The Container Store -- like a dysfunctional family. The cult has essentially died.
Pros
1) Quality workforce. The one thing TCS generally does well is hire quality people at the working level -- sales; visual sales; distribution center pullers, stockers, etc. Typically, you'll find a lot of former managers from other retailers hired as minions at TCS. That's not necessarily bad. These are folks that have been burned out as managers elsewhere. What it gives TCS is frontline workers that don't have to be constantly managed. As former managers, they already know what they should be doing. 2) Great discount. Employees get a 40% discount on most merchandise; 50% on elfa products. 3) Work hours. Due to lawsuits, pretty much salaried workers work 40 hours a week period.
Cons
Management at every level throughout the company is typically poor. There are exceptions, but they're rare. Additionally, the company added another level of management within their stores. No longer is there just a store manager. Stores now have a GM and three subordinate managers. Now instead of having just one manager in the back office doing managerial things, there are four managers in the back room doing managerial things. No doubt the extra managers cost more in salary and there's less floor coverage to service customers. As such, customer service deteriorates. Without customer service, it makes it harder to justify the prices at TCS.
