My goal here is not to put people off working for a SuperValu branch near them, or to stop customers from shopping in SuperValu. I will however give a fully honest opinion on what it was like to work for SuperValu.
I was hired to work as a member of the deli. My first few days in the job were mostly fine, managers and other staff were quite helpful and constantly checking in to see if I was doing okay. HR manager at the time was lovely and did everything they could to help me settle in.
After about two weeks of working for SuperValu I began to notice a lot of issues. My biggest issue with SuperValu, and an issue I have heard is prevalent in many other SuperValu stores around the country, was the management. While they do their job effectively in terms of keeping the store operating every day, their people management skills are perhaps the worst that I have ever encountered in a job.
Management (including supervisors) would go out of their way to consistently undermine the staff at every opportunity. If a customer made a request, outside of our ability, management would still force us to fill the request (cutting through animal bone with a saw in the butchers when the butcher was on their lunch break, which Deli staff have had no training for). Management would be verbally abusive to staff, cussing at us and berating us (often to the point of tears). Of course this was only done away from the view of customers, after all, they wouldn't want to damage their reputati
ProsWonderful co-workers, only thing that made the job worthwhile.
ConsBad management, lack of flexibility, no care for employee well-being.
I was working on the deli.
Let me begin by saying that the other members of deli staff were absolutely lovely to me and I would have 100% loathed this job if not for their kindness. They were extremely respectful and welcoming to me, and while I'm sure I wasn't the fastest learner they always treated me with respect and kindness. The work was overwhelming at times, especially when lunch hour came, but my colleagues were always down-to-earth and kind to me. They're a lovely bunch, that deli crew.
My main issue with the store was the management; I'm not here to smear anyone, I just want to speak honestly. The HR in SuperValu made me dread coming to work with her hostile and bullying nature. I can handle long lines of complaining customers who want you to move quicker, I can handle the monotonous tasks that deli work entails such as unloading boxes of frozen food and scrubbing ovens. I cannot handle the way that woman spoke to me, and I'm not the only one who has been treated this way in that shop - when I told others about it, the usual response was an understanding nod and "sounds like her alright".
I made good friends in this job and if not for them, I would have quit much sooner. The deli manager, is a lovely man who was consistently respectful and encouraging to me, while still providing honest feedback and helping me to learn. When I told him I was leaving and described the way I had been treated he responded very understandingly, wished me the best of luck and
Started out a great place to work, i soon realised that wasnt always the case !!
I enjoyed working there most of the time, it was the other staff members that kept each other sane !! After a yr my contract changed and i moved to another area of the store as i cud no longer do my original job as it just got too difficult, however i did love my new position and all the other girls were very helpful, as the months went on i began being put back on my old job even tho i'd explained numerous times that i wasnt able to pack minerals or heavy item products onto the shelves anymore, i just kept being told they were short staffed and id have to do it, even tho the previous year i told them i was leaving and i had a new job lined up just a few mins from my home, i was promised i wudnt ever have to do the floor again if i stayed, and i was also offered a supervisor roll which i later turned down - theres a massive turnover of staff in there as i feel theyre not valued, not respected and the pay is brutal for the amount of work we all had to do. While i enjoyed working alongside a great bunch of ladies, we knew that no matter how hard we worked it was never gonna be enough for management, so unfortunately if its a job youre hoping to move up in then you'll be disappointed, the pay is VERY bad and the workload expected from you is way too much !!
This job is fine for a teenager or college student that just wants a few quid on them, but if youre there any way long term or if you work hard and help others or be loyal to the company they just load more work on you inste
ProsA great bunch of workers and friends !!!
ConsRoster was only done up weekly so very hard to plan anything outside of work !!
