Pros
Autonomy, dignity, respect, positive culture, growth, opportunity
Cons
It came down to two things: profits and who you know. My team had the unfortunate timing of losing an SVP shortly before consultants were hired in as executives. Just a couple months into the consultant take-over, our team's two senior buyers went out on maternity leave. It was during this time that the consultants made major cuts; finances were shot and they needed to improve liquidity. Who was there to defend the work of our team? No one. They didn't have one-on-one's or performance reviews to discuss roles or achievements. We simply didn't have anyone able to go to bat for us since our closest managers were all out of office. This is the risk of retail. These variables, that are ultimately out of your control, will change the course of your career. Achievement can't save you. Performance can't save you. A positive attitude can't save you. It's a matter of this: the who and the when. That's retail. Maybe you'll be a new hire, fresh out of college who ends up on a team where you're promoted twice within one year. There is that possibility! Flow with it, grow with it.