Pros
I worked in one of the branches in the GTA as a counter sales clerk, one of the more busy locations, and got to develop a lot of new skills in sales, administrative duties, pricing, receiving and product ordering. It's not just a mindless customer service job like Home Depot or Walmart. You get regulars from a variety of trades who love to talk about their work, so even without any experience in the trades you can pick up enough product knowledge pretty quick just from chatting with customers. The supervisors and managers encourage asking questions, and would rather you ask then guess, so again, learning is quick. Upper management, IT, HR, Shipping and Receiving, and the warehouse personnel are all wonderful people ready to help or stop and chat. The benefits are incredible too, and you qualify after 3 months of employment. Work in any branch or office position runs Monday to Friday, generally no later than 5pm. Additionally, they like to hire from within, so once you start in the company, you can find yourself in other positions throughout the company after a year of continuous employment.
Cons
The company's sales and inventory software is complicated and can be a bit of a learning curve. There is heavy lifting up to 50lbs, and the shelving is high, so there may be difficulties for shorter folks like me. They don't have part-time availability, which makes it hard if you're trying to upgrade your schooling for advancement. As well, most upper-level positions are located in Vaughan, Ontario, so if you want to advance beyond the branch or district manager level, you may have to relocate.