Toxic management overshadows fun colleagues and interesting work - Anonymous, Head Office VPZ Employee Review

2.0
1 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A company full of characters. Most are fun and hardworking - whom I got on well with. For better-and-worse, it keeps its 'small company' -feel: with many roles being flexible in their responsibilities. Base compensation actually is also okay. I also enjoyed the day-to-day work I did.

Cons

Huge caveats to every Pro, which outweighs any positives and makes it a difficult place to recommend. First, staff turnover is ridiculous and borderline childish. Firings occur often haphazardly and, while the logic does make sense, there's zero communication. This puts everyone on-edge. The flaws of management, the co-CEOs and heads of department, often shine through more than their strengths - largely due to the culture that's been created. In my (brief) tenure I have seen ALMOST every department head change, which results in few good people below staying. Second, the owners are like the two guys from Rainman: one is a talker and one is a thinker. This could work, but usually the inverse of what you hope is what happens: waffle; no trust; and no empathy. Across management, few experienced seniors with options would consider working at VPZ. Therefore, I often felt with the managers that VPZ is scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel when it comes to talent. This creates a lot of micromanagement by the owners which doesn't help. It's a shame that morale is often extremely low because the colleagues are usually quite good, fun, and helpful. Finally, the employee benefits: there is NONE beyond a 50% discount that may disappear due to the Tobacco & Vapes Bills. Couple this with ostentatious owners flaunting their wealth, it's easy to feel like they only care about themselves and not building a good company with good people. To pick one example, there's zero sick leave so often extremely unwell people work alongside people when they really shouldn't be. Things don't get thought about from a first-principles perspective.

Explore other reviews about VPZ

4.0
3 Aug 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good environment and friendly colleagues

Cons

None that I can mention

2.0
31 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The team instore and in the cluster manager - decent discounts on product.

Cons

The compensation for this management role is significantly below industry standards, particularly given the level of responsibility involved. There is a high degree of micromanagement, and despite holding the title of Store Manager, there is very limited autonomy over fundamental responsibilities such as recruitment, timekeeping, and holiday approvals. In practice, the role operates more as supervisory position, with a primary focus on rota planning rather than broader store leadership and strategic decision-making. Performance targets are often unrealistic and lack alignment with typical retail trends—for example, expectations that December sales levels should not only be maintained but increased through quieter trading periods such as January. There are also concerns regarding working practices, including an expectation to open the store without appropriate compensation. When working alone, it can be difficult to take legally entitled breaks, with staff effectively required to remain on the shop floor to serve customers. Overall, the role offers limited opportunities for progression and can become repetitive over time. Career development and pay progression appear inconsistent and difficult to attain, regardless of performance. Good luck if you need to speak to someone in head office as unfortunately they’ll of either been sacked or quit due to ever mounting pressure felt at all aspects of the business

3
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