REI shiny on the outside, dark and scary inside - Sales Associate REI Employee Review

1.0
6 Feb 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great discounts, awesome co-workers, great for outdoor gear junkies, good for someone who wants a part time job

Cons

Too much pressure to sell memberships. Not enough guaranteed hours, pay is too low especially when compared to management and the ratio of work to pay considering how much time the management spend in the office running their mouths.

Explore other reviews about REI

5.0
20 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fun time with fun employees

Cons

Schedule was tricky to coordinate

3.0
20 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Excellent coworkers - REI does a great job of hiring enthusiastic and personable staff - Slightly better pay compared with other retail in the area - Prodeals and discounts - Flexible hours - Good (although rapidly diminishing) healthcare benefits

Cons

- Once a (better) company known for its investment in knowledgeable and friendly staff via extensive training and investment, the company has been slowly slashing away at most of what makes it special since the pandemic - Hours and benefits are worsening, proper employee training is becoming hard to come by - lots of mediocrity and sometimes questionable ethical calls made by management - Punitive disciplinary policies that seem to be designed to create higher turnover (advantageous to them given the gradual pay, benefit and policy changes)

4
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