I worked in Supervalu for a year out from college from September 2018 to October 2019. While working in retail and dealing with the public is great for character development, I must say for the work that is endured in this workplace the pay is in no means sufficient to meat the cost of living in any part of the Republic of Ireland. I have to say that the staff there are wonderful people and the owners of every store should appreciate there staff as it's there warmth and personality that brings back customers as its certainty not there prices! in my store, I personally like the management and the owners but when promoted to duty manager i felt my pay rise was very unreasonable and from starting my own side business this year, I have come to the conclusion that without people working hard in these stores to clean up ware houses, stack shelves, serve sometimes very ruse customers and follow over the top health and safety regulations there businesses and personal wealth would be non existent and they should very much respect there staff more and provide more decent wages. While Supervalu is great for providing students with part time jobs, if you happen to be in a situation where you are currently looking for a full time job, by all means avoid working for any job that offers anything starting at minimum wage as it's very likely you will be on or very close to that pay rate for the foreseeable future. take you time and find something that pays well and respects the work that you
Excellent and vibrant young team of workers, great atmosphere
I completed a nine hour working day five, sometimes six, days a week during the summer months. I was the only one of over fifteen part time staff that earned such generous and consistent hours. I benefited a lot from this job, and a young age I presented myself as a hard and dedicated worker. While committed to the task at hand, I always made it my priority to serve the customers needs and always made them feel welcome even when I was at my busiest. I earned respect from the management team, and worked my way to an off license supervisor. I greatly improved the presentation and sales figures of the department, with praise coming from the head office. But yet a pay rise was non existent. I also took the role of assistant manager while he took a fortnights holidays and during this time I presented management with a shop floor plan to increase sales and advertise new offers in a most effective way. This was a great role for me to adopt and I enjoyed the challenge so much. But now I have reached my potential within the store, and there is no advancement for me. Now that I am back in college, I have a nine hour shift on a Saturday, but I am back to the ordinary job of a shelf packer, the role which I started out in over five years ago, as on the weekends there is no need for the jobs I am capable of doing. I wish to start out on a new career, and to be faced with new and exciting challenges.
productive, great relationships with members of the staff, loving people
Always busy never a moment were your just standing.
I have learned an extreme amount we were left without a manager for over a year due to health issues, as a team we worked and ran the department exceeding sales week by week. I played a big part in this change I took on doing the orders daily even on my days off. I had update offers on the computer and print and check stock takes and weekly waste.
At times the work environment got a slight hectic as we did not have sole manager over our department at times we got on each others nerves but it was always resolved and for that reason our team grew stronger and we worked even better together.
The management over all were never supportive, when things got stressful and staff were ringing in sick we had to take it upon our self's to sort it out. There were days were I would do a twelve hour shift and even work right through the week with no day off.
The hardest part of my job was leaving it, I had to do this for myself as I was not appreciated enough for all I done, I done the job of a manager and never once was I given a pay rise or shown the appreciation for a job well done.
The most enjoyable part of my job was definitely the customers, I had built great relationships and for that reason alone they shopped with us.
A typical day at work for me in Athlone SuperValu would depend on which shift I was working.
In the morning it would start with cleaning the coffee machine and getting all of the tills cleaned and organised. Then I would proceed to work on the tills for the remainder of my shift.
For the evening shift, I would go straight to the tills, then do a till read after the shop had closed and place the tills in the office.
From working at Athlone SuperValu, I have learned how important team work is and how maintaining friendships with other co-workers makes work easier and fun.
Management always treated all of the staff with respect and if we ever had any issues, they were always dealt with straight away.
Myself and my co-workers have formed friendships for life. One of my favourite things about going into work was seeing my co-workers.
The hardest part of the job, in my opinion, was learning not to take a rude customer personally. I just kept smiling and remained calm and polite.
The most enjoyable part of the job was definitely nice comments from customers, e.g. "You have a lovely smile" and "You always provide great service here". Those comments would make my week! It was great to know that customers enjoyed coming into the shop and having a chat with you.
Overworked underpaid especially through a pandemic
I don’t know if it was just the SuperValu I worked at but no thank you or anything was given for working 50+ hours a week during the height of the pandemic. No one I worked with enjoyed the job. Overall bad morale amongst the staff as a result of so many people leaving the company and stress being but on the remaining staff. Boring, repetitive and unrewarding job. Money hungry managers that did not care about their staff. Some staff members were on as little as €7 an hour, staff that had worked there for 10+ years were on just above minimum wage when the company can clearly afford to increase wages. Take advantage of younger staff members overloading them with tasks throughout the day. Not very covid conscious, would complain if people rang in about being a close contact/ have contracted the virus and would speak down about those who got it. I’m very glad I have left that job. I’ve never looked back since. Do not recommend.
ProsStaff are friendly to one another, got experience in a variety of places such as lotto, cigarettes, newspapers, magazines, cashing off tills, handling large amounts of money.
ConsMoney, hours, managers, no increase in wages, unappreciative supervisors/ managers, money hungry
Great place to work - if you're hired and paid properly
I actually loved working here. The office was, in spite of being frequently busy, a fun place to work. No weekends, no overtime, just Monday to Friday, 9-5:30. Everyone was lovely to be around, and enjoyed what they were doing.
