Overall nice place to work. - Sales Specialist REI Employee Review

4.0
Oct 20, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Customers tend to be quite friendly and typically excited about upcoming adventures which always makes for a more pleasurable experience. Co-workers are all outdoor enthusiasts which means there are always great stories to share and there's a wealth of knowledge to tap into in the event I run into customer questions I am unable to answer. The company also cares a lot about outdoor stewardship and encourages employees to get outside often. The company is even starting what they call Yay Days which are days where employees will get paid to go out and do their favorite activities (8 hours for full-time employees and 6 hours for part-time).

Cons

Weekly hours are completely dependent upon number of memberships you sell. If you cannot get customers to become members then you will be given very few hours each week. They give you a yearly membership goal which is based on number of hours worked per week and if you are anywhere under 100 percent of your goal then your hours may not be what you'd like. Another huge con is the pay. With over 5 years of retail experience alone the pay should be much better than it is.

Explore other reviews about REI

5.0
Jun 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good managers, deals, coworkers, products

Cons

No cons, I really liked my time.

3.0
May 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most coworkers, some managers, discounts, outfitting people properly without extra nonsense

Cons

Some truly horrible managers, pressure to sell credit cards is a morale killer, the union people. Employees drinking the union kool aid fail to see the company’s position, REI cannot give higher pay, better benefits , consistent hours, etc… with the erratic revenue stream that comes in , if a 5 year average is X in revenue and 5 year average is Y on wages and costs, how are they supposed to increase wages and benefits? It’s numbers and they don’t line up, if REI gives the increases which increases the expenses greatly, they will cut staff, a lot fewer employees which will eliminate a bunch of union supporters, an REI job is not supposed to be a lucrative deal, when you get hired the part time , part time plus and full time options are there and you choose what you want fully understanding what hours you are going to get at minimum, they will hire those positions on a need basis, to cry later that you don’t make enough money is your fault, the terms were clear and you signed off on them. The union is promising rainbows , reality will be far different, careful what you wish for

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