Pros
Each store is independently managed. This gives the managers a ton of lee-way as to how things are done. If you are a manager, this is great, as you are the dictator of your store. Some of our stores are losing a ton of money yet the manager may remain for several years. If you are below management level, things are very inconsistent between stores. You are at their whim and there is very little policy on how certain things are handled. Having the stores being independent does allow you to bond with your fellow employees and provides some control over the direction and conditions of your workplace. If you have strong entrepreneurial spirit, you will enjoy CED.
Cons
Very much against taking time off! Made me use vacation time to go to my Grandfather's funeral. Little to no communication from regional or national levels to the store level. Not many training opportunities or cross training. They really lean on the vendors for training but this results in spotty training and some employees having much more knowledge than others. CED is purely sales driven. They will often put off long term improvements to make the numbers look good for the current year. Because of this, there is a cheap vibe in the offices and warehouse. Managers can expect to work 10-12 hours per day. Much of your income is based on a profit sharing plan that depends on the fairness of your manager.
