Pros
The important thing to realize, as with the cons, is that your experience working for the company will ultimaely vary based on which location and specific store you work in. Your coworkers will influene your experience considerably, as will the customers that frequent your store. In my personal experience, my managers have generally been very friendly but the assistant manager has an attitude problem that even the manager can't stomach. The manager is flexible with the schedule (a plus side for college students and employees with active lives). I work full-time, and have for the last 5 years or so (and have worked with the company for 8 years all-in-all, going on 9) and have dental, vision, and health benefits. Also, free drinks while on the job (but that's about as far as the perks go).
Kontras
Now, the downsides...Unfortunately the people who oversee the company as a whole don't quite seem to understand that every location is different from the next and so they won't always have the same customer base. They waste a lot of money on trying to make most stores carry the same things despite the interests of their customers not being the same, and they specialize in micromanagement of even their store managers and district managers. They expect you to keep the store in top clean condition ("hospital clean" was the last thing I heard it referred to) but they cut back the budget with which the store gets supplies to do so. They'll stuff the term "plus selling" down your throat so often you want to vomit it back up in their faces (particularly because your customers will eventually get angry or annoyed at hearing it repeatedly, but God help you if they catch you not doing it regardless). It's extremely difficult to move from part-time to full-time employee now. They focus more on what the public thinks about how the store looks than on how you make the customers feel, and the head office seems to go to great lengths to undermine your executive decisions ("I'm sorry that our employee caught you stealing and kicked you out of the store. Here, have a gift card and feel free to come back anytime." ...Yeah. That seriously happened, and then they wonder where their money's going?) Part-time employees don't get the option of the benefits full-time employees get, and if you want a raise, you need to almost constantly remind managemen that you're due for one. You'll usually start off at around $8/hour, though. You will sometimes work with coworkers who just can't be bothered to do anything (and get away with it, when you may or may not be able to do the same) and who have the worst attitude imaginable, and others who are bright and sunny and hard working. Management may be devoted and considerate or cold and rude. Don't get sick too often, or you might have to have a talk with the district manager about not missing more work under threat of losing hours in the future and have to bring a doctor's note for missing two consecutive days of work (what a waste of money THAT is.) Also, there are a variety of customers; some are nice and friendly and will joke around with you, others are shy or just not into talking much and just make their purchases and leave, while others are loud and vulgar and the rudest people on the planet (*cough*collegestudentdrunks*cough*). Corporate does not seem to value the rights of their employees in some cases (see Advice to Management.)