Pros
Working as a seasonal merchandiser for Scott's Miracle-Gro taking shipments received at Home Depot & Lowe's locations and building displays, signing, replenishing stock in home locations on the shelves, maintaining & rebuilding displays as needed, monitoring & reporting inventory levels to area manager. Work activity can be very physical requiring you to be able to climb ladders to lift cases from top stock with weights of 50lbs or greater, ability to use a manual hand jack to move pallets of chemicals, soil and mulch. Soil & mulch can be a strenuous task when product is wet and often it's a two person job for safety reasons. If you're not in reasonable good physical shape, this job isn't for you. On the otherhand, the physical requirements can help you to tone up and lose weight, which is what I did and lost about 20lbs. Season begins late December & in early January & ends mid June to the beginning of July with hours averaging 30-40hrs weekly. Pay is suitable to work perfomed but could be higher due to the physical demand. Safety is stressed and they have an excellent on-going training program with on-line computer courses required that are paid. Co-workers have been great to work with. Drug screening is a requirement which again provides a good working atmosphere.
Cons
Area manager has high expectations and will often visit your location to make last minute merchandising changes , which may be frustrating for some, especially when you think your day is almost over. To me it's understandable why he wants to make the merchandising changes since he is driving sales. There can be exposure to high heat & humidity in the St. Louis area as well as very cold and rainy conditions when working in the outside garden area is required; again you need to be in reasonably good shape. There is also exposure to breathing the dust from fertilizers, insecticides and chemicals although minimal. After completion of your application on line, the recruiter will call you and ask you questions that you had answered on the application. To me it was a redundant & a waste of time unless it was needed to determine the ability to communicate effectively.