The Platinum Group
Cape Town,
South Africa
http://www.platinumgroup.co.za/
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Established in 1989, Platinum Group is a retail and design company operating in Southern Africa. The company was launched by a dynamic duo namely Marcel Joubert and Moira O'Reilly. Run by people who possess the utmost passion for design and fashion, the Group has grown to be a leader in the retail industry. With just one store in Rondebosch when it first started, the company is making waves today throughout the country. The Platinum Group operates in 54 stores nationwide and is located in the most known and big shopping centres in the country. Furthermore, the company comprise of only the leading designer clothing labels including; Jenni Button, Hilton Weiner, Urban°, Aca Joe and Vertigo. The company only provides top quality products to its clients and regards clients and personnel as vital entities of the business. Platinum Group has been awarded by the CRF Institute for industry achiever as Best Employer.
Work for The Platinum Group? Have your say!
(18)
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"NOT SURPRISED"
Added 18 Sep 2016 by a current employee
I worked at Platinum Group 10 years ago. Reading all the reviews, nothing has changed. Everything stated, all fact, from the ridiculous hours, uncompensated overtime, advancement by brown nosing, misleading job descriptions and demoralising kumbaya jargon to pass the buck for poor performance from under qualified management and "brand leaders" onto the floor staff, to the poor salaries/no increase while the "upper echelons" live the high life at their expense, leading to one of the highest staff turnovers ever witnessed in a company.....nothing has changed. Company's current state of affairs, not surprising. Do not recommend seeking employment with this company, then or now.
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"Don't Bother "
Added 27 Jan 2016 by a current employee
Platinum Group is one of the worst companies that you can work for. Never mind the cons heavily out weighing the pros but the people that 'run' the business have no idea how to.
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"Pay well. Thats all."
Added 25 Jun 2015 by a current employee
The most stupid thing about this company is that every leader thinks they are real business person and managers.Beside giving stupid orders, doing nothing themselves and selling garments there is nothing more to add. They will tell you to push for sales with almost no product on the floor. My team leader tells me to turn off the monitor when not in use to save cost. This is the most stupid environment one might work in. Only titles are big not the work or prospect. Your true potential are left behind and they keep on abusing your helplessness. Leaders take us for granted, they set lots of rules and don't even abide by it themselves.
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"Career-damage"
Added 21 Apr 2015 by a current employee
Catch on to this and you will be VERY successful at Platinum - but beware... it will damage your future career almost anywhere else: Talk about Steve Jobs all the time and how great and inspirational he was/is (doing this alone will probably score you a brand leader role). Talk about how everyone needs to think out of the box and become Pioneers. Don't EVER blame lack of business on ANYTHING! Not even if their "design team" didn't ensure that there was enough stock to sell. Rather just say it was your fault. Even if you are just a part-time worker on weekends (freelancer). They will say that you are "in a bad space" and eventually work you out of the system. Never say that you are tired. They will blame everything on you thereafter. They will say that your lack of energy rubbed off on others and they have become complacent because of you. Be a brown-nose (no elaboration needed). Get in on the clique. Talk about goal-setting. A lot. And how you have reached all of your goals. Tell everyone that you are in a space of pure bliss and that your work-life balance couldn't be more perfect. Talk about world-class customer experience and how you need to put on a production in stores. You will eventually become brainwashed like the executive people and when you catch a wake up one day and decide to leave, they have screwed up the way you perceive a business should be run. You will battle. Guaranteed.
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"Career-damage"
Added 21 Apr 2015 by a current employee
Catch on to this and you will be VERY successful at Platinum - but beware... it will damage your future career almost anywhere else: Talk about Steve Jobs all the time and how great and inspirational he was/is (doing this alone will probably score you a brand leader role). Talk about how everyone needs to think out of the box and become Pioneers. Don't EVER blame lack of business on ANYTHING! Not even if their "design team" didn't ensure that there was enough stock to sell. Rather just say it was your fault. Even if you are just a part-time worker on weekends (freelancer). They will say that you are "in a bad space" and eventually work you out of the system. Never say that you are tired. They will blame everything on you thereafter. They will say that your lack of energy rubbed off on others and they have become complacent because of you. Be a brown-nose (no elaboration needed). Get in on the clique. Talk about goal-setting. A lot. And how you have reached all of your goals. Tell everyone that you are in a space of pure bliss and that your work-life balance couldn't be more perfect. Talk about world-class customer experience and how you need to put on a production in stores. You will eventually become brainwashed like the executive people and when you catch a wake up one day and decide to leave, they have screwed up the way you perceive a business should be run. You will battle. Guaranteed.
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"find out for yourself"
Added 20 Apr 2015 by a current employee
The easy way to see if the comments below are accurate would be to go and ask current staff. Go into eany centre in the country where Platinum has any of its stores (Hilton Weiner, Jenni Buttonless, Aca Joe, urban and Vertigo ), pull aside an employee and ask them to give you their annonymous opinion. I was part of one of the Brand Teams and can tell you that most of what has been said is 100% accurate! The company has gone on a continued downward spiral. There is a complete lack of management and it appears to be run by their talent executive who is sadly incompetent at best. But as I said, the best way to establish if The Platinum Group is for you, is to go ask the true warriors that are in the trenches day in and day out. The everyday workers that will give you an honest opinion on what is or isnt accurate.
