Pros
REI is usually a fun place to work. The pace can be fast, and it’s very customer centric, so if you like that (like I did), you’ll thrive there. Part-time employees can become eligible for health care, which is nice. Some people list pro-deals (steep industry discounts) as a benefit, I feel ambivalent about them. You will meet some great people at the co-op: students, retirees, seasonal outdoor pros (guides, biologists, geologists, etc), and folks that will help you get into sports/activities you haven’t done. Never gone backpacking? Someone will definitely take you on a trip. Climb a mountain? Same-same. Many stores also have an employee gear bank, so you can gear up for a trip without first having to outfit yourself. This is the segway into the cons...
Kontras
You will be broke. You will be paid peanuts, even as a manager. Until you are promoted to Store Manager, you will not be earning a living wage in most of California. You will be outfitting people who do have money. Every day. Yes, you get psyched for their adventures (I’m not a hater), and that makes you want to outfit yourself. Yes, you get sweet deals, but 50% off of a $3000 bike or kayak is still way more than you can afford to spend if you are making $13 an hour and working 30 hours per week. Also, you are in an environment designed to stimulate buying (as with all retail environments), and this will effect you as well. I have way more Nalgene bottles and t shirts than I will ever need. If you want to make the co-op a career, that will require getting promoted past Retail Sales Manager, unless you like eviction and malnourishment. Unfortunately, REI is rather opaque in terms of how you can actually do this, and 3 to 5 percent annual raises are not super awesome. There is a lot of carrot dangling and not a lot of bona fide growth.