The problem I had was that the position I applied for was advertised as a full-time, permanent position. I was called in to do a few days of a test run to see if I'd hit the ground running or not, which I did. After nearly 2 weeks, I was told that the advertised position wasn't available "due to SuperValu changing their mind", but was kept on as a freelance designer, thinking I at least had my foot in the door for a future position if one opened up. Which it did.
The thing is, I wasn't told that once that person was gone, so was I. I finished up the same day as that person, back in September last year, and haven't been asked back since. No reference, no explanation. Had to fight tooth and nail to get my last month's pay, which sadly happened every month to anyone working freelance there, and have heard nothing from them since then.
ProsVery friendly environment
ConsIf you're freelance, don't expect secure pay, hours or a friendly goodbye
Fellow employees were all fantastic, super friendly and welcoming. Most socialize outside of work and would regularly invite new people along.
Management is very old minded, they could do with fresh young thinkers. Most members of management are related to the store owners. The owners son struts around the store in a suit in a very unapproachable manner.
HR promise to sign you up to training at interview stage but nothing eventuates. HR and Management refuse to pay overtime but you are expected to work it atleast weekly.
The Rushe’s do not understand if your employee’s are happy there productivity goes up.
The deli and butcher department are forced to cover things up when FSAI turn up and if the inspector did a better job the whole store would be closed down.
ProsGood breaks, Work colleagues are really friendly, Paid for the hours your rostered to work every week
ConsBad management, Minimum wage, Does not pay overtime, No store discount but your expected to buy from the store
This is a good job if you need a year of experience in procurement, inventory analyzation and forecasting. Most likely you will feel frustrated at the 6 month mark, but I would tell you to stick it out. At the one year you will become a Buyer II and get a 10% pay increase. And you get it even if you've had problems. Unfortunately the job and the stifling atmosphere will start to wear on you because it's a losing battle if you want to fix anything in the category you work within. The recent bonus they are dangling to the buyers in hopes of making the constant turnover stop is unknown factor. UNFI Corporate doesn't get information, have concrete or solid numbers to give the Procurement team. The bonus is based on too many outside factors you can't control, and on the whole category, not your work individually. Which in my opinion will only cause friction within a category. Especially when you consider the teams not getting a bonus will only lose more employees and have a faster turnover, therefore that department will never improve. My biggest issue with how the Procurement department is run is four things. 1. Everyone is scared of management and having to talk to the boss. I've witnessed how the head of the department confronts individuals and it is done with a lack of respect. Essentially, they are barked at. The people below him, at least a portion, mimic the same bad behavior so it's cyclical. 2. There is no foresight on what's best for the company. The slogan is "you can o
I got laid off after a merger, but before I left watched most of the top leadership retire, resign or become powerless. Corporate talked about learning from us, but was deaf to anything we had to say.
A place that was once fun and rewarding to work at, became depressing as workers were forced to execute plans that nobody believed would work, and leaders went from defending the positions, to apologizing for them, to ignoring them.
Workloads were intense and as each new project was on top of every other objective. The most knowledgeable and skilled workers got the brunt of the additional work, and were the first to leave, compounding the problems.
I do believe the experience at HQ and some other locations were likely very different, but with the UNFI merger pushing for even more consolidation, I think the culture of fear and cut throat survival to keep your job will expand.
I do have some sour grapes over all this, but everyone has been saying the same things, even the people who are part of the "Go Forward" team.
ProsGood Pay, By the book HR, Fair severance package and retention bonus before lay off.
Conslayoffs, uncetinty, workers not empowered, leadership are "Yes" people or pushed out.
Questions and answers about Supervalu Ireland
What is the promotion process like at Supervalu Ireland?
Asked 8 Nov 2022
Non existent
Answered 1 Jun 2023
Easy
Answered 21 May 2023
How often do you get a pay rise at Supervalu Ireland?
Asked 10 Nov 2022
Yearly but little
Answered 5 Jun 2023
not often, in the 5 years i spent there i only ever got one pay rise and i had to ask for it
Answered 31 May 2023
How is feedback from management delivered at Supervalu Ireland?
Asked 28 Jun 2022
Non existent
Answered 1 Jun 2023
Horrible
Answered 16 May 2023
What is Supervalu Ireland holiday leave policy? How many holiday leave days do you get per year?
Asked 29 May 2019
20
Answered 23 May 2023
2 weeks
Answered 16 Mar 2023
What benefits does Supervalu Ireland offer?
Asked 21 Apr 2019
Stress
Answered 16 May 2023
pension plan, discount in-store for employees.
bike to work scheme
health insurance scheme with VHI
employee parking
uniform
member of Mandate trade union
