employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Powell's Books

Is this your company?

Good retail position for book lovers - Anonymous employee Powell's Books Employee Review

3.0
Jan 26, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent discounts (50% off used books, 30% off new) Management is generally very respectful of their hourly workers, not condescending Most of the customers are unusually friendly Hourly pay is higher than minimum wage and will increase within a year usually

Cons

Depending on the economy, job security is not very stable. A lot of regular workers and temps were laid off after 2008 during the recession. They are now offering more permanent positions since the economy has improved. Non-management jobs are the first to be cut, naturally. You may not get enough work hours to pay your bills, except during the busy holiday season and summer. As with many retail store jobs, benefits are reserved for full time employees.

Explore other reviews about Powell's Books

5.0
Feb 17, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It was fun working there

Cons

Too many books to read

3.0
May 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Employee loan program, employee discount, co workers and customers.

Cons

There is a definite feeling of bitterness from upper management that they have to deal with a union workplace. I’ve worked with doctors and high level administrators in my other positions and my Powell’s co workers were some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever worked with. It’s really too bad that upper management did not seem interested in taking the advice of their frontline workers more into consideration.

1
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All