Pros
Good discount. There is a paid time off bank you get each year (only can take it when business allows). Clientele is usually pretty great. Lots of friendly and recurring faces. Opportunity for success and promotion is up to you, for the most part.
Cons
Low payroll to manage on a store level compared to other companies. Very tough to build and develop associates when they only have 4 hours a week (or less!). Corporate is pretty detached from the day to day, so its like playing a game of telephone when there are directives, expectations, or visions being passed down through the store director. Promotion is up to you - you're VERY lucky if you find a mentor that likes you enough to invest in you, but that is far and few between when most in upper management are fighting to move on to the next position or just to keep their job. Scarily enough, it feels a little "cool girls club" from the inside. Externally its much easier to get in to the higher roles. Store level: Thievery SUCKS. Not knowing which lowlife is going to steal from your store next (could be that awesome regular you were just shopping with two weeks ago) is a constant dread and overhand. J.Crew is at the point where from a corporate view no one steals, and none of the visual or store policies should speak to that. All we can do is smile and give great customer service - even when its very obvious what people are doing.