Sales Assistant - Rangiora

Who are we?

At Animates, we’re passionate about helping pet parents give their pets the happiest, healthiest lives possible.
Animates is New Zealand’s largest pet care specialist, with 48 retail stores, 27 grooming salons and 14 vet clinics working together across communities to support the wellbeing of pets. Every day our teams empower pet parents with trusted advice, quality products and expert services so they can make informed decisions for the animals they love.

As part of our busy, vibrant Rangiora store, you’ll be part of an energetic team who are passionate about Pets, Retail and Customer Service.

This position is permanent full time, 33 hours per week and you’ll work Tuesday to Saturday.

What will I be doing?

This isn’t your regular customer service role. Here at Animates, the advice you give and the products you sell make a real difference to the lives of pets.

Our values-led culture and extensive training will develop your expertise to provide specialist nutrition advice, suggest educational toys and know what fish species make good tank-mates + much more! Other daily tasks include fulfilling eCommerce orders, and you may be required to lift heavy items e.g. bags of dog food.

What we’re looking for:

You’ll pride yourself on delivering customer service excellence, proactively seek solutions and be committed to ongoing learning.

To be successful you’ll also have:

• Experience in a customer facing role (retail experience preferred)
• Physical ability to lift stock (up to 20kg)
• Flexibility to work weekdays, weekends and public holidays
• A positive attitude and dedication to being a valuable team member

We also offer:

• Tailored career development – whether you're interested in leadership, grooming roles, or becoming a puppy school trainer, we offer a range of progression pathways and hands-on support to help you grow in the direction that suits you best
• Generous discounts at our retail stores and vet clinics
• Parental leave benefits to support your growing family
• Give back to your chosen charities through our ‘Paws for Good’ volunteer leave
• Paid bereavement leave following the loss of a pet
• Access to free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme
• Stability. Be part of a business that’s growing and thriving

Why you'll love Animates:

We’re proud to offer a genuinely supportive and inclusive culture, where our leaders care deeply about the wellbeing of their teams and everyone lives our values of passion, authenticity, care, knowledge, and togetherness. As a Rainbow Tick Certified Employer, we encourage you to bring your whole self to work.

We’re also honoured to be the first organisation in Aotearoa to achieve Gold level recognition in the Mental Health First Aid Workplace Recognition Programme. This reflects how seriously we take mental health and wellbeing—through training our people in Mental Health First Aid, creating safe and open environments to talk, and making sure everyone feels supported, connected, and able to look out for one another every day.

If you share our love for the pet parents we serve, the merchandise we sell, and the work we do, this is a place for you to build a rewarding career!