Pros
REI is an excellent heritage brand with a long history of providing great outdoor gear to adventure seeking customers/members. The benefits, discounts and profit sharing are terrific and competitive. Lots of wonderful co-workers who are passionate about the outdoors and the products sold by REI.
Cons
There has been a lot of indecisive leadership in recent years that has steered an-ever growing company in one direction and then another. This has resulted in a lot of re-work and stress for many employees, particularly at the HQ in Kent, WA. The work/life balance heavily promoted with PR and by recruiters is not a reality for a number of individual contributors and managers. The upper management team is rather insular and the atmosphere overall at HQ was less collaborative and much more competitive and ego driven than one might expect for the reputation that REI has in the media and amongst customers. Executive pay levels seem out of whack vs. that of front line employees and middle management. A common problem in the USA.