Plummeting quickly - Retail Sales Specialist REI Employee Review

2.0
Jan 15, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Meeting coworkers who are like minded, share your love of the outdoors and anything outside the box. Industry discounts and prodeals are wonderful.

Cons

Wow, as a result of new leadership, Eric Artz, the company is hemorrhaging money. We exist for profit, that is it. They do excel at campaigning otherwise, the outdoors is for everyone, well yeah, if everyone can pay for the gear, which a small percentage of people can. Store management is hysterical. I wish they were as good as they seem to think they are. And boy, do they believe they're awesome. They're lazy yet demand more from you than they are willing to do. Business is booming but they still schedule only one opener and one closer, we're expected to serve classic REI customer service, sell memberships, sell credit card applications, do the MRA (restock process) and stock the floor....all by yourself. It's completely exhausting and demeaning. You feel depressed when you get home. The radio chatter is enough to make you want to seriously hurt yourself or someone else, it's a crazy, crazy environment that depletes you.

Explore other reviews about REI

5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

very supportive management and team members.

Cons

sometimes, the hours are late. But very doable.

3.0
May 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Most coworkers, some managers, discounts, outfitting people properly without extra nonsense

Cons

Some truly horrible managers, pressure to sell credit cards is a morale killer, the union people. Employees drinking the union kool aid fail to see the company’s position, REI cannot give higher pay, better benefits , consistent hours, etc… with the erratic revenue stream that comes in , if a 5 year average is X in revenue and 5 year average is Y on wages and costs, how are they supposed to increase wages and benefits? It’s numbers and they don’t line up, if REI gives the increases which increases the expenses greatly, they will cut staff, a lot fewer employees which will eliminate a bunch of union supporters, an REI job is not supposed to be a lucrative deal, when you get hired the part time , part time plus and full time options are there and you choose what you want fully understanding what hours you are going to get at minimum, they will hire those positions on a need basis, to cry later that you don’t make enough money is your fault, the terms were clear and you signed off on them. The union is promising rainbows , reality will be far different, careful what you wish for

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