Pros
Beautiful stores and a friendly, creative environment. Lots a great people in both the front and back ends of the house. Lots of longevity with the company. Even after the "crash" no layoffs were rolled out.
Cons
Personalities rule here. If you are not in the inner circle, forget about moving up or even surviving. Experience with other retailers is not valued and not acknowledged. Very insular environment with no room for thinking outside the box. Far too Mid-Western mentality. Stores all over the country and now international, but a very stubborn Chicago-centric point of view which does not translate across the board. Many members of the merchandising (buying) team are unprofessional and sorely lacking in the basic skills required to do the job for a company of this size. Training on the whole looks good in theory but in practice is scant and non-productive.