A lot of camaraderie, a lot of fun, a little pay.
Pros
There is tremendous camaraderie among coworkers. Fleet Feet, although in operation year round, sees much less traffic in the late fall and winter than it does in spring and summer. This leads to long hours spent without customers with coworkers, giving you a chance to meet and befriend everyone. Many, if not most, full timers stick with the company simply for the social aspect. We have parties hosted by the company regularly, especially when brands are releasing new product. You also learn a lot about bio-mechanics and sales, the key factors for successfully working with customers on the floor. Healthcare and 401K for full-timers.
Cons
The pay is menial. Pay starts at around minimum wage or a couple dollars more, depending on where you live. Pay is hourly for all sales associates and non-management/operations; it increases around a dollar a year. There also is essentially no commission (we earn a dollar on every pair of insoles sold, but that's it). It has been a great job for me due to my relatively younger age and inexperience, but I wouldn't recommend it to an older individual with serious bills to pay.