Pros
For me, REI was a great transition job. It gave me flexibility in my schedule, giving me time to plan the next step in my career. The pay was sightly better than most retail jobs and the work environment is very positive. The shoppers tend to be well informed and the interactions all tend to be positive. They also have a good discount purchase program for the employees.
Cons
The flip side the schedule is that it changes every week. Days, then nights and always some part of a weekend. I didn't like having my personal time change every week. The is the stress placed on meeting goals for memberships sold - it's not that hard, but still a an issue when you don't meet your goal. It can also cause a problem when another employee feels that you scooped a shopper that they thought they had sold a membership to. They also employ the mystery shopper score system - so be prepared to be judged on your performance.