Pros
Lowes offers decent compensation for retail management, not excellent, but decent. The bonus programs for managers are quite generous, but are shrinking each year as the company grows. The company offers good medical and dental benefits, although it seems that the company pays less of the cost each year, currently employee only coverage is about $36 every two weeks. Vacation time is not denied during the holidays like a lot of retailers tend to. Lowes provides predictable schedule rotations. One thing is certain, working at Lowes in never boring...there is always a lot of work to do. Also, the employee discounts are excellent on nonstocked and discontinued merchandise.
Cons
Forget about a personal or family life during the spring and summer months, all salary positions WILL work many, many hours during the months of March through July. The company match for the 401k has been reduced three times in my 8.5 years. The first year I worked at Lowes the company paid 14% of my base salary into the 401k, I paid nothing. Now if an employee applies 10% of his or her base, the company pays 4%. Stock options for assistant managers were deleted a few years ago, and the annual sales budgets for stores were increased to the point that the bonus program may as well not exist.