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"The right platform for me"
Added 02 Apr 2015 by a current employee
I am currently a part of one of the Platinum Group brands and have grown exceptionally in my time here. I have acquired industry exposure, knowledge and skills. It can be a challenging environment, but I am the type of personality that responds well to challenges and I've never felt undermined or misused. If anything I've realised that I am capable of much more than I thought. I've heard a number of people who have something to say about The Platinum Group, whether raving about the platform and opportunities or questioning the "personal sacrifice" of employees. At the end of the day, it is a platform provided for young, ambitious individuals and it's up to you what you choose to contribute, which will determine what you gain from being a part of this company.
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"Another stressful month-end"
Added 03 Mar 2015 by a current employee
Millions of excuses not to pay staff. February being a short month, month-end falling on a weekend, banking timelines that are difficult, cash-flow problems, poor retail performance, suffering economy, poor mindsets of staff and lots more. All the reviews written below are 100% accurate. There are no lies and it's all true. The sad thing here is that this company owns the best South African brands. No driven individual will work this hard in a store or shopping centre, with not even enough product to achieve enough turnover that can cover its rent, if we didn't believe that these brands have potential. Nobody can survive like this, I just don't understand how this keeps happening and it's always the same excuses coming from brand leaders and product teams regarding stock flows and late salaries. Do these people not know that if you pay your staff peanuts to start off with - and then not pay them on time, there are massive penalties applied for debit orders. It seems so simple : - Don't order irrelevant and outdated product and expect miracles from a critical and competitive market - Pay your suppliers to get more good products - Pay your staff to keep them in your company - Don't spend thousands of rands on excessive personal 50th birthday parties when your own company is suffering - Stop criticising incredibly experienced and talented staff, just because you think you know better - If you treat everyone like the equal environment that you put in your "vision" for the company and live out what you put on paper, things will be a whole lot better and bearable.
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"Its High School all over again"
Added 12 Feb 2015 by a current employee
There is no way a person with real ambition, hard working and driven can survive in this company. Most of the people in the brand teams are unqualified. The working hours are crazy. This company takes away your youth. It really is a cult run by four dictators who are so out of touch with reality that it actually becomes funny, it's all a joke. This company's main belief is, the only way to make money is a good mindset or a good state of mind, not making sure suppliers are paid on time. The quality of employees on the floors of each store is amazing, but for everyone that is recruited, five leave. The sad thing is, these are great brands ran like it's a banana republic. The only way forward is to sell the brands to companies like Woolworths, who are actually in the business of doing business. Stylists are pressured to make money, but there is no product. The moment one brings that up, you are placed in a bad space. This company is so high in the clouds, they really believe you can sell apples even though you don't have the main ingredients, "apples".
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"The WORST time of my life"
Added 29 Jan 2015 by a current employee
Over worked, underpaid with senior management that doesn't care about employees. You speak up, then basically get kicked out.
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"Unbearable"
Added 26 Jan 2015 by a current employee
The Platinum Group presents itself as an entrepreneurial, non-hierarchical platform in which employees are encouraged to take "full ownership" of every element of their brand. This is translated into every member of the group being compelled to live and breathe only in a way deemed "brand fit" by entirely under-qualified brand teams who are intimidated and forced, due to a complete lack of human resource management and qualified leadership, to worship and obey every word uttered out of the "big boss'" 'propagandic' mouths, all set in probably the most hierarchically divided environment I've ever witnessed. Bosses are entirely out of touch with much of the goings on, and flit about living their luxurious lives, while the company faces extreme challenges - to say the least. All problems are shifted onto the young, inadequately prepared employees whose lives are entirely commandeered by this company. Weekends, public holidays, overtime is all forced and unpaid. Should one even consider objecting to any of the outrageous expectations, well-practiced buzz words (e.g "victim mind-set", "waiting space", to name a few) are thrown at you, which quickly work to undermine your self-confidence and, more importantly, shut you up. Performance bonuses are handed out based on biased and unqualified judgement made by people with little or, more often, absolutely no experience or qualification in management, performance appraisal or rewarding of employees. Don't get me wrong, you can learn a lot here fast. However, with this being due to the fact that the group cannot seem to find a way to improve the working environment, even remotely, enough to slow their increasing exorbitantly high staff turnover rates, you will soon find yourself expected to do things so far from your job description, you'll forget what your name, never mind what your role, is. They will scrape and pick every pound of your flesh that they can get their fashionable fingers on. The total lack of experienced management will be evident to you within ten minutes of working there and there are extremely low ceilings set - don't expect a salary increase, ever. Although, if you're the kind of person who can really talk the talk, all you need to do is catch onto the company-speak, trust me, you'll know the catch phrases that tickle the bosses fancy in no time. Once you've caught on, it's scary how easy it is to simply tell them what they want to hear and in doing so, you'll go straight to the top (well, the top of the bottom).
