All the employees get 20% in-store discounts and flexible work hours. Thus, the students can find it an appropriate option to get paid while learning.
- Managers and other professionals get the related bonuses, and the employees can move up to become managerial positions.
- The employees have no dress code and get free food on Saturdays.
- The employees can go hand in hand with the latest trends and come across the customers with different perspectives.
Challenges In Working At Plato’s Closet
Many employees find a few challenges in working at Plato’s Closet as follows:
- It does not provide paid time off, retirement plans, insurance, and other healthcare benefits.
- Lack of communication between the different levels of employees is the main drawback.
- The job gets physically demanding, and the employees often come across upset customers whose clothes cannot be bought by the store.
- The employees might come across unclear expectations and biases.
- The cleaning staff must be careful while cleaning the shelves and the store because cleanliness has more priority according to the store.
- The business depends on the clothes sold and bought by the customers.
Salaries At Plato’s Closet
The following are the salary ranges for the employees under different departments in Plato’s Closet (located in America):
Administrative Assistance
The job roles included under the Administrative Assistance department are:
- Sales Administrator.
- Processor.
- Office Assistant
Their salaries range from $36,000 to $52,000 per annum.
Sales
The job roles under the Sales are:
- Sales managers, trainees, representatives, leaders, associates, and leads.
- Stylist.
- Sales and Marketing Manager.
The salary for the sales personnel ranges between $21,000 and $24,000 per year.
Cleaning and Sanitation
Plato’s Closet includes the Room Attendant as a part of Cleaning and Sanitation.
The employee under the Cleaning and Sanitation department earns approximately $31,000 every year.
Customer Service
The personnel working for the Customer Service department are:
- Lead counter.
- Courtesy Associate.
- Customer Service Representative.
These employees get paid between $16,000 and $21,000 per year.
Marketing
Plato’s Closet Marketing department includes the following job roles:
- Social Media Specialists, Managers, Coordinators, and Interns.
- Marketing Coordinators and Assistants.
- Content Writer.
They get paid between $19,000 and $32,000 every year.
Retail
The personnel included under the Retail department are as follows:
- Retail, Retail Assistant, Assistant Store, and Inventory Managers.
- Buyers and Associate Buyers.
- Cashier.
- Customer Service, Junior Retail Sales, Replenishment, and Lead Associates.
- Inventory Specialists.
- Personal Shopper.
They get paid between $17,000 and $29,000 per annum.
Loading And Stocking
The job roles included in the Loading and Stocking department are:
- Warehouse Lead.
- Stocker.
- Sorter.
- Inventory Counter.
They get paid approximately from $16,000 to $18,000 per annum.
Conclusion
It is a good place for teenagers and fashion lovers to work. The staff is good, and the employees come across different people such as co-workers, seniors, juniors, and customers. The franchise helps the employees to enhance their taste related to fashion and related trends. However, it introduces stress for the employees and does not provide many benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who Are The Competitors Of Plato’s Closet?
Answer:
Some of the top competitors of Plato’s Closet are Crossroads Trading, Buffalo Exchange, Poshmark, eBay, Beacon’s Closet, Once Upon a Child, Once Wed, and Tradesy.
- What Is The Difference Between Retailing And Reselling?
Answer:
Retailers mostly buy various items in bulk from the wholesalers at low costs and sell them to the customers at a relatively higher cost. The resellers buy the products separately from multiple customers at lower costs and sell them to other customers at higher costs.
Retailers sell the products through their retail, grocery, or other related shops. Resellers sell the products through their stores.
Retailing includes buying and selling different types of items. Reselling means buying and selling specific items.
- What Is Meant By Wholesale?
Answer:
Wholesaling includes selling items in bulk to the retail, grocery, business, or merchandise owners other than the individual consumers. The wholesalers buy those items directly from the manufacturers in bulk at relatively lower prices but sell them at quite higher prices.
- What Are Some Tips For Reselling the Clothes?
Answer:
The tips for reselling the clothes include:
- The clothes must be clean and not torn.
- The clothes must have a brand and a warranty.
- The resale price must be 25 to 40% of the original cost price of the clothes.
- It would be better if the clothes are according to the latest trends. The seller must think according to the customer.
- The seller must get ready to face disappointments, expectations, and rejections from the customers.
- It is comparatively difficult to convince the customers to buy second-hand clothes. So, the sellers must get ready with a set of qualities about the clothes.
