Pros
At its core, what the company is trying to do is fun and definitely deserves its place in the 2nd hand clothing marketplace. It is downright exciting to watch consignment come in and out, if you love fashion. I loved processing consignment and researching prices. You can get lucky, if you work hard, show initiative from the get-go, and get yourself noticed by your manager and district manager. I was promoted from part-time sales associate to store manager in under a year (this was in 2011). I was right out of college and my salary allowed me to support myself comfortably enough in Boston and I was given a raise when I asked for it upon my one-year review. The health insurance was good. Right before I left, they were about to offer a 401K plan. I do not remember if it had a matching component or not. The administrative people who I worked with were very nice.
Cons
Try running a store on Newbury Street with little or no back-up from a district manager (my DM changed 5 or 6 times over the course of my 2 years as a store manager) and with "help" from sales associates you can only offer $9/hour. Not only do you have to SELL to the customer, you also have navigate the tricky, sensitive world of consignment. Applicants for $9/hour jobs are a motley crew, indeed. I was lucky enough to always find one strong right-hand sales associate, but they would inevitably leave for something better than a $9/hour job. I petitioned a few times for a salaried assistant -manager, but it never went anywhere. The main con, though, is retail is not a great industry to try to build a career in and consignment means dealing with crazy people. Some people you have to deal with are very, very difficult. This job requires IMMENSE patience. Don't even get my started on the now-former CEO, Bill Soncini. I heard he is gone now. That is a very good thing. I hope the company can undo the damage he did and make positive growth.
