Not the store it once was - Sales Associate Crate and Barrel Employee Review

2.0
Mar 24, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Crate and Barrel has gorgeous products and overall the environment is nice to work in. (Clean, great customers and awesome associates) The discount is awesome and the company (as a whole) does a lot for charity which is cool.

Cons

I worked at the Woodfield (#107) location for a few years. When I started, there was this positive energy about the place- the associates got along well, everyone took a lot of pride in their work and really enjoyed the process of helping customers, selling, and pitching in wherever help was needed. However, over the past year or so, things have significantly changed. Many long-term associates have been let go, and other new ones have chosen to leave shortly after starting due to the high pressure environment at this location. The store isn't as focused on providing customer service as it is pushing credit cards and collecting customer email information that can be used for marketing purposes or sold to outside parties. Instead of being well staffed, the store is now under-staffed and requiring extra hours from employees- and while extra hours aren't always a bad thing, it can be difficult to accommodate when you work a second job and are trying to strike any kind of a work/life balance between the two. The feeling in the store now is just very heavy and sad... The management there once really promoted team work and comradery, but now, it's just a series of flippant text messages and micromanagement. I don't even shop here anymore- instead I make any Crate purchases online or at other locations. I would not recommend working here- at least not under the current management.

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Crate and Barrel Response
7y
We have received your advice and want to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We value all feedback and want to make ourselves available to listen to our associates. Please contact the Corporate Offices at 847-272-2888 and ask to speak to a member of the Associate Relations team.

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5.0
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Pros

Flexible, nice people, supportive managers

Cons

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1.0
May 11, 2026
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Pros

The office had a good coffee machine, which employees appreciated. The cafeteria staff member was friendly and welcoming, which made the environment feel a little more positive. Opportunity to observe how long-established corporate operations function.

Cons

Management style felt very micromanaged. The management in the IT appeared heavily focused on older management methods rather than collaborative leadership. Favoritism was noticeable among certain employees and teams. Contract workers were treated differently from full-time employees, including exclusion from social events, food gatherings, and team activities. The IT teams often seemed disconnected and unwilling to support or train others properly. Communication issues were common, including employees talking negatively about coworkers behind their backs. Training and onboarding lacked structure and consistency. The workplace often felt disorganized, with unclear processes and coordination problems.

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