Pros
Decent pay and raises for retail, though the raises have declined over the years. Still better than any other retail job I've worked. Fairly good health benefits, though they changed their qualifications with the introduction of the Affordable Care Act. 10% employee discount. (Note: All pros stop once you're past college or have a marketable skill)
Cons
It's a company that started as one thing and has slowly been making its way closer to retail monotony. It wants to be cool and different without actually pushing boundaries. At times it feels like a puppy mill for groceries and wine. Part of this, though, is simply its popularity is too great in some areas, causing crowds beyond the store's size. 10% employee discount. At the end of the day, it's still a retail chain corporation. Decisions about how the store should be run are generally made above the store level; i.e. not by people working in the store. They have a motto at Trader Joe's: No Bureaucracy. So what do you do when you break your own rules? Change the definition.