Pros
Discounts on gear. Generally great coworkers with similar interests. Decent amount of training on gear, though it's largely dependent on self-motivation.
Cons
Pay structure is terrible. It's like working at a used car lot from the 80's. Because of this, it leads to a daily decision: do I sell whatever makes me the most money, or what the customer needs? Management generally encouraged us to do the former. And if we didn't, we struggled to pay the bills. It's LOUD. On purpose. To create "vibe." I still shudder when I walk into a store with loud music. Gives me a gross feeling in the gut of my stomach, remembering my days at GC. I worked for GC for 2.5 years at locations in 2 states, and both stores were similar. NICE guys in management, but the overall consensus among employees was that we worked for a company that didn't care about us. My years at GC did give me a few good things. Some pretty good gear. Some friends I wouldn't have made otherwise. And the motivation I needed to return to grad school and finish my masters.