From sweet-smelling soaps to luxurious lotions—and don't forget about the classic candles—Bath & Body Works' offerings have earned it a devoted fanbase. And with new seasonal scents popping up all the time and annual sales to add to your calendar, it can be all too easy to go a bit overboard at the store. But some former employees say that no matter how much you love this chain's lotions and potions, there are some things you should know. Keep reading for their biggest warnings, from how stores are stocked to the secrets behind sales.
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1 | Your favorite scents may be disguised.
Eric Glenn/ShutterstockBath & Body Works has been known to discontinue certain scents (remember Juniper Breeze?), but according to former employee Emily G., they might not actually be gone forever.
"Oftentimes, they repackage old scents as new things. It has the same ingredients just a different label," Emily tells Best Life. She advises double-checking the ingredients and scent notes on the bottle when you're looking for a particular smell.
2 | Don't shop the semi-annual sale right away.
JJava Designs/ShutterstockThe semi-annual sale is the perfect time to stock up on all your Bath & Body Works favorites, but you might not want to be so eager.
In a TikTok video, a former employee who goes by @maggfrench says you should wait to shop the sale: "I know that sounds weird because some products are retired and you want to get your hands on them, but if you wait, throughout the sale, things drop in price."
She explains that something that's 50 percent off at the beginning of the sale could end up being 75 percent off towards the end because the store is looking to get rid of old merchandise.
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3 | Candles don't get restocked on candle day.
melissamn/ShutterstockDevotees of Bath & Body Works' candles wait all year for the store's Candle Day sale, where discounts are often more than 50 percent. But if you plan to stock up in-store, this is one sale where you will want to shop early.
"It is very rare for the store to be restocked on candle day," Emily tells Best Life. "There may be some things in the back, but it's first come first serve and there won't be more throughout the day."
4 | Beware of confusing exchanges.
Yuliasis / ShutterstockIf you constantly purchase items online and then return them in the store, you might want to think twice.
"The way the online return system [works] makes no sense, it makes things confusing and annoying for both the customer and associate,” employee Low-Environment-6571 explained on Reddit. “If you want a refund from your online order, we put it through as an online receipt return and you get the money back to your card. If you want to exchange [an item] from an online order, the online return system does not allow us to do exchanges in the system.”
They say that you basically have to re-buy the item, and the price you paid will still be honored. But this often confuses customers when the item appears twice on their receipt. What makes it more confusing is that some previous employees note in the comments section that they aren't trained on how to do these types of exchanges.
So, if you're someone who buys and changes their mind a lot, you may just want to shop in-store.
RELATED: The 5 Best Times to Shop at Bath & Body Works, According to Experts.
5 | There's a reason the store can feel overwhelming.
Mike Mozart / FlickrDo you love Bath & Body Works products but would rather shop online than have an aggressive salesperson approach you? It's not their fault that they can seem so intense while you’re trying to shop and sniff.
“As a former Bath & Body Works employee they make it a priority to increase conversion and meet certain goals,” TikTok user @serenityxrose21 explained. She said employees are “ready to try to sell you something and [give] you a bag without asking if you need one,” because that’s what the higher-ups request.
6 | Stores are stocked differently depending on location.
MrWinn / ShutterstockBecause Bath & Body Works is a chain, you might expect that each store will be stocked the same, making it easy to find merchandise quickly. However, stores are set up differently based on who’s in charge, and the layout can especially change during the holidays with seasonal employees.
“Our store is relatively low volume even on huge sale days, so I’d often go from being a cashier to stocking shelves," explained Reddit user littlestorm208 in a post titled "I’m happy I ended up quitting my seasonal job."
However, they say they were never trained for this task: "My manager just told me to put more soaps on the shelf that matched the ones already there, so I did. Come to find out I was doing it wrong."
7 | There's a solid employee discount.
Mohd Syis Zulkipli / ShutterstockThis isn't so much a warning as it is a secret tip. If you know someone who works at Bath & Body Works, you might want to make use of their discount, which is 30 percent, according to an ex-employee on Reddit. It can sometimes be as much as 40 or 50 percent depending on the time of year.
Staff is also given free scents and allowed to choose products. “You’ll get to test some of the new fragrances for free (ex. a Gingham body care item of your choice once a year or so, a Christmas scent when they come out, etc.) so that you can recommend them to customers and give your honest opinion,” the Redditor divulged.
NOTE: Best Life only includes information from social media and job boards when there is corroboration from multiple sources. These comments have not been independently verified, however, and are the opinions of the people who posted them.
