World Market is a specialty retailer of imported home goods and furniture. Their parent company is Bed Bath & Beyond. The company’s stores feature an assortment of decor, curtains, rugs, gifts, apparel, food and wine. They operate an online crowd sourcing-model marketplace called Craft by World Market, where items are posted for one month at a time and are only sold to customers who pre-order them, ensuring a purchase.
The company began in 1958 as Cost Plus and was later rebranded to Cost Plus World Market. Their first store was located at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California. The founder, William Amthor, wanted to cater to the local demand for imported, discounted retail goods. The original store only sold furniture, but William soon expanded the inventory to include other merchandise. Cost Plus World Market went public in 2006 and was acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond six years later.
The company has now expanded to over 200 stores nationwide. Their headquarters are in Oakland, California and they employ over 6,000.
The company’s employees have access to health, vision and life insurance plans. Employees also have access to a flexible spending account and 401k plan. They offer short and long term disability insurance, employee assistance programs and paid vacation and sick days.
People like working for the company because they promote internally and support employee career growth. Employees appreciate the comprehensive benefits package that the company offers.
How old do you have to be to work at World Market?
Employees of World Market must be at least eighteen at the time of hire. This guarantees that employees are mature and competent enough to handle multi-faceted, fast-paced roles.
World Market Careers
The company hires full-time and part-time positions, as well as for a variety of seasonal retail positions. They hire for store and distribution center positions and for jobs in the corporate office in California. Among the positions offered are sales associate, stock associate, pricing and signage coordinator, general manager, receiver, warehouse replenisher, customer service fraud analyst, lead supervisor, associate eCommerce product manager and payroll specialist.
Pricing and Signage Coordinator: The Pricing and Signage Coordinator is responsible for accurately pricing merchandise and replacing signage in a timely manner. They are often required to perform physical tasks and must be able to lift up to 40 pounds on a daily basis. The Pricing and Signage Coordinator assists the General Manager by completing miscellaneous administrative tasks and paperwork when needed.
Sales Associate: Sales Associates are responsible for delivering a quality customer service experience. They operate the cash, assist customers in selecting merchandise, restock products and assist in the overall maintenance of the store. They are expected to assist the merchandising and visual teams in keeping merchandise in line with corporate standards.
Maintenance Technician: Maintenance Technicians are responsible for troubleshooting any maintenance issues in warehouses or in store. They are expected to operate lighting, HVAC and other maintenance systems and complete preventative work on any fixtures or equipment. The Maintenance Technician provides support to the warehouse operations team.
Stock Associate: Stock Associates are responsible for stocking and organizing merchandise, responding to customer enquiries and working the cash. In addition, Stock Associates are expected to provide support to Sales Associates as well as the merchandising and visual teams. They must be able to consistently lift up to 40 pounds.
Receiver – Receiving Department: The Receiver works in warehouse operations to ensure that all merchandise is received, replenished and reordered on a daily basis. They are expected to process paperwork for each order, ensure that products reach the correct destination and oversee the loading and unloading process at the warehouse. The Receiver provides support to the rest of the warehouse operations team.
Replenishment & Put Away – Warehouse Operations: The Replenishment & Put Away Associate is also part of the warehouse operations team and are responsible for stocking, replenishing and locating products. They must ensure proper placement of labels and make sure that all paperwork and reporting is correct. They are expected to operate a forklift and other heavy machinery and provide general support to the rest of the warehouse operations team.
Customer Service – Fraud Analyst: Fraud Analysts play a key role in detecting and reporting any fraud in online orders. They conduct reporting based on this and are expected to work in tandem with law enforcement when necessary. Fraud Analysts are also required to reach out to customers to verify orders when necessary.
Lead Supervisor: The Lead Supervisor is responsible for assisting the General Manager in managing day-to-day store operations and team members. They are expected to assist the General Manager in meeting sales targets and other company objectives. The Lead Supervisor is responsible for overseeing staff and leading the store team in the event that the General Manager is absent.
Associate Ecommerce Product Manager: The Associate Ecommerce Product Manager is responsible for creating, executing and maintaining the company’s website roadmap. They are required to work across departments, especially with the marketing, sales and IT teams to produce promotional messaging and drive engagement. They provide support to the Ecommerce Manager by assisting with ROI reporting, cost/benefit analyses and tracking product performance.
Payroll Specialist: The Payroll Specialist supports operations within the human resources department and are responsible for handling benefits, payroll and workers compensation. As part of their overall support role, they are expected to handle any necessary disciplinary action preparation and be available to answer any employee questions related to human resources.
World Market Application
Open positions at the company can be found on their website. After viewing available jobs, a candidate can then choose to apply online through the job portal or, if they desire, in person at a retail store.
Applicants should ensure that all requested information is included on their application. Their resume should emphasize interest and experience in retail sales. The company prefers candidates that can demonstrate a steady work history.
For their interview, selected applicants should prepare to discuss their interest in working for the company. They should be able to detail their past in the retail industry and discuss any other skills pertinent to the position they are applying to.
Facts About World Market
Their casual company culture aims to be friendly yet challenging. They have an open door policy concerning expressing and sharing ideas, and emphasize teamwork. They are also committed to accommodating team members with disabilities to promote an inclusive environment.
The company is a chain retailer known for their selection of imported home goods, furniture and food. They are known as a popular destination for gift shopping.
They recently decided to close their store locations on Thanksgiving instead of remaining open for holiday shoppers, but promoted a number of discounts and deals for Black Friday on its website. The company also decided to feature contests as part of its holiday sales campaign.
The company accepts donation and sponsorship requests from local groups to promote community events and programs. They also support environmental efforts and ensures that all of their supply chains function ethically.
Application Links
Company: https://www.worldmarket.com
Careers: http://www.worldmarketcorp.com/careers
Application: http://www.worldmarketcorp.com/assets/pdf/cpwm-employment-application.pdf