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"Not for serious business people"
Added 27 Nov 2014 by a current employee
The company is run in a cult like fashion. Every Monday we need to sit in a circle on the ground and listen to a grand standing owner. Bonuses are not forthcoming and while the owners live in the lap of luxury, suppliers are not paid. The company has a bad reputation and it will only get worse. I hated the looks I got from people when I said I worked for them. People are hired who fit the brand, but know nothing about running a business. Finance is forced to work to 6pm every single night, including Saturdays and public holidays when all contracts state 8am to 5am. On Mondays teams are required at 6:30am. No overtime is paid at all.
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"An Unpleasant Experience "
Added 16 Sep 2014 by a current employee
The Platinum Group prides themselves on "excellent customer service," which requires "high calibre" team players. What they choose not to tell you however, is that there is a whole lot more personal sacrifice that goes into it, and that does not necessarily result in financial reward for these so-called "high calibre team players". First of all, they like to use a lot of jargon that at the end of the day - actually means nothing. They tell you that you are an "entrepreneur with boundless opportunity within the company". However, you will never receive shares and often end up working three peoples jobs for one salary. I do not see how that can possibly be classified as an entrepreneur. Overtime pay is out of the question, so are any benefits. They decide to maybe pay you a "performance bonus" from time to time if they like you. I was often told, not asked, to travel the country with less than 24 hours notice. This resulted in sometimes working 16 days with no off time, more than 14 hour days with minimal sleep and then I was still told off for being tired. You can't say no to travel as it is "a wonderful opportunity". It is actually great, but the amount of time they try to cram into a few days split amongst too many stores results in very stressful trips with average results, which will be blamed on you anyway. If you ever tell the company that you need rest and you are tired, they quite often tell you that you are "in a victim head-space" and you must get out of it. To be honest, the Platinum Group teaches you a lot - but the side effects are quite harsh. Your personal life takes such a strain that it almost is not worth it. Staff turnover is the highest I've ever seen in my career in retail and after nine very long months - I can see why.
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"Not for serious career developers"
Added 22 Oct 2013 by a current employee
Their interview selection process is based on looks, dress code and looks. If you are not good looking or posses the ability to look down on people, do not attempt to apply no matter how good your CV is. All past employees complain and are relieved they have escaped from The Platinum Group. They disregard all labour law requirements and their middle/senior management competencies are questionable.
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"A Serious Joke"
Added 11 Oct 2013 by a current employee
Worked at their Hilton Weiner Store for over a year as a stockroom guy and worked my butt off, was passed for promotion several times even though I was the right candidate and had product knowledge. They brought in white guys twice who were so lazy and I did all the work, but they took home R8000 and I took home R2960. They then changed my title to Product Guru but the salary remained the same. God knows how many times I asked for an increase and the so called stylists took home R15 000 on a busy month and all they ever did was sell. I broke my back in the stock room, carrying crates with new stock, unpacking, packing, sizing and fixing clothes after the stylist messed them up and did stock taking too. They have cameras in their stores and all they do is watch you from Cape Town Head Office and when you sit to take a break they call the manager and tell you to get up. When I left, I didn't have any other job, but that was the happiest day of my life!
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"Highly Misleading and Unprofessinal"
Added 03 Oct 2013 by a current employee
I applied for a position as a product manager at Platinum Group. After numerous interviews with various senior managers, I received a phone call to say that I had got the position. I was asked to meet up with my new boss to sign the contract and discuss a starting date. To my horror, the contract that they placed before me was for the position of shop assistant (which they try and glorify by calling it a "stylist"). I did not study at a university for 4 years, obtain a degree, gain 3 years of working experience only to be mislead like that. I feel that it is very unprofessional to tell someone that they have been chosen for the position, which they applied for, only to present them with a contract for a completely different position, which pays substantially lower. Needless to say, I politely declined and will not be shopping at any of their stores again.
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"Business Partner"
Added 02 Oct 2013 by a current employee
Very unprofessional and work ethic by senior employees is debatable. Inhumane working hours and expectations of store level employees should be illegal.
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"No structure"
Added 29 Jul 2013 by a current employee
First of all you get hired based on your looks, you get interviewed, fill in a form that takes up to two hours. In this form you have to write up a list of so-called influential people that you know and their contact details. What car you drive, whether you've traveled abroad and they take a picture of you. Based on this form, they employ you. I remember on my first day when my former colleagues thought I was rich, because of what I had written on that form. I was hired for a different position, which is based in Head Office, but I spent all my time working in stores as a Sales Consultant or 'Stylist'. The company has no structure what so ever. Most of their staff does not last for longer than six months. Most of the employees in Head Office are under qualified and inexperienced.
Best companies to work for in the Retail sector.
The Platinum Group
