Cult-like atmosphere, High turnover, Must be "Container Store Obsessive" to ever move up in this company - Sales, Visual Sales The Container Store Employee Review

3.0
27 Aug 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Ok starting pay compared to other retail stores Somewhat positive, upbeat co-workers 40% Employee Discount Customer base is a lot nicer than shoppers at other retailers

Cons

TCS has a "cult-like" atmosphere. Don't ever expect to be promoted unless you're willing to spend every waking moment of your life completely consumed by this place. You have to "play the game" in order to get hours. Just being an awesome employee doesn't get you as far as it should. Management hardly leaves their offices and rarely contributes to sales. They have no problem pushing you and sometimes "lightly threatening" you to makes sales (especially Elfa, Elfa, Elfa) but 99% of the time you won't catch them on the sales floor unless they're "walking the floor" for a visual sales overview. Super high turnover!!! I really do not understand how TCS continues to make Fortune's Top 100 Co's list. They claim "no lay-offs" but that's only because they have complete control over the number of hrs you work. They never fire anyone because all they have to do is not schedule you. The Raleigh location continually loses great employees and it's because of the way management is treating them and scheduling (or not scheduling) them. Don't ever give your "point of view" and don't ever question anything TCS or the management does. This is a one-way ticket to getting black-balled hours. There is no schedule consistency for P/T employees. Once it seems like your schedule is becoming somewhat regular, they completely change it. Employees who go to school or have children are the one's who suffer the most. TCS is not as much about their employees as they claim to be. My advice - keep your F/T or P/T job and if you plan on working here, do it for the discount and not for any other reason.

Explore other reviews about The Container Store

5.0
12 Dec 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great Customer. Customers come in and find the time and energy to be positive making for a great working environment.

Cons

Sometimes product can be inconsistent.

3.0
28 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The Container Store has the most thorough training process of any company I've worked for. The environment was nice, and my coworkers and managers were all great. The employee discount is significant.

Cons

I applied because I was not getting the hours I was promised by my other part-time retail job. During the hiring process, they said I could work as many hours as I wanted, up to 29 hours per week. They did not mention until I was hired and asking for my hours that hours are dependent on how many customers you get to sign up for the rewards program. As a cashier, everyone I checked out who was not a part of the rewards program and did not want to be counted against me. Customers who are already a part of it don't factor in. I could check out 40 people in a shift, only have 5 who weren't part of the program, and only get 2 of them to sign up, and I would be penalized for that with my hours. If you work floor shifts and sign people up on the floor, it's able to boost your score since you don't interact with non-rewards members who don't want to join the system at all, but I was never offered floor shifts. They expected a 60-70% conversion rate, which is not realistic. Most people who want to be part of the program already are, and those who aren't typically aren't willing to even hear your 20-second pitch about it.

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